MIAA Student-Athletes Named Academic All-Americans

Football
Brandon Luczak, Kalamazoo (senior from Rochester Hills/Rochester HS, 1st Team) Details
Nate Kopydlowski, Kalamazoo (senior from Goodrich/Flint Powers HS, 1st Team) Details
Jeremy Howard, Trine (junior from Elkhart, Ind./Concord HS, 2nd Team) Details

Volleyball
Rebecca Kamp, Calvin (sophomore from Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian HS, 1st Team) Details

Men’s Soccer
Greg Snapper, Calvin (senior from Madison, Wis./West HS, 2nd Team) Details

Women’s Soccer
Allison Boender, Calvin (senior from Grandville/Calvin Christian HS, 3rd Team) Details

What a Fall Season!

The 2009 fall sports season in the MIAA was truly historic. For the first time in league history, at least one team that competed in NCAA competition in each sport advanced past the opening round, with three teams finishing in the top four nationally in Division III. Here’s a summary of the MIAA’s performance:

Men’s Soccer: Calvin became the first MIAA team ever to reach the national championship game. The Knights, who overcame a four-point deficit in the final week of the regular season to win the MIAA title, won three one-goal games and two others in penalty kick shootouts to reach the championship game in San Antonio, Tex.

Volleyball: Hope became the first MIAA team in 23 years to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Division III volleyball tournament. The Flying Dutch won the Great Lakes Regional by taking three matches, then won their quarterfinal match before falling in a five-set battle to eventual national champion Washington-St. Louis, Mo.

Women’s Cross Country: Calvin won its third consecutive Great Lakes Regional title, then went on to finish third at the NCAA national meet in Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth consecutive year the Knights finished in the top five nationally.

Women’s Soccer: Calvin became the first MIAA team to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament. The Knights won three games to advance to the sectional final in Rock Island, Ill.

Football: Trine became the first MIAA team since 1994 to win an NCAA playoff game, defeating previously unbeaten Case Western Reserve, Ohio, 51-38, in a first-round contest.

Men’s Cross Country: Calvin won its 14th consecutive Great Lakes Regional championship, then finished 13th at the NCAA national meet in Cleveland, Ohio.

Commissioner's Cup Standings (Through 2009 Fall Sports Season)

Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 45. 2. Calvin 38. 3. Albion 37. 4. Trine 30. 5. Adrian 27. 6. Kalamazoo 16. 6. Olivet 16. 8. Alma 15.

Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Calvin 54. 2. Hope 49. 3. Alma 35. 4. Saint Mary’s 33. 5. Albion 29. 6. Adrian 27. 7. Kalamazoo 23. 8. Trine 20. 9. Olivet 18.

• The MIAA Commissioner’s Cup award is based on the cumulative performance of each member school in the league's 18 sports for men and women.

• The final Commissioner’s Cup standings is determined on the basis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and eight of nine sports for women. All eight fall sports are tabulated in this tabulation.

Calvin, Hope Co-Favorites in Preseason Men's Basketball Poll; Hope Picked to Repeat as Women's Champs

2009 MIAA champion Calvin and tournament champion Hope have been installed as preseason co-favorites in the MIAA men's basketball race, while defending champion Hope is the preseason selection to repeat as women's basketball champions. Calvin and Hope each received four votes in the annual preseason men's poll, while the Flying Dutch picked up six first place votes in the women's poll.

Men's Poll Results: 1. Calvin 10 (4). 1. Hope 10 (4). 3. Olivet 23. 4. Albion 24. 5. Adrian 32. 6. Trine 34. 7. Alma 45. 8. Kalamazoo 46.

Women's Poll Results: 1. Hope (6) 8. 2. Calvin (2) 13. 3. Saint Mary's 22. 4. Albion 29. 5. Trine 30. 6. Adrian 38. 7. Olivet 46. 8. Alma 49. 9. Kalamazoo 53.

