2007 Men's Cross Country Outlook

Once again, the question surrounding the Calvin men’s cross country team is whether or not the Knights can repeat as national champions.

A quick look at the list of returning runners reveals that Calvin should again be in the hunt but in order to do so, the Knights will need to remain hungry and shake off the affects of an injury-plagued outdoor track and field team this past spring.

“I don’t doubt that this team has the hunger and drive to make a run for another national championship,” says head coach Brian Diemer. “I think the biggest key will be to put our track and field season behind us as soon as possible, get healthy and then run with a renewed focus and determination.”

The 2007 outdoor track and field season brought miserable weather throughout the Midwest including the state of Michigan. Running in adverse conditions and at times competing in multiple meets in short intervals, Calvin’s distance runners started to suffer one injury after another. Of Calvin’s top seven runners who competed at the NCAA III Cross Country Championships in November, five suffered debilitating injuries during the outdoor track and field season.

“It was a frustrating track and field season,” said Diemer. “But I think this group is determined to put it in the past.”

Five of Calvin’s top seven from its 2006 national championship cross country team return this fall however including four of the five that struggled with injury during the track and field campaign. According to Diemer, all of the injured runners appear to be back to full health.

“We’ve got a strong returning core and we have good leadership at the top,” said Diemer. “There is also a very healthy competition among our team for some of the other top positions in our lineup. The most encouraging thing is that each and every runner takes ownership in the fact of knowing that he is pushing the teammate in front of him to be better, even if that is the slowest runner on our roster. That attitude has been a big part of our success over the last decade.”

Over the last nine years in particular, Calvin has posted nine consecutive top-four national finishes including four national titles and four national runner-up berths – a set of combined national team finishes that no NCAA III men’s cross country team can match during that span.

Leading the list of veterans runners this fall are returning All-Americans (junior), Jed Christiansen, (senior) Jon Gries, (junior) Erik VanKampen and (junior) Nate DeHaan.

At the 2006 NCAA III Cross Country Championships, Christiansen (Greenville, PA/Greenville HS) was fifth, Gries (King of Prussia, PA/Upper Merion HS) 12th, VanKampen (Elmhurst, IL/Timothy Christian HS) 17th and DeHaan (Byron Center/South Christian HS) 31st as Calvin matched an NCAA III record with six All-America performances. Calvin nearly came up with an unprecedented seven All-Americans as junior Tad Hulst (Zeeland/Zeeland HS) was 51st. Hulst also returns this fall for his senior year.

Senior Dan VanAkker (Byron Center/South Christian HS) also returns after serving as Calvin’s alternate (8th man) at the NCAA III Cross Country Championships and will be a strong candidate to move into one of the top seven spots this fall.

Other returning runners include juniors Jared Eliason (Shoreview, MN/Concordia Academy), Andrew Stutzman (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown High School), Steve Dykstra (Belmont/Rockford HS), Brett Christians (Northfield, MN/Northfield HS), Michael O’Shaugnessy (Elk Rapids/Elk Rapids HS), Sawyer Koops (Dolores, CO/Lexington Christian HS), Peter Clemo (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS), David Dornbos (Kentwood/Mayer Lutheran HS) and Matt Logan (Fort Wayne, IN/Concordia Lutheran HS) and sophomores George Visser (Winfield, IL/West Chicago HS), Todd Mitchell (Burnsville, MN/Lakeville North HS), Brian Odegaard (Stillwater, MN/Stillwater Senior High School), Josh Orndorff (Huron, OH/Huron HS), Kyle Mast (Holland/Holland Christian HS) and Andrew Goodman (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran HS).

Calvin will also save on the gas mileage this fall as the Knights will host three races including the Great Lakes Regional on November 10. Calvin will also host the Calvin Invitational on September 15 and a pre-regional invitational on October 13. All three races will be held on Calvin’s four-year old Gainey Athletic Fields course.

“We’re looking forward to running at home this year and in front our home fans,” said Diemer. “We’ve got a terrific young course that gets better each year.”

The MIAA Championships will be held on October 27 and hosted by Albion as the Knights chase after their 21st consecutive league title. An MIAA jamboree is also slated for September 22 at Tri-State.

Calvin will also compete at the Notre Dame Invitational, Loyola Lakefront Invitational and Michigan Intercollegiates. The NCAA III Championships are scheduled for November 17 with St. Olaf College (MN) serving as host.

2006 Men's Cross Country Season in Review

Led by head coach Brian Diemer, the men’s cross country team had a year for the record books as the Knights won their 20th consecutive MIAA title, their 10th consecutive Great Lakes Regional crown and their third national title in the last four years.

At the MIAA championships hosted by Alma College in late October, Calvin took first place with a score of 17 points. Calvin took six of the top seven spots led by senior Tim Finnegan (Los Alamos, N.M.) with a first place time of 25:01, finishing a half-step ahead of sophomore teammate Jed Christiansen (Greenville, Pa.) who was second in the same time. Junior Jon Gries (King of Prussia, Pa.) also ran a strong race, finishing third with a time of 25:14.
           
Rounding out Calvin’s top seven finishers were junior Tad Hulst (Zeeland, Mich.) in fifth place (25:27), senior Harrison Jorritsma (Beamsville, Ont.) in sixth place (25:38), sophomore Erik VanKampen (Elmhurst, Ill.) in seventh place (25:54) and sophomore Nate DeHaan (Byron Center, Mich.) in eighth place (26:00).

