CAL WOMEN CAME CLOSE,BUT NO CIGAR: "Thomas More captures women's basketball national title at Calvin College"

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2015/03/thomas_more_captures_womens_ba.html

wow! CALVIN BASEBALL WINS 19-1 !! "CKSR (Calvin Knight Spring Sports Roundup for March 18)"

quoted:
"CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 18, 2015 (Part One)

Calvin Spring Sports Roundup
BASEBALL
Calvin 19, Gallaudet 1
By Mark DeHaan

Calvin baseball faced Gallaudet University on Tuesday afternoon for a single nine-inning contest.

Looking to bounce back from a pair of losses on Monday, the Knights offense exploded for a 19-1 victory on Tuesday. [emphasis added}

Calvin opened up its scoring account in the first inning, plating a run on a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead.

The Knights then saw seven runners cross the plate in the second to really open up the game.

After a passed ball scored one, senior Grant VanPutten hit a two-RBI single to bring the score to 4-0. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, a triple to right field from senior Peter Cupery cleared the bases, putting Calvin ahead 7-0. The Knights, having batter around the order, added one more run before finally hitting into a third out.

Calvin plated one more run in the third, then gave up the first run to the Bison in the bottom half of the third inning to bring the score to 9-1.

After scoring a run in the fourth, the Knights added two more runs in the fifth. A Cupery single brought in a run, which was followed by single from sophomore Matt Kotva which plated another.

Four runs in the sixth from Calvin and three in the ninth then brought the final score to 19-1. The Knights 19 runs is the team's highest offensive output since 2011.

VanPutten finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored, while Cupery was 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run scored. Kotva went 3-for-4 from the plate with one RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Austin Voigt had two hits in three at bats, scoring one run and batting in another. Sophomore Patrick Avila was also 2-for-3, scoring three runs.

On the mound, senior Austin Juza earned the win, pitching 3.2 innings and giving up one unearned run. Freshman Stephen Buhrt, junior Matt Poolman, and freshman Schuyler Van Tol then combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings to close out the win.

"It was good for us to get back out and swing the bats the way that we are capable of. The thing we probably did the best was use the whole field," said head coach John Rypel. "(University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point) will probably be the best team we see all season. Offensively, they are the real deal, and they'll be a nice preparation before we get into conference play. I think our guys are excited for the
challenge."

Wisconsin-Stevens Point, who Calvin plays tomorrow, is ranked No.13 in the country in the latest NCBWA/D3Baseball.com poll. First pitch between the Knights and Pointers is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ..."

 

CALVIN WOMEN's PERFECT SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS to FOX.:"CKSR (Women's Basketball Falls in NCAA III Quarterfinals to George Fox)

CALVIN WOMEN's PERFECT SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS to FOX...CONGRATS TO the WOMEN KNIGHTS NONETHELESS for an AWESOME SEASON

"CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 14, 2015

Women's Basketball Falls in NCAA III Quarterfinals Saturday Night to George Fox

EDITORS NOTE: Saturday was a busy day of action for Calvin varsity athletics teams. The Calvin baseball team split a doubleheader with the College of Mount St. Joseph, winning 7-5 and losing 7-6. The women's lacrosse team dropped a 22-9 decision to the University of Puget Sound while the men's lacrosse team fell to Capital University 18-2. In addition the track and field teams were at a meet hosted by Birmingham Southern. A full recap will be sent out tomorrow.

 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
George Fox 78, Calvin 63
By Mark DeHaan

The Calvin women's basketball team hosted the NCAA Tournament Sectional Final against George Fox University on Saturday evening.

Both teams entered with unblemished 30-0 records. The Knights were looking to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history, while the Bruins wanted to return to the national semifinals for the third time, and first time since 2012.

In the end, it was George Fox handing Calvin its only loss of the season, defeating the Knights 78-63.

The Knights got off to a quick start, forcing a turnover on the Bruins' first possession and scoring a fast break layup. However, the 2-0 advantage is the only lead that Calvin saw all game.