Trine picked to repeat as MIAA football champs

2008 MIAA football champion Trine has been picked to repeat as league champions in a preseason poll of coaches and media. The Thunder, who were the first team in MIAA history to win 10 regular season games a year ago, captured seven first-place votes in the poll released Thursday during the MIAA's 40th annual Fall Sports Media Day at Hope College's Haworth Inn and Conference Center. Adrian was picked to finish second, receiving five first-place votes, while Hope was picked for third.

Coaches and media had differing views on their preseason predictions, with Adrian being picked as the favorite of coaches with three first-place votes. Trine, however, received five first-place votes among media to rank as their favorite.

Poll Results (First-place votes in parenthesis):
1. Trine (7) 23 pts. 2. Adrian (5) 28. 3. Hope (2) 44. 4. Alma (1) 52. 5. Albion 53. Kalamazoo 84. Olivet 87.

The MIAA will kick off its 112th season of intercollegiate football action Thursday, Sept. 3, as Trine travels to Manchester, Ind., with league play to get underway Saturday, Oct. 3.

MIAA Announces Hartman, Renner Awards

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the winners of two awards honoring outstanding publicity efforts by its member schools - the Hartman Writing Award and the Renner Associate SID Award.

Chaz Amidon, a student assistant in the Calvin College sports information director, was named the winner of the Hartman Award, while Bruce Van Baren, also a student assistant in Calvin’s SID office, was named the recipient of the Renner Award.

Chaz Amidon

Chaz Amidon, who graduated from Calvin in May with a bachelor’s degree in mass media, was honored for a story he wrote depicting the Knights’ thrilling last-second victory over rival Hope College in an MIAA men’s basketball game at Calvin last winter.

A native of Muskegon and graduate of Mona Shores High School, Amidon worked for two years in Calvin’s sports information office as a student assistant, writing recaps of Calvin sporting events and related features. He also was a play-by-play announcer on Calvin’s Internet broadcasts, covering soccer, volleyball, basketball and baseball, and also conducted audio interviews of student-athletes and coaches for the school’s sports information Web site.

Amidon also worked for two years as co-sports editor of Chimes, Calvin’s student newspaper. He has served several internships, including two years as a sports correspondent for the Grand Haven Tribune, public affairs and investigative reporting internships at WBBM-TV (CBS-2) in Chicago and a sports writing internship at The Daily Southtown in Tinley Park, Ill.

Amidon has enrolled in the graduate program at Michigan State University’s Department of Communication, starting this fall, and will be working part-time in MSU’s Department of Athletic Communications during that his graduate study.

Bruce Van Baren

A native of Crete, Ill., and graduate of Illiana Christian High School, Bruce Van Baren graduated from Calvin in May with a degree in business communications. He is being honored by the MIAA for the second consecutive year. Last year, Van Baren received the Hartman Writing Award for a story he wrote on the comeback from illness of Calvin men’s soccer player Michael Holwerda.

During his three years in Calvin’s sports information department, Van Baren produced game stories, features and columns for Calvin’s Web site, broadcast sporting events on the Internet, and recorded podcasts featuring interviews of Calvin student-athletes and coaches.

As a sophomore, Van Baren called play-by-play during Calvin’s run in the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament for Grand Rapids radio station WFUR-FM, and then followed the Knights’ women’s basketball team later that season in the sectional round of the NCAA tournament. He has filled in on play-by-play duties for Calvin men’s basketball road games the last two seasons on WFUR.

In addition, Van Baren provided broadcast coverage and photos of Calvin competing in the NCAA Division III men’s and women’s cross country championships last fall.

A dean's list student at Calvin, VanBaren served as the co-sports editor and world news editor of the school's student newspaper, Chimes, and served internships at WMVP-AM in Chicago, WOOD Radio in Grand Rapids and for the nationally-syndicated Michael Reagan Talk Show, based in Washington D.C. He also hosted a television program, “Beyond the Game,” that was produced by Calvin students.

Van Baren has enrolled in law school at Loyola University in Chicago, starting this fall.