All seven Calvin finishers were named to the All-MIAA first team with Finnegan receiving MIAA MVP honors for the second straight year and landing a spot on the All-MIAA first team for the fourth consecutive year.
           
At the Great Lakes Regional meet hosted by Hanover College (Ind.), Calvin took first place with a team score of 17 spots, taking the top four spots including five of the top seven. Finnegan captured the regional title for the second straight year with a first place in a time of 25:25. Finnegan ran in a tight pack of four as Christiansen was second in 25:29, Gries third in 25:33 and Jorritsma (Beamsville, Ont.) fourth in 25:38.

The surprise of the race for Calvin came from VanKampen who stepped up to serve as Calvin’s fifth finisher, placing seventh individually in a time of 25:50. Hulst was the next finisher for the Knights, placing 12th in 26:04 while DeHaan was 14th in 26:06.

All seven Calvin runners earned spots on the Great Lakes All-Region team while Finnegan was named Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year and Diemer Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.

At the national meet, Calvin took first place with a score of 37 points with six of Calvin’s seven runners earning All-America honors (see separate story). Diemer was then named Division III Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field Coaches Association.

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Women's Cross Country 2007 Preview

After surprising the field and nearly walking away with a national title in 2006, the Calvin women’s cross country team will seek to continue the momentum this fall.

Running on a mud-filled course in Cincinnati last November, Calvin came within six points of winning a national title, finishing one point behind runner-up Amherst and five points behind national champion Middlebury.
Calvin was paced by three All-Americans and although two of the three have since graduated, the Knights still figure to have plenty of talent on board for the upcoming season.

Leading the returning cast is senior Christina Overbeck (Seattle, WA/Bellevue Christian HS) who placed sixth at the NCAA III Championships last November to garner an All-America berth. Overbeck then picked up an All-America plaque at the 2007 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a fifth place finish in the 10,000 meter run.
Also returning from Calvin’s top seven from a year ago are junior Calah Schlabach (St. Michaels, AZ/St. Michaels HS) and sophomore Lauren Bergstrom (Rochester, MN/Century HS). Schlabach was Calvin’s fourth finisher at the national meet, placing 70th individually while Bergstrom was Calvin’s No. 5 runner, finishing 85th. Both runners were Great Lakes All-Region and All-MIAA selections in 2006.  Schlabach was fourth at the 2006 MIAA Championships while Bergstrom was fifth.

Other returning All-MIAA selections include sophomore Mary Tolsma (Hawthorne, NJ) and senior Lynn Marsh (North Vernon, IN/Jennings HS) who placed eighth and 11th respectively at the 2006 MIAA Championships.
Juniors Anne Fennema (Brookfield, WI) and Jesi Hale (Gallup, NM/Rehoboth Christian HS) and sophomore Elizabeth Smit (Kirkland, WA/Bellevue Christian HS). Fennema took ninth at the 2006 MIAA Championships while Smit was 12th and Hale 14th. Hale and Smit are both coming off of stellar track and field campaigns this spring.  Hale nearly ran a sub-18 minute 5,000 meters late in the season while Smit posted an impressive NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 10:54.96 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Other returning runners include senior Jenny Zylstra (Lombard, IL/Timothy Christian HS), juniors Jessi Miller (Colorado Springs, CO/The Classical Academy), Laura Sizemore (Sheboygan, WI/Sheboygan County Christian HS), Emily Arkus (Tinley Park/Victor J. Andrew HS), Kristin Haagsma (Grand Rapids/South Christian HS), Laura Jackson (Decatur, IL/St. Teresa HS) and Anna Pranger (Centenniel, CO/Cherry Creek HS) and sophomores Val Nydam (Uxbridge, MA/Whitinsville Christian HS), Sarah Dugan (Freeland/Freeland HS), Nicole Farr (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South HS) and Kristen McHugh (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South HS).

Incoming sophomore Jessica Koster  (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) – a transfer from Division II Grand Valley State University – is also expected to make  an immediate contribution.

Calvin’s schedule begins on September 15 when it hosts its own Calvin Invitational. The invitational will be the first of three home meets for the Knights as they will also host a pre-regional invitational on October 13 and the NCAA III Great Lakes Regionals on November 10.

Calvin will again compete at the Notre Dame Invitational in late September and at the Michigan Intercollegiates in early October.  The MIAA Championships are scheduled for October 27 with Albion College serving as host.

Calvin will be seeking its third straight MIAA title including its 19th overall.
“We have the makings of another strong team,” said head coach Brian Diemer earlier this summer. “We have some holes to fill but we have some young and talented runners eager to fill those holes. The enthusiasm and teamwork with this group is very high and that is yet another reason why I am very optimistic about the upcoming season.”

“Our goals are to win another MIAA title, do well at regionals, advance to the national meet again and then let the chips fall where they may,” said Diemer. “We’re certainly capable of reaching all of those goals.”
          

Women's Cross Country 2006 In Review

Under the direction of first-year head coach Brian Diemer, the Calvin women’s cross country team captured its second straight MIAA title, a second place Great Lakes Regional finish and a third place finish at the NCAA III Championships.

At the MIAA championships held at Alma College in late October, Calvin posted just the second perfect score (15 points) in MIAA women’s cross country championship history as the Knights took eight of the top nine spots.
           
Winning the 6K race was Calvin senior Camille Medema (Grand Rapids, Mich.) in a time of 22:58 while junior teammate Christina Overbeck (Seattle, Wash.) was second in 23:03. Senior Lydia Singer (Wilmington, Del.) was next for Calvin in its 1-2-3-4-5 finish; she placed third in 23:25. She was followed by sophomore Calah Schlabach (St. Michaels, Ariz.) in fourth place (23:35) and sophomore Lauren Bergstrom (Century, Minn.) in fifth place (23:35).