George Fox responded with eight straight to take an 8-2 lead.

A three-pointer from junior Kally Verkaik then cut the Bruins advantage to 10-9 five minutes later.

With 6:24 remaining in the first half, George Fox took its largest lead of the first half at 25-11. Over the remaining time in the first half, Calvin was able to cut the Bruins lead to a half-dozen as George Fox held a 31-25 advantage at the break.

At halftime, senior Kayla Engelhard had six points and four rebounds for Calvin, while junior Abby Springer added five. For the Bruins, Justine Benner had 10 points and six boards while Jami Morris contributed six points.

In the second half, a layup from senior Hannah Acre cut the Bruins edge to 31-27.

A 14-2 run by George Fox then saw Calvin's deficit grow to 45-29.

Facing a double-digit deficit, the Knights again drew to within a few possessions. With 9:47 to go, a pair of free throws from Acre brought the score to 50-43.

But, just as they had multiple times before, the Bruins hit a timely three to again go ahead by ten.

Calvin cut George Fox's lead to single-digits on just one more occasion, but the Bruins proved to be too much for the Knights.

George Fox went on to close out a 78-63 victory.

Overall, Calvin shot 39.3% for the game, 6-of-18 for 33.3% from three-point range. The Bruins were 41.8% from the floor, 8-of-24 for 33.3% from beyond the arc. George Fox out-rebounded the Knights 41-27.

Individually, Engelhard finished with 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds for Calvin. Acre was also  in double-figures with 12 points. Senior Breanna Verkaik contributed six points and eight rebounds.

"We struggled early, had some easy shots and couldn't knock them down and couldn't quite get into our normal rhythm," said Calvin head coach John Ross. "Give George Fox a lot of credit, they played really well. I'm so proud of this team – just the people that we have – it has been an amazing season."

For the Bruins, Benner had 27 points and eight rebounds. Morris added 21 points, hitting five three-pointers. Lauren Codling tallied eight points and 13 boards.

"We knew that coming to Calvin was going to be a really difficult task. They're just an awesome team that has had an awesome year. I have so much respect for what they've done this season and how they've played," said George Fox head coach Michael Meek. "I've been so proud of this team, the resiliency they've shown and the fight they've had. We're super excited for this opportunity (in the National Semifinals)."

The season ends for Calvin with a record of 30-1. The game is also the last in the careers of five seniors: Hannah Acre, Kelly Bates, Kayla Engelhard, Kelsey Pollock, and Breanna Verkaik.

"This team that we've created and this family is something that can't be replaced," said Acre. "But we know that it won't stop here, and that this season means a lot more than just this one game."

George Fox moves on to the Final Four, joining Montclair State (New Jersey), Tufts (Massachusetts), and Thomas More (Kentucky).

The Bruins advance to the Final Four for the third time in program history, joining teams from 2009 and 2012. All three appearances have taken place in West Michigan, with the '09 and '12 National Finals hosted at Hope College.

The National Finals will be played next Friday and Saturday at Calvin's VanNoord Arena.

NOTES:….The sectional all-tournament team was announced at the conclusion of Saturday's game and Calvin seniors Kayla Engelhard and Hannah Acre were both named to the all-sectional tournament team…other members included Savannah Trees of DePauw, Amber Brown of UT-Dallas, Justine Benner of George Fox and Jamie Morris of George Fox who was also named the most outstanding player of the sectional tournament….with her 20-point effort, Engelhard moved past Judy Wasmer and into 10^th place on the Calvin career scoring list, finishing at 1,154 points…Breanna Verkaik finishes in 13^th place on the Calvin career list with 1,067 points….older sister Carissa is Calvin's all-time leading scorer with 2,236 points. They are the only sibling tandem in Calvin basketball history to both score more than 1,000 points.