The awards honor two sports information directors who have given many years of service to the MIAA - Robin Hartman of Albion College and Tom Renner of Hope College. The Hartman Award honors outstanding writing in a sports information capacity, either by a sports information director or assistant, while the Renner Award honors outstanding efforts by student assistants in sports information offices at MIAA schools.

Click here to read Chaz Amidon's winning entry for the Hartman Award. 

Here are links to other entries for the Hartman Award:
Chaz Amidon (Calvin) feature on Marcia Harris
Bruce Van Baren (Calvin) feature on Caleb Veldhouse
Bruce Van Baren (Calvin) feature on Mike Zwier
Jeff Febus (Calvin) story on Calvin track performance at NCAA national meet
Chaz Amidon (Calvin) feature on Trent Salo
Sarah Miesle (Saint Mary's) feature on Laura Halper 
Geoff Henson (Olivet) feature on wrestling standouts Jason Brew and Kyle Vanderhyde
Geoff Henson (Olivet) feature on Comets' men's and women's MIAA golf titles
Dean Jackson (Trine) feature on football alum Otto Shragal
Dean Jackson (Trine) story on Thunder's wrestling victory over Olivet

MIAA Announces 2008-09 Deal, Kovalchik Awards

Awards by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the outstanding senior athletes from its member schools during the 2008-09 academic year have been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.

Jed Christiansen of Calvin College has received the Albert H. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award, while Nora Kuiper of Hope College has been presented the Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award.

"Jed and Nora have had marvelous careers these last four years in the classroom, on the track, 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).

Jed Christiansen

A resident of New Ipswich, N.H., and graduate of Greenville (Pa.) High School. Christiansen was an eight-time All-MIAA selection during his career at Calvin, earning all-conference honors in both cross country and track and field all four years.

In cross country, Christiansen helped the Knights to four consecutive MIAA championships, earning Most Valuable Runner honors in his senior year. He also earned All-American honors all four years for Calvin, becoming just the 14th runner in NCAA Division III history to accomplish that feat, and played a key role as Calvin won the national championship in 2006. He finished fifth in the 2006 NCAA national meet and sixth in the 2008 national championships. He was twice named Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year by the Cross Country Coaches Association, in 2007 and 2008. He served as team captain in both his junior and senior years.

In track and field, Christiansen was a four-time MIAA champion, winning the 5,000 meters in 2006, 2007 and 2009, and the 1,500 meters in 2009 as Calvin extended its run of consecutive MIAA titles to 23. He earned All-American honors three times, finishing fifth in the 10,000 meters in 2008, and fourth in the 10,000 meters and eighth in the 5,000 meters in 2009. In addition, Christiansen earned All-American honors in indoor track and field in 2009, finishing third in the 5,000 meters. He was captain for Calvin’s men’s track team this past spring.
A major in secondary education and physical education with a 3.55 grade point average, Christiansen will graduate from Calvin in May 2010 after completing his student teaching. He was a member of the Cross Country Coaches All-Academic Team in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and of the U.S. Track Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 2008. Jed was also named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll for the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years.

Christiansen was a student mentor leader at Calvin for four years, served as student chairperson for the Area 11 Michigan Special Olympics, and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Raybrook Retirement Home in Grand Rapids, Christ Community Church, and the Greenville (Pa.) Nursing Home. He served on Calvin’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for two years and last fall contributed to an NCAA student-athlete blog.

Jed Christiansen is the son of Joshua and Marcia Christiansen.

Other nominees for the Deal Award were Todd Meyers of Adrian, Ryan Gunderson of Albion, William “Buddy” Scarborough of Alma, Jesse Reimink of Hope, Bobby Dekker of Kalamazoo and Mark VanLente of Olivet.