Rounding out Calvin’s top seven were sophomore Kelly Edwards (Grand Blanc, Mich.) in seventh (24:22) and freshman Mary Tolsma (Hawthorn, N.J.) in eighth place (24:24). Other Calvin finishers of note included sophomore Anne Fennema (Brookfield, Wis.) in ninth place (24:31), junior Lynn Marsh (North Vernon, Ind.) in ninth place (24:38), freshman Elizabeth Smit (Kirkland, Wash.) in 12th place (24:42), freshman Jessi Hale (Rehoboth, N.M.) in 14th place (24:47), senior Laura Holtrop (Rockville, Md.) in 15th place (24:51) and senior Nikki Reckman (Sarnia, Ont.) in 16th place (24:53).        

Medema was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Runner and landed a spot on the All-MIAA first team for the fourth straight year. She was joined on the All-MIAA first team from Calvin by Overbeck, Bergstrom, Schlabach, Singer, Tolsma and Marsh.

At the Great Lakes Regional meet hosted by Hanover College (Ind.), Calvin took second place with 57 points, finishing just four points behind Case Western Reserve University (Ohio). Calvin placed four runners in the top seven led by Medema who was fourth in 22:15. She was followed by Calvin Overbeck in fifth place, Schlabach in sixth place (22:31) and Singer in seventh place (22:32).

Calvin’s fifth runner was Bergstrom who placed 35th in 23:48. Rounding out Calvin’s finishers were Edwards in 42nd place (24:09) and Holtrop in 50th place (24:21). Medema, Overbeck, Schlabach, Singer and Bergstrom all earned sports on the Great Lakes All-Region team which are awarded to finishers in the top 35.

At the NCAA III Championships the following week in Mason, Ohio, Calvin took third behind three All-America performances (see related story), finishing just five points behind national champion Middlebury College (Vt.) and four points behind runner-up Amherst College (Mass.). The 1-2-3 finish was the closest in NCAA III Women’s Cross Country Championship history.

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Men's Golf 2007 Preview

After dropping its team stroke average each of the last two years, the Calvin men’s golf team will seek to continue the same trend this fall. Under the direction of head coach Brian Bolt, the Knights have dropped their stroke averages by two strokes each of the last two years.

Despite a roster devoid of any seniors, Bolt is confident that his golf squad will continue to improve this fall.

“We’re young but we also have a great deal of enthusiasm,” said Bolt. “It’s really invigorating to see how enthusiastic some of our young golfers are. The encouraging thing is that they are also talented. The biggest thing will be to gain consistency in every league competition.”

Bolt shuffled his lineup around throughout the 2006 MIAA season but began to figure out the pieces of his team’s puzzle by the end of the season as three freshmen and a sophomore were among his top five.

“We had some young players really come on at the end of the season and we’re hoping that they carry the momentum into the fall season,” said Bolt.
The veteran among the youthful group this fall will be junior Brad Tindall (Vicksburg/Vicksburg HS) who finished 14th in the final MIAA standings in 2005 and 17th in 2006, with averages of 78.4 and 78.8 strokes-per-round respectively. Both averages rank among Calvin’s top 20 all-time.

Experience in the sophomore class will come from Aaron Hargett (Lakewood/Lake Odessa HS), Kyle Harvey (Willard, OH/Willard HS) and Jon Kuiper (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS). All three were regulars in Calvin’s lineup heading down the final stretch of the season and in the case of Hargett and Kuiper, were among Calvin’s top group throughout the year.
Hargett tied Tindall for 17th place in the final MIAA standings last fall with an average of 78.8 strokes-per-round. Kuiper also had a top-25 league finish, placing 25th with an average of 80.7 strokes-per-round.

Harvey moved into Calvin’s lineup for the final four league outings and had back-to-back rounds of 79 late in the year.

Bolt also mentioned three local freshmen that could make an impact this fall in Jess Hendriksma and Eric Doezema of Grand Rapids Christian High School and Matt Marks of Grand Rapids South Christian High School.
As for the league standings, Bolt is simply seeking improvement and building momentum. “We’d like to get back into the top half of the league standings again but it won’t be easy,” said Bolt. “We’re trying to build for this year and for the next couple of years with the youth that we have on this team. We’re excited and eager for the season to begin.”

Calvin will open its fall schedule August 31 and September 1 at the Lou Collins Classic hosted by Olivet at the Bedford Valley Country Club. The first league outing will take place on September 5 at the Medalist Golf Club with Albion serving as host. Calvin will host the second-to-last league outing on October 1 at the Watermark Country Club. The final league outing of the year will be on October 6 at the Zollner Golf Club with Tri-State serving as host.

Men's Golf 2006 In Review

Under the direction of head coach Brian Bolt, the men’s golf team took fifth in the final MIAA standings with a team average of 313.8 strokes per round. After a seventh place finish at the first MIAA outing of the year, Calvin rebounded to finish fourth or better in four of the final league tournaments of the year.

Calvin’s top individual finishers were senior Jeff TenBrink (Kalamazoo, Mich.), sophomore Brad Tindall (Vicksburg, Mich) and freshman Aaron Hargett (Lakewood, Mich.). TenBrink finished 16th in the final MIAA individual standings (78.0) while Tindall and Hargett were tied for 17th (78.8). TenBrink finished in the top six in league tournaments three times during the fall while Tindall and Hargett both had one top-10 finish in league play.

