MIAA Announces Academic Honor Roll, Team GPA Awards

The Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who achieved a minimum 3.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the entire 2009-10 academic year. A student needed to have won a varsity letter in a sport to be eligible.

The Academic Honor Roll was initiated in 1990 to recognize students at MIAA member colleges who excel both in athletics and in the classroom. This year's Honor Roll includes 73 seniors who achieved the distinction four consecutive years.

Click here for the 2009-10 MIAA Academic Honor Roll

The MIAA Team GPA Award winners for the 2009-10 academic year have also been announced by Commissioner Neilson.

The award is presented to conference teams that achieve a 3.300 or better grade point average for an entire academic year. This award is administered by the Faculty Athletic Representatives of the MIAA member colleges.

This year's honorees include four teams who have received the award every year since it was initiated in 1998-99. They are Albion women's soccer, Albion women's tennis, Calvin women's cross country and Hope women's cross country.

Click here for the 2009-10 MIAA Team GPA Award Recipients

Three MIAA Schools To Host Future National Championships

Hope was awarded two national championship events - the 2012 and 2013 Division III women's basketball Final Four and the 2012 and 2013 volleyball finals. Kalamazoo will host the 2013 Division III national championships in men's and women's tennis, while Trine will host the 2012 Division III women's golf championships.

The championship events will coincide with the 125th anniversary of the MIAA's founding. Founded in 1888, the MIAA is the nation's oldest collegiate athletic conference.

Hope hosted the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Division III women's basketball Final Four at DeVos Fieldhouse, and will be hosting the volleyball nationals for the first time.

Kalamazoo has hosted the Division III women's tennis tournament at Stowe Stadium seven times, most recently in 2005, and the men's tournament five times, the last occuring in 2000. It will be the first time the Hornets have hosted both championships in the same year.

Trine will be hosting the NCAA Division III women's golf tournament at its on-campus Zollner Golf Course for the first time.

MIAA Announces 2009-10 Deal, Kovalchik Awards

Awards by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the outstanding senior athletes from its member schools during the 2009-10 academic year have been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.

Brandon Luczak of Kalamazoo College has received the Albert L. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award, while Ashley Peterson of Saint Mary’s College has been presented the Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award.

"Brandon and Ashley have had marvelous careers these last four years in the classroom, on the field, and as role models in our conference. They will be missed, but their selection for these awards from such an exceptional group of nominees is an achievement for which they should take great pride," Commissioner Neilson said.

The awards recognize senior class athletes who have excelled in academics and athletics, as well as displayed outstanding leadership qualities. The awards honor two former MIAA commissioners, Albert Deal (1971-91) and Sheila Wallace Kovalchik (1991-2002).

Click here to read more about the Deal and Kovalchik award winners

Hope Edges Calvin for 2009-10 MIAA Commissioner's Cup

Hope College has maintained its decade-long hold on the Commissioner's Cup of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) by the narrowest of margins.

The Commissioner's Cup is presented to the league member with the best cumulative finishes in the 18 men's and women's sports sponsored by America's oldest collegiate conference. The NCAA Division III affiliated conference consists of nine schools -- Adrian, Albion, Alma, Calvin, Hope, Kalamazoo, Olivet, Saint Mary's and Trine.

Hope's margin of victory over second place and rival Calvin College was a mere one point, 209-208. Except for a tie in the Cup standings between the same two schools in 2007-08, this is the closest margin in the 76-year-history of the award.

The final standings weren't determined until the final baseball games of the spring season. A four-game Hope sweep of Albion assured the Flying Dutchmen of second place in the baseball standings, two places ahead of Calvin.

It marks the tenth consecutive year that Hope has won or shared the honor, an alltime record. Overall, Hope has won the award a league-record 32 times, including 25 times over the last 30 years.

Hope ended on top of the men's all-sports standings by eight points over Calvin while Calvin won the women's all-sports standings over Hope by seven points.

The Commissioner's Cup has been presented since 1934-35. Hope has won the award a record 32 times, followed by Albion 14, Kalamazoo 13, Calvin 9 and Alma 5.

09-10 Commissioner's Cup Standings: 1. Hope 209. 2. Calvin 208. 3. Adrian 130. 4. Albion 128. 5. Alma 98. 5. Trine 98. 7. Kalamazoo 95. 8. Olivet 84.

Men's All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 100. 2. Calvin 92. 3. Albion 66. 4. Adrian 63. 5. Trine 52. 6. Kalamazoo 48. 7. Olivet. 39. 8. Alma 31.

Women's All-Sports Standings: 1. Calvin 116. 2. Hope 109. 3. Adrian 67. 3. Alma 67. 5. Saint Mary's 66. 6. Albion 62. 7. Kalamazoo 47. 8. Trine 46. 9. Olivet 45.

Calvin's Oosterhouse Named NCAA Elite 88 Recipient

Oosterhouse is the first individual to receive the award and the second MIAA athlete to be so honored. Kellen Beckwith of Olivet received the award in men’s swimming and diving this past March.

The Elite 88, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 88 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average (GPA) participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships.

A biology major with minors in chemistry and Spanish, Oosterhouse carries a 3.92 grade point average.

Click here to read more about Oosterhouse's award

MIAA Spring Sports Awards

Click here for the All-MIAA Baseball Team

Softball
Most Valuable Player: Ashley Peterson, Saint Mary's
Most Valuable Pitcher: Tara Leddy, Alma

Click here for All-MIAA Softball Team

Track and Field
Men's Most Valuable Runner: Cameron Lampkin, Hope
Men's Most Valuable Field Performer: Derek Stoll, Adrian
Women's Most Valuable Runner: Rachel Boerner, Calvin
Women's Most Valuable Field Performer: Sarah Reasoner, Calvin

Men's Tennis
Most Valuable Player: Cyrus Jadun, Kalamazoo
Allen B. Stowe Memorial Award Winner: Alex Montoye, Alma
Lawrence Green Award Winner: Alex Montoye, Alma

Click here for All-MIAA Men's Tennis Team

Women's Tennis
Most Valuable Player: Melissa Oosterhouse, Calvin
Sue Little Sportsmanship Award Winner: Katherine Garcia, Hope
Karen Caine Scholar-Athlete Award Winner: Rachel Strikwerda, Calvin

Click here for All-MIAA Women's Tennis Team