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Calvin Announces Recipients of 2013 Bere’/Tiemersma Awards
Friday, May 17, 2013
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan—Calvin College has announced the 2013 recipients of its highest honors for men’s and women’s athletics: the Beré Memorial Award and the Kay Tiemersma Athletic Award. Dan Kerr of Petoskey, Michigan, is this year’s Beré Memorial Award winner while the women’s side features co-recipients in Lizzie Kamp of Orland Park, Illinois, and Carissa Verkaik of Holland, Michigan. The Beré Memorial Award has been presented annually by Calvin since 1951. The Beré honors the top senior male student-athlete, based on athletic ability, scholastic rank, character and leadership, and is selected by the school’s varsity coaches, its athletics administrators and its faculty athletic representatives.
It is given in memory of Joe Beré, a Calvin student who was killed in a 1949 auto accident on his way to watch a Calvin basketball game. This is the 39th year that Calvin has given the Tiemersma award—presented annually to the top senior female student-athlete. The award honors Kay Tiemersma, the first woman physical education 
teacher in the member schools of the Christian Schools International organization, and a pioneer in women’s sports. Its presentation is based on athletic ability, scholastic standing, and character and leadership. The winner is also selected by the school’s varsity coaches, its athletics administrators and its faculty athletic representatives. This year marks just the fourth time in school history that the Tiemersma Award has featured co-recipients. Other years with co-recipients include 1990 (Amber Blankespoor & Stephanie Rhind), 1993 (Becky Konyndyk and Betsy Wilgenburg) and 2007 (Lisa Winkle and Becky Weima).
Carissa Verkaik Audio Interview
Brian Diemer Named USTFCCCA Division III Great Lakes Assistant Men’s T & F Coach of Year
Friday, May 17, 2013
USTFCCCA Regional Awards Announcement
For the third time this academic year, Calvin College distance coach Brian Diemer has receive Regional Coach of the Year honors from the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. The most recent announcement came today as Diemer was named the Division III Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in outdoor men’s track and field. This past March, Diemer was named the Division III Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year for women’s indoor track and field. Last November he was named the Division III Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year for men’s cross country. This spring, Diemer led five men under 15:00 in the 5000 meters this season and another five under 32:00 in the 10k. Three of his athletes were champions this year in the MIAA and his squad claimed 88 points total in the league meet. Nationally, Dan Kerr is in the nation’s top three in the 10,000 meters. Diemer is in his 27th year at the school.
Lina Avila Named to NFCA Division III All-Central Region Second Team
Saturday, May 11, 2013
2013 NFCA Division III All-Region Softball Teams
For the second consecutive year, Calvin College junior Lina Avila has been named to the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association Division III All-Central Region second team in softball. A native of Lakewood, California, Avila finished the 2013 season with a .400 batting average with six home runs and 29 runs batted in. Avila also collected six doubles and a triple for a slugging percentage of .689. Avila is also Calvin’s career leader in home runs with 25. Avila split time between first base and the pitcher’s circle. As a pitcher this spring, she was 7-6 overall with a 3.23 earned run average, striking out 31 batters in 73.2 innings of work. Defensively, Avila also posted a .986 fielding percentage. Calvin finished the year with an overall record of 17-13, marking its first winning campaign since 2005. The Knights also posted an 8-8 conference mark that was good for sixth place in the league standings.
First Calvin C Club Awards Knight Takes Place at Calvin Wednesday Night
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Calvin Game Day Photo Gallery on Facebook
The first-ever Calvin C Club Awards ceremony was held on Wednesday night inside Van Noord Arena. The following is a list of the award recipients:
BREAKTHROUGH TEAM OF THE YEAR - Men’s Tennis
RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE - Nicole Michmerhuizen - women’s track and field, 10,000 meters
ROLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Bryan Powell, men’s basketball
PLAY OF THE YEAR - Danielle Carter, women’s soccer - game winning OT goal vs Hope in MIAA Tournament
MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Taylor Pruis, men’s soccer
FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Michaela Rookus, women’s swimming & diving
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Nick Holtrop, men’s soccer
FEMALE ATHLETE(S) OF THE YEAR - Lizzie Kamp, volleyball & Carissa Verkaik, basketball & track & field
EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN AN INDIVIDUAL EVENT - Elisabeth Counsell, women’s swimming & diving
GAME OF THE YEAR - Calvin men’s basketball MIAA Tournament final win over Hope
KAY TIEMERSMA AWARD WINNER(S) - Lizzie Kamp & Carissa Verkaik
BERE’ MEMORIAL AWARD WINNER - Dan Kerr, men’s cross country & track & field
The MIAA Commissioner’s Cup trophy was also unveiled at the ceremony.
Baseball drops MIAA Tournament game 7-3 at Hope
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Story by Mitch Blankespoor
HOLLAND, Mich. - For the third straight game at Boeve Stadium, the Calvin baseball team leaves with a loss. After falling to Hope both games in the MIAA regular season finale last Sat., the two rivals met again on Wed. May 8, the Knights dropped a 7-3 decision in the MIAA Tournament. Junior pitcher Nate Schepers took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings. Junior Cory Later pitched 4.1 innings of two-hit ball in relief. The Knights fell behind 7-1 after three complete innings, but battled back to within four on a two-RBI single in the sixth. Calvin could not get any closer. Sophomore Grant Van Putten led Calvin offensively with three singles in four plate appearances. Calvin returns to MIAA Tournament action tomorrow when the Knights travel to Boeve Stadium to face the Thunder of Trine University. The Thunder were defeated by Adrian 5-4 in the other MIAA Tournament game Wed.