Freshman Jon Kuiper (Grand Rapids, Mich.) also had a top-25 finish in the final league standings, placing 25th with an average of 80.7 strokes-per-round.

TenBrink’s final MIAA season average tied the seventh-best average in Calvin men’s golf history while the averages by Tindall and Hargett were both in the top 15.

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Women's Golf 2007 Preview

The simple goal for the Calvin women’s golf team this fall will be to improve upon its 2006 performance. With four returning letterwinners along with some promising newcomers, this year’s Calvin team should be able to do just that.
Set to return to this year’s squad are senior Linnea Trippett (White Plains, NY/White Plains HS) and sophomores Tessa Mulder (Haslett/Haslett HS), Kelli Visser (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Julienne Louters (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS).

Visser was Calvin’s top golfer last fall, averaging 99.3 strokes-per-round including a round of 90 at the third and final MIAA outing of the year. She then fired a round of 99 at the MIAA Tournament.

Louters was Calvin’s next-highest finisher with an average of 105.3 strokes-per-MIAA outing. Trippett was close behind, finishing with an average of 108.0.

Calvin will also welcome sophomore transfer Emily Tuuk (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) who along with Louters and Visser, were part of a 2005 Grand Rapids Christian High team that took eighth at the Division II state finals.

Head coach Jerry Bergsma expects up to nine golfers to be on his 2007 roster.

“Our young players showed strong potential last year,” said Bergsma. “If they can raise their play a notch or two, our team could really improve. It will all depend on how hard they have worked on their golf games over the summer but the potential is there.”

Calvin will open its fall campaign on September 5 when it hosts a three-team invitational including Aquinas and Hope at the Thornapple Pointe Golf Club. The MIAA season will begin three days later when Kalamazoo hosts an MIAA outing at the Milham Park Golf Club September 8. The outing will be the first of three league outings with Tri-State hosting a league outing September 11 at the Zollner Golf Club and Alma hosting an outing on September 25 at the Bucks Run Golf Club.

Calvin will also compete at the Olivet College Invitational September 21 and 22 at the Medalist Golf Club. The MIAA Tournament will again be held on October 5 and 6 at the Bedford Valley Country Club in Battle Creek. 
The final league standings for the MIAA title will be determined by the combination of strokes accumulated during the three MIAA outings in September and the two rounds of the MIAA Tournament in October. A separate spring season of three rounds will then take place with the winner of the spring season receiving the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament in May.

Women's Golf 2006 Review

Led by head coach Jerry Bergsma, the women’s golf team took eighth in the final MIAA standings with a team average of 421.5 strokes per round.

Calvin’s top individual finisher was freshman Kelli Visser (Grand Rapids, Mich.) who ranked 31st in the final MIAA individual standings with an MIAA season-average of 99.3 strokes per round. Calvin’s next-best finisher was freshman Julienne Louters (Grand Rapids, Mich.) with an average of 105.5 strokes-per-round followed by junior Linnea Trippett (White Plains, N.Y.) with an average of 108.0, sophomore Jessica Bruggink (Hudsonville, Mich.) with an average of 109.5 and sophomore Juanita Gibson (Detroit, Mich.) with an average of 111.7.

Visser had a pair of strong efforts down the final stretch of the season. At the third league tournament of the year, Visser fired a round of 90. At the Siena Heights Invitational, she carded a season-best score of 88 that was good for fifth place. She then closed out the season with a score of 99 at the MIAA tournament, despite competing in cold and wet playing conditions.

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Men's Soccer 2007 Preview

Over the past four years, the Calvin men’s soccer program has won more than 71 percent of its contests, accumulating a 50-16-8 record (.712) during that span which includes a pair of MIAA titles and two trips to the NCAA III Tournament. Calvin finished the 2006 season with a 10-5-5 record, hitting the double-digit plateau for the 27th time in the last 29 years. Calvin also posted a 7-0-2 record over its final nine games in 2006.

Continuing the winning trend is a goal of the 2007 Calvin men’s soccer team as well. According to sixth-year head coach Chris Hughes, the Knights have all of the ingredients in which to create a winning formula but Hughes also admits that the process may take some time.

“We have all of the pieces that you need to make a winning team but the pieces are also coming in from several different angles,” said Hughes. “We had a very young team last year and many of the players who were either freshmen or sophomores last year are back. We also have some veterans that did not play last year that are returning this fall and finally, we have some newcomers that I think will make an impact as well. The challenge for me and the rest of my coaching staff is to mold all of these pieces together so that we’re picking up momentum as we enter the MIAA (regular) season.”

Calvin’s non-conference campaign will again be challenging as the Knights face Carthage (WI) and Concordia-Mequon (WI) Labor Day weekend (August 31 and September 1) and will then face Division III opponents in North Park, Wheaton (IL), Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace later in September. North Park, Wheaton and Ohio Northern all reached the NCAA III Tournament a year ago. Calvin will face North Park on September 7 and Wheaton on September 8 as part of the Cal Bergsma Memorial Tournament which serves as an exchange tournament with Hope College. Calvin is the defending tournament champion and has won the event three out of a possible six years.

Calvin’s games against Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace will take place on September 14 and 15 respectively as part of the OAC-MIAA Shootout. The weekend tournament will also include Hope.

“I think we’ll be a work in progress during our non-conference season,” said Hughes. “That’s not to say that I don’t think that we will be competing to win those games because we will compete to win. But I also think that it is accurate to say that we will be figuring out what our team is all about during that stretch.”