 

STILL UNDEFEATED! "Calvin College women's basketball ready for a battle of 30-0 teams in Elite 8" | MLive.com

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2015/03/calvin_college_womens_basketba_2.html

NONETHELESS,I suspect calvin will gradually become like harvard,yale,et al

All colleges which once started for specifically Christian/evangelical purposes,but gradually became secular in nature. I hope they prove me wrong.

Oops,SHE IS ALUMNUS,BUT PRESIDENT LeROY IS NOT:"Calvin College Selects New Vice President for Student Life "| Article | Christian Reformed Church

http://www.crcna.org/news-and-views/calvin-college-selects-new-vice-president-student-life

Go figure! CALVIN WILL EVENTUALLY BE RUN BY ALL NON-CALVIN ALUMNI:"Calvin College Selects New Vice President for Student Life" Article | Christian Reformed Church

CALVIN WILL EVENTUALLY BE RUN BY ALL NON-CALVIN ALUMNI:"Calvin College Selects New Vice President for Student Life" Article | Christian Reformed Church
http://www.crcna.org/news-and-views/calvin-college-selects-new-vice-president-student-life

"Calvin Seminary Named Seminary That is Changing the World "

http://www.crcna.org/news-and-views/calvin-seminary-named-seminary-changing-world

3/7/15 CALVIN MEN ELIMINATED,WOMEN ROLL ON: " CKSR (Women's Basketball Rolls Over UW-Oshkosh - Headed to Sweet 16 of NCAAs/Men's Basketball Falls at Mount Union in NCAA 2nd Round Game/Men's Lacrosse Drops Decision at Muskingum)"

"Women's Basketball Rolls Over UW-Oshkosh to Punch Sweet 16 Ticket; Men's Basketball Falls to Mount Union in Second Round of NCAAs;  Men's Lacrosse Drops Decision at Muskingum
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 91, UW-0shkosh 71
By Gina de Haan
The Calvin women's basketball team set a new school record for wins in a season by defeating University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 91-71 Saturday evening, earning its 29th victory on the year. With this win, the Knights advance to the Round of 16 in the NCAA III Tournament. Calvin will take on DePauw University in a Round of 16 game next Friday night at a site to be determined.
On Friday night, under the direction of head coach John Ross, the Calvin women's basketball team defeated the Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets on Friday night by a score of 80-66.
This victory allowed the Knights to advance to the second round of the NCAA III Tournament where they would match up against the Titans of UW-Oshkosh, Coach Ross' alma mater where he earned his undergraduate degree and played on the school's men's tennis team. Prior to coaching at Calvin, Ross served one year as a volunteer assistant coach with the women's basketball team at UW-Oshkosh.
The Titans defeated North Central 87-82 in the first of the two games on Friday night.
This contest served as the fourth meeting between Calvin and UW-Oshkosh in a series that dates back to the 1973-74 season and sees Calvin holding a 2-1 series lead.
Similar to Friday night's game, the Knight came out of the gate strong. Although it was Alex Richard of Oshkosh who scored the first bucket of the game, Calvin's senior guard Kayla Engelhard soon took over. Engelhard scored the Knights' first nine points, scoring on all four shots she took (4-4 FG, 1-1 3-point). Senior Breanna Verkaik contributed to the effort, hitting a three-point basket to put the Knights up 12-4 at the 16:28 mark. UW-Oshkosh then called a timeout in an attempt to halt Calvin's early momentum. ..."

" If u declare with your mouth,

“Jesus is Lord,” &

 believe in your  

HEART 

that God

 raised Him

 from the dead, 

u will be saved." 