Calvin Women’s Track and Field Team Has Eight Members Land on All-MIAA Team
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
The All-MIAA women’s track and field team has been announced and eight members of the MIAA champion Calvin women’s track and field squad have received all-conference honors. Named to the All-MIAA team from Calvin are seniors Carissa Verkaik, Kaylea Brase, Alyssa Penning, juniors Lauren Madden, Julie Busscher, Nicole Michmerhuizen, Hilary Banning and Olivia Butler. The Calvin women’s track and field team captured the outright MIAA title by taking first place at both the MIAA Jamboree and MIAA Field Day this spring. The title was Calvin’s fourth under fourth-year head coach Bret Otte and the 24th consecutive in program history. The championship streak of 24 titles is the longest active championship streak in MIAA women’s athletics history.
Calvin College Wins MIAA Commissioner’s Cup!!!
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
For the first time since the 1999-2000 academic year, Calvin College has won the outright MIAA Commissioner’s Cup. Calvin finished the year with 216 points, finishing ahead of rival Hope which earned 205 points. At the conclusion of the 2007-08 year, Calvin and Hope shared the Commissioner’s Cup as the two schools tied for first place. Hope had since won the last four outright titles. The MIAA Commissioner’s Cup award is based on the cumulative performance of each member school in the league’s 20 sports for men and women. The final Commissioner’s Cup standings is determined on the basis of each college’s standings in eight of 10 sports for men and eight of 10 sports for women. The Commissioner’s Cup (All-Sports Award) has been presented since 1934-35. Hope has won the award 34 times, followed by Kalamazoo 15, Albion 14, Calvin 9 and Alma 5. In addition, Calvin took first place in the MIAA Men’s All-Sports standings with 102 points, finishing ahead of Hope which tallied 93. Calvin also took first place in the MIAA Women’s All-Sports standings with 114 points, edging Hope by two points. The 2012-13 academic year was an historic one for the Calvin athletics program as it captured an MIAA record 12 conference titles including 10 that were outright league crowns. Calvin competes in 19 of the 20 MIAA-sponsored sports. The Knights do not compete in football.
Lina Avila and Trista Brownlee Receive All-MIAA Softball Honors
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Two members of the Calvin softball team have received All-MIAA honors. Named to the All-MIAA first team from Calvin is junior Lina Avila while sophomore Trista Brownlee has been named to the All-MIAA second team. Avila hails from Lakewood, California. She is a graduate of Valley Christian High School. She is the first player from Calvin to be named a first team All-MIAA selection in softball since Jeanne Cole was so honored in 2006. Avila was a multi-threat for Calvin this spring, serving as a pitcher, first baseman and power hitting threat in the lineup. In conference play, Avila picked up a pair of pitching victories in the circle. At the plate, she batted .457 with 17 runs batted in, three home runs, one triple and four doubles. Avila finished eighth in the MIAA in batting average. 
A native of Saginaw and a graduate of Saginaw Valley Lutheran High School, Brownlee was also a multi-threat for the Knights, splitting time between pitcher and shortstop. As a pitcher, she was 3-2 with a 3.54 earned run average, striking out 17 in 29.2 innings of work. At the plate, she batted .451 which was good for ninth in the MIAA batting race. She also scored 15 runs and drove in 14 while compiling an on-base percentage of .462. Calvin finished the year with an overall record of 17-13 which marked its first winning campaign since 2005. In addition, the Knights were 8-8 in league play, good for sixth place in the final conference standings.
Carissa Verkaik Named Michigan Female College Athlete of Year by Detroit Athletic Club
Monday, May 06, 2013
Calvin College senior Carissa Verkaik will head to Detroit next week. This afternoon, the two-sport standout was named the recipient of the 2013 Michigan Female College Athlete of the Year by the Detroit Athletic Club (DAC). A native of Holland and a graduate of Holland Christian High School, Verkaik is the third individual in Calvin athletics history to receive the award. Lisa Winkle (basketball, track & field) was the inaugural DAC Female College Athlete of the Year in 2006 with Becky Weima (swimming) receiving the same honor in 2007. The honors, recognizing both academic and athletic excellence, will be presented during this year’s 17th Annual DAC Athletic Awards at 7 p.m. on May 13 at the DAC. The event continues the Club’s tradition of supporting athletics in the community and will benefit the Foundation’s mission. A total of six female and six male high school nominees as well as one female and one male college athlete are selected each year.
Baseball drops two at Hope - will return to face Hope in MIAA Tournament
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Story by Mitch Blankespoor, Photo Credit: Jeff Febus
HOLLAND, Mich. - After a two-game split with Hope at Fifth Third Ballpark Fri., May 3, the Calvin men’s baseball dropped two games by scores of 8-5 and 7-6 (9 innings) at Boeve Stadium on the campus of Hope College Sat., May 4. Fortunately for the Knights, they had already earned a berth in the MIAA Tournament for the first time in three years with the win at Fifth Third. Hope jumped all over the Knights in the first two innings of game one. The Flying Dutchmen scored one run in the first and seven runs in the second. Calvin chipped away at the lead scoring runs in three consecutive innings to cut the lead to 8-5. The Knights could not muster any more runs, and dropped game one. In game two, junior Cory Laster gave up three earned runs in five innings, and was in line for the win when Calvin scored four runs in the top of the sixth. Both teams scored a single run before Hope tied the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh after Calvin walked the bases loaded. Hope eventually won the game on a walkoff single by TJ Klein in the bottom of the ninth. With its win, Hope clinches a share of the MIAA championship and the top seed in the MIAA Tournament. Calvin, now 16-23 on the season and 15-13 in the MIAA. The Knights clinch the fourth seed, and will return to Holland to face the Flying Dutchmen in the MIAA Tournament final. The game is scheduled for Wed., May 8. The time is to be determined.