Tri-captains for this year’s Calvin squad will be senior goalkeeper Dave Fortosis (West Chicago, IL/Wheaton Academy), junior midfielder A.J. Dufendach (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Northern HS) and sophomore striker Michael Holwerda (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS). Fortosis will head into pre-season camp as Calvin’s number-one goalkeeper after appearing in 12 games and starting in seven during the 2006 season. Fortosis was 6-1-2 while in goal for the Knights while posting four shutouts and a goals-against-average of 0.64.

Dufendach returns to the team after a year’s absence. During his prior two seasons with the Calvin men’s soccer team, Dufendach has started in 25 games and picked up one goal and three assists. Holwerda is also scheduled to return to the team after a year’s absence.

Also returning up front as forwards are senior Jared Litty (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS), juniors Anthony Gratson (Rochester/Rochester Stoney Creek HS) and Ben Buerle (Wyoming/Tri-unity Christian HS) and sophomore Alex McKenzie (Lindenhurst, IL/Antioch HS). Litty was Calvin’s leading scorer in 2006 with 15 points on the strength of six goals and three assists. Buehrle contributed four goals and three assists during the season. Three of his goals were game-winners including a game-winning sudden-death overtime goal in a September win at Alma. McKenzie had five goals and three assists and was named to the 2006 All-MIAA second team.

Returning in the midfield for Calvin are juniors Steve Holwerda (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS), and Dan VanSlyke (Grove City, PA/Grove City HS) and sophomores Luke Holtrop (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS), Blake VanWylen (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Tim Kertland (Harrisburg, PA/Harrisburg Area HS). Senior Nick Capisciolto (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) will also be back after a year’s absence from the team. 

In addition to Fortosis, Calvin’s defensive ranks return junior goalkeepers Matt Gardner (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington HS) and Darren Cline (Grandville/Grandville HS), junior back Zac DiPaolo (Silver Lake, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian HS) and sophomore back Greg Snapper (Madison, WI/).  Snapper was a member of the All-MIAA second team in 2006 and earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors during the second-to-the-last week of the season.

Calvin’s offense in 2006 scored just 31 goals, a drop of 30 goals from the year before while its defense allowed 22 goals, an increase of four from the previous season. Hughes realizes that both components of Calvin’s team must improve this fall in order for his team to increase its win total from 2006.

“Our defense was not at a level that I would like last year and I think part of that was because we had players that were new and not comfortable with each other at first,” said Hughes, a former All-MIAA defensive back himself. “I think another factor was that we had uncertainty at the goalkeeping position for awhile. Once Dave Fortosis solidified the position, we started to come together in our backline.”

Over its final nine games last fall, Calvin allowed just five goals and recorded five shutouts. On offense however, Calvin was also shut out in five games and had five games where it scored just one goal.

“We need to get better on offense, there’s no question about that,” said Hughes. “And I think we will improve but I don’t think it will come specifically from any one individual. I think our offense will improve from a collective effort. We have several different players that are capable of stepping up and contributing to our offensive attack.”

The Calvin men’s soccer program will continue to operate with two teams known as its “A” team and its “B” team. An incoming class of 30 first-year players will join the returning players in competing for one of the 40 available roster spots between the two teams.

“The competition in our pre-season camp will be very high,” said Hughes. “I think we will have some first-year players making contributions but I’d rather not cite any individuals at this time. I want my newcomers to earn their kudos before any are given out.”

Calvin will open its MIAA campaign on September 19 at Kalamazoo and will then host rival Hope on September 22. The league schedule will again feature a double round-robin format with the final regular season champion earning an automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament.

“Our biggest key is to keep getting better in each game,” said Hughes. “If we do that, we should be playing our best soccer at the end of the season which is the goal of this team.”

Calvin will also get a head-start on the season when it participates in a week-long trip to Costa Rica from August 5-to-August 12. While there, a group of 20 Calvin players will participate in four games against local club teams but more importantly, will take part in some mission project work.

“We’re scheduled for three afternoons of mission work while there,” said Hughes. “The trip will be a great opportunity for our players to understand how they can be servants in God’s world which exemplifies the mission of Calvin College.”

Men's Soccer 2006 in Review

Led by head coach Chris Hughes, the men’s soccer team hit the double-digit plateau in victories for the ninth consecutive year, finishing 10-5-5 overall. The Knights also took third in the final MIAA standings, posting an 8-2-4 conference mark. With a youthful team, Calvin stumbled a bit out of the gates, recording a 3-5-3 record through its first 11 games. Over the final nine games of the season however, Calvin went unbeaten recording a 7-0-2 mark during that stretch.

Senior defender Maurice Wright (Wauwatosa, Wis.) was a team leader throughout the season, scoring three goals and collecting two assists while also helping anchor a Calvin defense that came up with nine shutouts during the season. Wright was later named to the All-MIAA first team, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Great Lakes All-Region first team and to the D3kicks.com Great Lakes All-Region third team. Wright also picked up MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors once during the year.
Calvin also featured several talented first-year players which included freshman forward Alex McKenzie (Lindenhurst, Ill.) and freshman sweeper back Greg Snapper (Madison, Wis.) who were both named to the All-MIAA second team. McKenzie had five goals and three assists on the year while Snapper started in all 20 of Calvin’s games and was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week once.

Another senior leader was midfielder David Holwerda (Grand Rapids, Mich.) who was honored with the MIAA’s Zuidema Award. The Zuidema Award has been awarded since 1999 and honors Dr. Marvin Zuidema, longtime men's soccer coach and athletic administrator at Calvin College. The recipient is to be a senior selected for his contributions to team play, leadership qualities, demonstration of ethical virtues and excellence in athletics and academics.