                                            Romans 10.9

GREETINGS ! I INVITE U2 accept JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD & SAVIOR TODAY, RIGHT NOW, OR ANYTIME, & BE SAVED ! Don't wait until it is TOO LATE. Don't Hesitate. The consequences are TOO GREAT.! Humble yourself. You CANNOT do it alone. None of us can. Guaranteed 100% FAILURE RATE for those who try to GO IT ALONE. Kneel down now and say to Jesus, "Sorry & Thank you, I surrender to YOU, LORD, & Commit my LIFE 2 U, now & forever" 

CALVIN MEN & WOMEN BOTH WIN 1st ROUND:" CKSR (Basketball Teams Open NCAA III Tournament Play With First Round Victories)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: CKSR (Basketball Teams Open NCAA III Tournament Play With First Round Victories)
From: Jeffrey Febus <jfebus@calvin.edu>
To: "Calvin-sports@calvin.edu" <Calvin-sports@calvin.edu>
CC: null

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 6, 2015

Basketball Teams Open NCAA III Tournament With First Round Victories

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 80, Baldwin-Wallace 60

By Gina de Haan

On Friday night, the Calvin women's basketball team welcomed Baldwin-Wallace to Van Noord Arena as the two teams matched up in the first round of the four-team NCAA III Regional.

Calvin entered the game with a 27-0 record, while Baldwin-Wallace was 22-6 prior to the contest.

The Knights and the Yellow Jackets had met four times in the NCAA III Tournament, including the game in which Baldwin-Wallace topped the Knights 76-72 in double-overtime in the Round of 16 in 2000.

Despite a second half surge by the visitors, Calvin used solid first half play along with teamwork to pull out an 80-66 NCAA III first round Tournament win. With this victory, Calvin matches the school record for wins in a season.

Backed by an energetic home crowd, the Knights came out strong; to start the first half, Calvin went on a 12-0 run. Senior forward Hannah Acre scored the first points of the contest off a pass from junior guard Abby Springer. This bucket kicked off a solo seven-point run by Acre. Acre converted on a three-point play and scored an additional bucket, forcing Baldwin-Wallace to call timeout to stop Calvin's increasing momentum. But following the break, senior forward, and the 2015 MIAA MVP, Breanna Verkaik hit a three-pointer to give her team a double-digit advantage. Acre scored once again to complete the run.

The Yellow Jackets scored the next seven points of the game, off of a three-point play by Allyson Helleis and two buckets by Audrey Smolik.

Baldwin-Wallace continued to chip away at Calvin's lead, outscoring the Knights 7-4 in the following four minutes, bringing the score to 16-14, still in favor of the Knights.

At the midpoint in the first half, Breanna Verkaik brought Calvin's lead back up to five with a made three-point bucket. Shari Mangas of Baldwin-Wallace answered with a triple of her own.

The Knights proceeded to go on another twelve point run, holding their visitors scoreless for over five minutes. Calvin now possessed a 14-point lead (31-17) with 4:57 left to play in the first half.

The two teams went back and forth in scoring for the remainder of the half and Calvin headed into the locker room with a 40-24 lead.

At the half, two Knights were already in double digits in points. Leading Calvin in scoring was Hannah Acre with 15 points. Breanna Verakaik followed with 15, shooting perfect from three-point range (3-3).

Mackenzie Colombo and Audrey Smolik led Baldwin-Wallace in scoring with seven points apiece.

The Knights shot 16-30 (53.3%) from the floor and 3-6 (50%) from three-point range, while the Yellow Jackets were 10-35 (28.6%) and 2-8 (25%).

The second half started off much more slowly than the first, with neither team scoring for 2:40. A triple by senior guard Shari Mangas, three jumpers by Smolik, and another by sophomore guard Sydney Clark minimized Baldwin-Wallace's deficit to five (40-35).

The Knights were 0-9 from the floor in the first five minutes of the half, and held scoreless by a resilient Yellow Jacket team.

Baldwin-Wallace went on to score back-to-back three-pointers, courtesy of Smolik and Mangas. The Yellow Jackets now led the Knights by a score of 41-40.

Hannah Acre quickly answered, scoring a much-needed two points for the Knights; Acre's transition bucket was the first of the half for Calvin.

Free throws by both teams tied the score at 43 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the contest. Smolik drained her third three-point basket of the game to break the tie, but senior guard Kayla Engelhard responded with a made jumper.

Midway through the second half, freshman guard Bre Luurtsema came up with a big offensive board and put the layup back for two. Calvin had a one-point lead for less than 10 seconds before Smolik's fourth triple made the score to 49-47 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.

Two good free throws from sophomore guard Anna Timmer tied the game at 49 with just under eight minutes to go. Timmer's two points were the first of yet another twelve consecutive for the Knights. Another pair of free throws for Timmer capped off the run, the score now 59-49 with Calvin leading.

Baldwin-Wallace continued to be successful from behind the three-point arc, keeping them alive, while the Knights stuck to their dribble-drive offense and capitalized on their numerous free throw opportunities.

"If you look at the free throw difference, 25-9, and that's obviously the difference in the game right there," said Baldwin-Wallace head coach Cheri Harrer after the game.

The teams continued to go back-and-forth in scoring. Despite four made three-pointers by the Yellow Jackets in the final 6:51 of the game, Calvin's guards stepped up in the final minutes. With just under five minutes left on the clock, Calvin head coach John Ross called timeout, the scoreboard now reading 66-60. The Knights finished out the contest by outscoring Baldwin-Wallace 14-6.

Calvin head coach John Ross credited Baldwin-Wallace for its lockdown defense and shooting efficiency. "I'm really pleased with our players and how we hung in there after going down. We were able to bounce back," said Ross.

The Knights put forth a well-balanced scoring effort. Hannah Acre led the Knights, finishing with a career-high 22 points.

"I really owe it to the guards," said Calvin high-scorer Acre. "I really just owe it to my teammates and our focus coming out from the beginning"

Breanna Verkaik followed Acre with 19 points while Anna Timmer scored 16, going 6-9 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Kally Verkaik had a strong all-around game with 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a critical second half block.

"I think a lot of it is just unselfishness from all of us and we really do well with moving the ball around and finding the open person," said Breanna Verkaik.

"Calvin's a very good team. They're undefeated for a reason," said Baldwin-Wallace head coach Cheri Harrer. "They're so balanced. They can hit threes and take you inside."

Audrey Smolik, OAC player of the year candidate, and Shari Mangas came in with 25 and 17 points respectively, each hitting five triples. Claire Lemmon also contributed seven points and 11 boards.

"They [Smolik and Mangas] obviously weren't ready to be finished and they did everything they could do to help keep us playing," said Coach Harrer.

"That was hard. Especially when you're pressing you're bound to give up some open threes, and when they're going at it that makes things tough. We had to stay focused mentally," noted Coach Ross.

The Yellow Jackets made 9-16 (56.3%) attempted three-pointers in the second half.

"The first half we didn't play very well, and the second half we came out and showed what BW basketball is about, but it wasn't enough," noted Shari Mangas. "Against a great team like Calvin you have to put a full 40 minutes together."

In the first game of the evening, UW-Oshkosh defeated North Central 87-82. Despite the fast-paced game played by North Central, the Titans held a 45-41 lead at halftime. In the latter half, North Central showed resilience, using its high-pressure offense and defense to take a 60-59 lead with 10:27 left in the contest off a three-pointer by senior guard Maryssa Cladis. The lead changed hands numerous times during the remainder of the game. Although the Titans earned a ten-point lead at one point, the Cardinals hit two consecutive triples to cut the deficit to four with just over one minute on the clock. However, UW-Oshkosh held strong and advanced themself to the second round of the NCAA III Tournament.

Calvin and UW-Oshkosh will meet in the second round of the NCAA III Tournament on Saturday night at Van Noord Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 78, Oswego State 69
By Mark DeHaan

The Calvin men's basketball team traveled to Alliance, Ohio, and the campus of the University of Mount Union for its NCAA Tournament first-round matchup on Friday evening. The Knights faced off against the Lakers of Oswego State, winners of the State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Calvin entered the national tournament contest with a 21-6 record, while the Lakers were 19-9. The Knights were making their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time, while it was only the third appearance for Oswego State, but its third in five years.