During the year, Holwerda served as a team tri-captain. He finished his career with 19 goals and six assists including six goals and two assists this fall. Perhaps his most notable achievement however was his ability to come back from Hodgkin’s disease during his sophomore year of 2004. Holwerda was diagnosed with the condition in the late fall of 2003 and missed the spring semester of the 2003-04 academic year while undergoing treatment. In the fall of 2004, Holwerda returned to school and to the Calvin men’s soccer team, scoring eight goals including three game winners.

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Women's Soccer 2007 Preview

After losing two of the most prolific scoring threats in school history to graduation, Calvin will admittedly have a different look this fall. At the same time, the Knights will aim to once again compete at a high level.

Gone to graduation are strikers Jill Capel and Sarah Weesies who finished their prolific four-year collegiate careers ranked second and fourth respectively on the Calvin career scoring list. Both players were four-time 1st team All-MIAA selections with Capel receiving first team Division III All-America honors last fall while Weesies was named to the Great Lakes All-Region first team as Calvin finished the 2007 campaign with a glittering 22-0-1 mark, leading all of Division III in winning percentage.

But the cupboard is not completely bare as the Knights return six starters and 14 letterwinners. Calvin’s defense should be a strength as sweeper back Ashley Bolen (Urbana, IL/Urbana HS) and marking back Juliana Litts (Alexandria, VA/Thomas Jefferson HS) both return for their third year in the starting lineup. Bolen is a two-time All-MIAA second team selection and a strong striker of the ball on restarts and corner kicks. During her two-year Calvin career, Bolen has amassed a pair of goals and nine assists. Meanwhile, Litts has been a steadying influence on the outside, starting in 40 of a possible 43 matches during her collegiate career. Another returning letterwinner on defense is sophomore Cara Walcott (Holland/Holland Christian HS).

Sophomore goalkeepers Alyssa Bergsma (Walker/Calvin Christian HS), Kayla Sulzer (St. Charles, MO/Whitfield HS) both return after combining to allow just six goals in 2006. Bergsma and Sulzer split the lion’s share of the goalkeeping duties with Bergsma establishing a Calvin single-season record with a 0.34 goals-against-average that ranked seventh in the final NCAA III statistics. Playing in slightly less minutes than Bergsma, Sulzer allowed just two goals during the year and finished with a 0.20 goals-against-average. Sophomore Lynae Steketee (Holland/Holland Christian HS) also saw action in six games in 2006 but will likely miss the 2007 campaign because of an injury.
       
Fifth-year senior midfielder/defensive back Leah Scholten (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) is another important cog in the Calvin machine, as she is coming off a 2006 campaign that saw her land a spot on the All-MIAA second team after missing most of the 2005 season with injury. A strong two-way player, Scholten provides an important link between Calvin’s defense and offense. In 2006, she accumulated nine points on the strength of two goals and five assists. Junior Elizabeth Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL/Victor J. Andrew HS) is another notable returnee in the midfield. A member of the All-MIAA second team in 2006, Ribbens also earned spots on the D3kicks.com and NSCAA Great Lakes All-Region third teams after scoring 10 goals and collecting eight assists. Ribbens scored the game-tying goal in last year’s national quarterfinal contest with Messiah College.

Also returning in the midfield for the Knights are junior Liz VanRees (Muskegon/Western Michigan Christian HS) and sophomores Emily Ottenhoff (Palos Heights, IL/Chicago Christian HS) and Allison Boender (Wyoming/Calvin Christian HS). Ottenhoff is coming off a strong freshman campaign as she chalked up 17 points on the strength of seven goals and three assists during the 2006, season, earning a spot on the All-MIAA second team and a spot on the D3kicks.com Great Lakes All-Region second team.  Ottenhoff was also two-for-two on penalty kick opportunities including a successful penalty kick shot in Calvin’s 3-1 win over Hope in the 2006 MIAA Tournament Championship game.

Despite the loss of Weesies and Capel, the Knights still have experienced players up front. Most notable of the returnees are juniors Jessica Vegter (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) and Michelle Koele (Denver, CO/Denver Christian HS) and sophomore Natalie Veurink (Spring Lake/Western Michigan Christian HS).

Vegter has seven goals and six assists in her collegiate career thus far while Koele has 12 goals and six assists including an eight-goal, four-assist campaign in 2005. Veurink was also stellar in a reserve role in 2006, picking up six goals and two assists. Two of her six tallies in 2006 were game-winners including a clutch goal off the bench in a 1-0 win over the University of Chicago last October. Veurink also ripped in a game-winning goal in the second half of a 2-0 conference victory over Albion on September 27.

An incoming class of 14 first-year players should also make an impact and compete for playing time this fall.

Calvin’s schedule is again full of challenges. The Knights open the year with a tournament hosted by Kenyon College. The Knights will face Kenyon on August 31 in a rematch of last year’s second round NCAA III Tournament game. Calvin will also face the College of Mount St. Joseph at the tournament.

Other non-conference games include matches against NAIA opponents Cornerstone and Aquinas, and NCAA III powers Chicago, Wheaton (IL) and DePauw. The game at Chicago will take place on September 7 while the contest against the defending national champion Thunder of Wheaton will take place the following night (September 8). Calvin will travel to DePauw on October 1.

In addition, Calvin has a non-conference date scheduled at Saint Mary’s (IN) on September 12 with the MIAA regular season schedule kicking off September 22 with a home contest against Tri-State University.
The MIAA Tournament is scheduled to begin with first round play on October 27. The MIAA Tournament semifinals will then take place on October 30 and conclude with the MIAA Tournament Championship game on November 3. The final MIAA title will again be a combination of the MIAA regular season and MIAA Tournament.
        
Women's Soccer 2006 Season in Review

Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Mark Recker, the women’s soccer team put together the finest season in school history, finishing 22-0-1 overall and advancing to the national quarterfinals of the NCAA III Tournament—marking Calvin’s best-ever finish in the national tournament. Calvin also finished fifth in the final Division III Top 25 poll of the year. Calvin also captured its second consecutive MIAA title and won its first-ever MIAA tournament crown, defeating rival Hope 3-1 in the MIAA tournament championship game. Recker was later named Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year and MIAA Coach of the Year.

Calvin’s lone blemish was a 1-1 double-overtime tie with defending national champion Messiah College (Pa.) in the national quarterfinals with the Knights dropping a penalty kick shootout, ending their season.

During the year, Calvin allowed just six goals and posted 17 shutout victories, finishing third nationally in team goals-against average (0.256) and fourth in shutout percentage (0.74). Calvin also led the nation in winning percentage (.978) and was fourth in goalkeeper save percentage (.971).

Individually, freshman goalkeeper Alyssa Bergsma (Walker, Mich.) finished seventh individually in goals-against average (0.337) and seventh in saves percentage (0.882), while senior Jill Capel (Hudsonville, Mich.) finished 39th in assists per game (0.52).

Capel was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year. She was also named to the All-MIAA first team for the fourth straight year, as was senior teammate Sarah Weesies (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Together, Capel and Weesies are two of just nine players in MIAA women’s soccer history to receive the award four straight years.

Also named to the All-MIAA first team from Calvin was senior Tricia DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich.), while senior Elizabeth Ribbens (Tinley Park, Ill.), senior Leah Scholten (Hudsonville, Mich.), sophomore Ashley Bolen (Urbana, Ill.) and freshman Emily Ottenhoff (Palos Heights, Ill.) were named to the All-MIAA second team. Receiving honorable mention recognition from the MIAA coaches were seniors Noell Berghuis (Hudsonville, Mich.) and Laura Rooks (Holland, Mich.), sophomore Juliana Litts (Alexandria, Va.), and freshmen Natalie Veurink (Spring Lake, Mich.), Alyssa Bergsma and Kayla Sulzer (St. Charles, Mo.).

The National Soccer Coaches Association named Capel and Weesies to the Great Lakes All-Region first team and named Ribbens to the third team. In addition, DeVries was named a third team All-American by D3kicks.com and was voted to the D3kicks.com Great Lakes All-Region first team. Also receiving All-Region honors from D3kicks.com were Capel, Weesies, Ottenhoff and Ribbens.

Finally, Weesies and DeVries both received ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors—DeVries was named to the second team and Weesies to the third team.

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Women's Volleyball 2007 Preview

After back-to-back 30-win campaigns, can the Calvin women’s volleyball team make it three years in a row? The possibilities are there but head coach Amber Warners is not particularly concerned with whether the Knights do so or not. “Our team is not concentrating on our overall record this year,” said Warners who is now ranked fourth among active NCAA Division III coaches in career winning percentage (.784).  “What we are concentrating on is improvement and getting better as a team. Our record may not end up as high as last year but we have the potential of becoming a better team.”

Calvin’s 2006 squad compiled a gaudy 34-2 mark which included wins over nationally-ranked Wittenberg, Capital, Baldwin-Wallace and Central College. With four starters including a pair of All-Americans returning, the outlook for the 2007 season appears bright.

Warners however, is approaching the season with cautious optimism. “With the schedule we have this year, particularly in the month of September, we could have more losses early on than what we have been used to but I’m not worried about that,” said Warners. “I think our team has great potential but it will all come down to playing for each other and playing each match one point and one game at a time.”

Leading the list of Calvin’s returning players are senior All-Americans Kristen Kalb (Stow, OH/Stow Munroe Falls HS) and Molly Krikke (Greenwich, OH/South Central HS). A 5-9 outside hitter, Kalb is a fifth-year senior who was a first team AVCA Division III All-American in 2006 and was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player. A strong all-around player and a two-time MIAA Player of the Week in 2006, Kalb is rapidly closing in on Calvin’s career mark for kills. Heading into her final year in a Calvin uniform, Kalb has 1,406 career kills. The Calvin career record is 1,556 set by Rhonda Volkers from 1997-to-2000.  A year ago, she led the Knights in kills (492) and service aces (71) and was among the team leaders in digs (432). This past spring, Kalb had an outstanding track and field campaign in the javelin, advancing to the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships and finishing 10th nationally in the javelin throw.

While Kalb patrols the outside, Krikke patrols in the inside as a 5-11 middle-hitter. Krikke had a break-out year in 2006, earning second team AVCA Division III All-America accolades as well as a spot on the All-MIAA first team. A three-time MIAA Player of the Week in 2006, Krikke finished 14th nationally in hitting percentage (.378) while averaging 4.0 kills and 1.16 blocks-per-game.

Senior setter Katie Zondervan (Lakewood, CA/Central Valley Christian HS) also returns after a record-breaking 2006 campaign that saw her average 14.13 assists-per-game and receive Honorable Mention AVCA Division III All-America honors as well as a spot on the All-MIAA first team for the third consecutive year. Zondervan’s assists-per-game average last fall was not only a Calvin single-season record but also ranked her third nationally in the final NCAA III statistics. Zondervan also averaged 3.56 digs a game and collected 23 service aces. She is the Calvin record holder for most aces in a match with 14 in a 2005 match against Olivet.