Despite a late run that saw Oswego State take a second-half lead, timely three-point shooting and strong shooting from the free-throw line saw Calvin claim a 78-69 victory. With the win, Calvin advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season.

The Knights jumped out to an early lead, building a 13-5 advantage in the opening five minutes behind eight points from senior Jordan Brink.

Minutes later, a dunk from senior Tyler Dykstra saw Calvin take its first double-digit lead at 21-10.

The Knights lead increased to as much as 12 with 7:53 remaining in the first half at 26-14.

A 12-2 Oswego State run then cut the Calvin lead to just four at 28-24 with 3:37 to go. In the remaining time, the Knights saw its lead build to seven as Calvin took a 36-29 lead into the break.

At halftime, Calvin shot just 34.2% from the field, but 6-of-15 from three-point range for 40%. Oswego State was 35.7% from the field in the opening period. The Knights held a 24-22 rebounding advantage at the break. Brink had ten points to lead the Knights while Brian Sortino led the Lakers with nine points.

In the second half, Calvin re-extended its lead to double-digits. With 12:44 to go, senior Daniel Stout hit a jumper to put the Knights up 58-45, their largest lead of the ball game.

Over the next six minutes, a 19-5 Oswego State run, capped by a layup by Sortino, saw the Lakers take their first lead of the game at 64-63 with 6:25 remaining.

A layup by junior Jordan Daley saw Calvin re-take the lead, and with under three minutes to go, junior Austin Parks hit two big threes, back-to-back, to put Calvin up 73-66 with 1:57 to go.

A triple from the Lakers brought them within four, but strong defense by the Knights, and 5-of-6 shooting from the free-throw line by Brink down the stretch, saw Calvin claim a 78-69 victory.

The Knights were 44.4% from the field, including 60% in the second half. Calvin was 12-of-24 for 50% from three-point range for the game. The Lakers finished at 40.4% from the field, 5-of-19 for 26.3% from beyond the arc. Calvin out-rebounded Oswego State 37-36.

Individually, Brink led Calvin with 18 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists. Freshman Connor VanderBrug contributed 17 points while Daley had his sixth double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Parks and Dykstra were also both in double-figures with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.

For Oswego State, Sortino and Kyle Covley each had 21 points. Rashawn Powell added 11 points and 12 boards.

"We got a little bit ahead, by double-digits, then they went zone and we struggled a little bit. Turned it over a couple times, just didn't find our rhythm at first," said head coach Kevin Vande Streek. "Then did a much better job - attacked at the free-throw line, Jordan Daley had a couple good plays in there then Austin (Parks) had two huge threes. They missed a couple, finally, down the stretch, we boarded it, handled the press, and made some free throws."

With the win, Calvin advances to the second round. The Knights have a quick one-day turnaround before the game on Saturday night.

"All these games are hard," said Vande Streek. "I liked the resolve of our guys tonight. We've had some toughness, we played a good schedule, and tomorrow night will be another tough challenge, no doubt about it."

Calvin's second-round contest will be played against host Mount Union on Saturday evening, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Mount Union was an 87-59 first round winner over Neumann College Friday.

EXCITING YEAR 4CALVIN WOMEN (27-0):"Baldwin Wallace vs. Calvin College: NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament breakdown "

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2015/03/baldwin_wallace_vs_calvin_coll.html

Fwd: CKSR (Breanna Verkaik and Jordan Brink Receive MIAA Basketball MVP Honors)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: CKSR (Breanna Verkaik and Jordan Brink Receive MIAA Basketball MVP Honors)
From: Jeffrey Febus <jfebus@calvin.edu>
To: "Calvin-sports@calvin.edu" <Calvin-sports@calvin.edu>
CC: null
CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 3, 2015