The other returning starter is sophomore outside hitter Sara Kramer (Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian HS) who picked up momentum through the second half of the 2006 season and finished the year with an average of 1.53 kills a game along with a respectable hitting percentage of .251.

Although not technically a starter because of her position, junior libero Lauren DeGroot (Tulare, CA/Valley Christian HS) also returns for her third year in Calvin’s primary defensive role. A member of the All-MIAA second team in 2006, DeGroot also received Honorable Mention Great Lakes All-Region honors last fall after compiling a team-leading 727 digs and a reception percentage of .933. DeGroot is also a serving threat. In 2006, she posted 53 service aces and a serving percentage of .966.

DeGroot leads a strong cast of returning back-row players as junior Stacie Lippert (St. Louis, Mich./St. Louis HS) and sophomore Kelsey Sears (Traverse City/Traverse City West HS) are also back for more. Lippert had 288 digs a year ago while Sears had 407 as Calvin averaged 23.59 digs-per-game as a team, ranking 13th in the final NCAA III statistics.

Other returning letterwinners include junior outside hitter Jessica Garlick (Portage/Kalamazoo Christian HS), senior defensive specialist Sarah Ernst (Fort Wayne, IN/Concordia Lutheran HS) and sophomores Katie Corbett (St. Joseph/Stevensville-Lakeshore HS), Nora Bruskewitz (Mequon, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran HS), Rachel DeYoung (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) and KC DeVries (Churubusco, IN/Concordia Lutheran HS).

Warners is also excited about her incoming class of first-year players. “At this point I’d like to reserve any comment on individual names but I think we have 3-to-4 incoming players who will make an impact on our varsity this fall,” said Warners. “I think the competition for roster spots in our pre-season camp will be very keen.”

Calvin opens the season on August 31 and September 1 at a tournament hosted by nationally-ranked Capital University. Calvin will open the tournament against a Hiram College team that reached the second round of the NCAA III Tournament last fall.

In addition, Calvin will again participate in the Ohio-Michigan Border Battle hosted by Wittenberg University September 14 and 15. Calvin will face Ohio Northern, Baldwin-Wallace, the College of Mount St. Joseph and Wittenberg at the tournament. All four opponents were nationally-ranked at one point or another during the 2006 season.

Another challenging non-conference tournament will come Calvin’s way on October 12 and 13 when the Knights compete at a tournament hosted by Midwest power Millikin University. “The first three tournaments we play at will be loaded with top-notch teams,” said Warners. “We’ll be challenged in a big way but hopefully the competition will make our team better in the long run.”

Calvin will open defense of its 2006 MIAA title on September 5, traveling to Alma for a 6:30 p.m. match. The Knights will then host Adrian on September 11, travel to Tri-State on September 13 and then host rival Hope on September 19. “There are no easy matches in our opening conference stretch,” said Warners. “But to be honest, there really aren’t any easy matches in the MIAA. I think our league has really improved from top-to-bottom and is now receiving respect as a league with national caliber teams. I know at one point of the season last fall, we had three of our teams in the regional rankings and the performance of our conference at the Wittenberg Border Battle was also very impressive. Whoever wins the (2007) MIAA title this year will have to really earn it.”

The MIAA Tournament is scheduled to begin on October 30 and will continue on November 2 and 3 with the MIAA Tournament semifinals and finals. Calvin has won the last three MIAA Tournament championships.

Women's Volleyball 2006 Review

The volleyball team had a banner year, winning its first MIAA regular-season title since 1999, its third consecutive MIAA tournament title and advancing to the NCAA III Tournament round of 16 for the second straight year.

Led by head coach Amber Warners, Calvin finished the year with a 34-2 overall record, hitting the 30-win plateau for the second straight year and for the eighth time in school history. Calvin also finished unbeaten in the MIAA regular season, going 16-0 in conference play. In the MIAA tournament championship finals, Calvin defeated rival Hope in a five-game thriller. Calvin then defeated Hope in a second-round NCAA III Tournament match, with the Knights posting a 4-0 record against their rivals from Holland during the 2006 season.

Ranked 13th in the final Division III Top 25 poll of the year, Calvin’s only regular-season defeat was a five-game loss to Ohio Northern in mid-September. The Knights then rattled off 25 straight victories before falling to Wittenberg (Ohio) in the third round of the NCAA III Tournament in mid-November.

Warners was named MIAA Coach of the Year and Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year. Her players also received a plethora of postseason honors. Senior Kristen Kalb (Stow, Ohio) was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player and was named to the All-MIAA first team, along with juniors Molly Krikke (Greenwich, Ohio) and Katie Zondervan (Lakewood, Calif.). Senior Lorilyn Vogel (Orange City, Iowa) and sophomore Lauren DeGroot (Tulare, Calif.) were named to the All-MIAA second team, while senior Katy Luimes (Caledonia, Ont.) and freshman Kelsey Sears (Traverse City, Mich.) received honorable mention recognition from the MIAA coaches.

Kalb, Krikke, Vogel and Zondervan were named to the Great Lakes All-Region team while DeGroot received All-Region honorable mention honors. The American Volleyball Coaches Association of America named Kalb a first team All-American, while Krikke was named a second team All-American. Zondervan and Vogel also received honorable mention All-American honors.

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