Breanna Verkaik and Jordan Brink Receive MIAA Basketball MVP Honors
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin forward Breanna Verkaik, who led the Knights to the MIAA championship, the conference tournament championship and the first unbeaten regular season in school history, has been named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player in the vote of the league's coaches.
A senior from Holland (Holland Christian HS), Verkaik averaged 14.2 points per game in league play and ranked among the MIAA top five in six statistical categories, including 3-point shooting percentage (first), free throw percentage (second), field goal percentage (fourth), assists (fifth) and scoring (fifth). She becomes the second member of her family to earn MIAA women's basketball Most Valuable Player honors, joining her older sister, Carissa, who became the first player in MIAA history to win four consecutive MVP awards in 2010-13 for Calvin.
In addition, Verkaik has been named to the All-MIAA first team for the second straight year. She is joined on the All-MIAA first team by teammate Kayla Engelhard.
Hailing from Unionville, Michigan, and a graduate of Saginaw Valley Lutheran High School, Engelhard is being recognized as an All-MIAA performer for the second straight season. The senior guard was second on Calvin's squad in scoring with a 12.1 point-per-game average against league opponents.
Engelhard led the Knights in steals and was second in assists, and midway through the season, she cracked 1000 points to become just the 14th player in Calvin women's basketball history to do so. Engelhard was named the MIAA Player of the Week once during the conference season.
Ranked sixth nationally, the Knights are currently 27-0 overall and went 16-0 in conference play. Calvin then defeated Olivet and Hope in the MIAA Tournament, claiming the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The regular season conference title was Calvin's 15th in women's basketball, the highest total in the MIAA.
Calvin will host Baldwin-Wallace in a first round NCAA III Tournament game Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
BREANNA VERKAIK AUDIO INTERVIEW: http://static.psbin.com/x/y/o0rjeuwn9k49hk/BreannaVerkaikMVP.mp3

MEN'S BASKETBALL

FREELAND, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced its 2015 All-MIAA men's basketball team.
Calvin guard Jordan Brink, who led the Knights to the MIAA championship and hit the game-winning shot with time running out Saturday to give Calvin the MIAA tournament championship, has been named the conference's Most Valuable Player.
A senior from Dyer, Ind. (Illiana Christian HS), Brink has averaged an MIAA-high 18.8 points per game this season in overall games. In conference play, Brink ranked third in scoring (16.2), second in 3-point shooting percentage (.441), and fourth in assists and free throw shooting (.883). He also last week was named to the Division III men's basketball Academic All-America second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
In the second game of the season, Brink became the 23rd Knight to reach the 1000 point mark for a career. The senior was named the MIAA Player of the Week three times during the season. Brink is being honored as an All-MIAA performer for the second straight year.
Brink's teammate, Calvin senior Tyler Dykstra, was named the recipient of the first MIAA men's basketball Defensive Player of the Year honor and was also named to the All-MIAA second team for the second straight year.
A native of Zeeland, Michigan, and a graduate of Holland Christian High School. The senior forward was second in the MIAA with 19 total blocks and seventh in rebounding at 5.4 boards-per-game, and was often called upon to guard the opposing team's best offensive player, whether in the post or on the perimeter.

Calvin captured the MIAA regular season title with a 12-2 conference mark. The Knights then claimed the MIAA Tournament crown last week, defeating Alma 73-65 and Hope 70-69. The Knights are 21-6 overall and headed to the NCAA III Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Calvin will face Oswego State Friday at 5:30 p.m. in a first round game on the campus of Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio.
JORDAN BRINK AUDIO INTERVIEW: http://static.psbin.com/g/g/exvua9gd8e6zca/JordanBrink.mp3

"Calvin Men's Basketball to Take on Oswego State in First Round NCAA III Tournament game in Ohio" Calvin Knights

http://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/releases/20150302hzuh01

"'Perfect storm' led to scary court storming at Calvin-Hope"

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2015/03/01/player-trapped-unharmed-calvin-hope-court-storming/24221365/

CALVIN WOMEN WIN TOO! "Calvin 77, Hope 73: Knights win MIAA tournament title" | MLive.com

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2015/02/calvin_77_hope_73_lady_knights.html