Nora Kuiper

A graduate of Parchment High School, Kuiper earned All-MIAA honors in track and field all four years at Hope. She was an eight-time MIAA champion, winning the 100-meter dash all four years for the Flying Dutch. She also won the 200 meters in 2008 and 2009, and was part of Hope’s winning 4x100-meter relay teams in 2008 and 2009. She set the MIAA record in the 100 meters in 2008 with a time of 12.13 seconds, then broke that mark in 2009 with a time of 12.10 seconds.
Kuiper was named the MIAA’s most valuable runner in 2009, and was also named the recipient of the Jack Schouten Award, given to Hope’s outstanding senior female student-athlete, in 2009.

Kuiper earned All-American honors three times during her career. She finished fifth in the 100 meters at the NCAA Division III national meet in 2008, then won the 100 meters in 2009 with a time of 11.84 seconds, the best time in the nation on the season. In the process, she became the first Hope female track athlete in school history to win a national championship. Kuiper also finished second in the 200 meters in 2009.

A chemistry major, Kuiper graduated from Hope in May with a grade point average of 3.93. She received numerous academic honors, including Phi Beta Kappa recognition and being named general chemistry student of the year and recipient of the Kleinheksel Award in Mathematics at Hope. She was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll four consecutive years, and also was named

Kuiper was a teaching assistant in Hope’s chemistry department for three years, served on Hope’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years and was a member of Omnicron Delta Kappa, a leadership society. She also gave a presentation at an American Chemistry Society conference on utilizing fluorescent spectroscopy in DNA protein-building.

In addition, Kuiper was a group Bible study leader, tutored at-risk elementary students in Hope’s Children’s After School Achievement (CASA) program, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and participated in a mission trip to Mozambique. She plans to spend a year in Mozambique working on a project to improve water supplies.

Nora Kuiper is the daughter of Scott and Ann Kuiper.

Other nominees for the Kovalchik Award were Krissy Sheets of Adrian, Dorinda Williams of Albion, Erica Deur of Calvin, Katie Stefl of Kalamazoo, Lindsay Pipkin of Olivet, Caitlin Brodmerkel of Saint Mary’s and Sallie Richardson of Trine.

Final 2008-09 Commissioner's Cup Standings

Overall Standings: 1. Hope 208. 2. Calvin 197. 3. Albion 138. 4. Adrian 109. 5. Olivet 104. 6. Alma 97. 7. Trine 94. 8. Kalamazoo 91.

Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 94. 2. Calvin 93. 3. Albion 66. 4. Adrian 58. 5. Olivet 54. 6. Trine 50. 7. Kalamazoo 42. 8. Alma 31.

Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 114. 2. Calvin 104. 3. Saint Mary’s 74. 4. Albion 72. 5. Alma 66. 6. Adrian 51. 7. Olivet 50. 8. Kalamazoo 49. 9. Trine 44.

The Commissioner's Cup is presented to the MIAA member with the best cumulative finishes in the 18 men's and women's sports sponsored by America's oldest collegiate conference. It marks the ninth consecutive year that Hope has won or shared the honor and the 24th time since 1980. A year ago Hope and Calvin shared the Commissioner's Cup, a first in the 71-year history of the award.

The Commissioner's Cup has been presented since 1934-35. Hope has won the award 31 times, followed by Albion with 14, Kalamazoo 13, Calvin 9 and Alma 5.

Commissioner's Cup Standings
Through Fall 2008 Sports Season

Overall Standings: 1. Hope 98. 2. Calvin 80. 3. Albion 67. 4. Adrian 53. 5. Trine 49. 6. Olivet 47. 7. Alma 36. 7. Kalamazoo 36.

Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 44. 2. Trine 36. 3. Calvin 34. 4. Albion 33. 5. Adrian 29. 6. Olivet 25. 7. Alma 12. 8. Kalamazoo 11.

Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 54. 2. Calvin 46. 3. Saint Mary’s 36. 4. Albion 34. 5. Kalamazoo 25. 6. Adrian 24. 6. Alma 24. 8. Olivet 22. 9. Trine 13.

The MIAA Commissioner’s Cup award is based on the cumulative performance of each member school in the league's 18 sports for men and women. The final Commissioner’s Cup standings is determined on the basis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and eight of nine sports for women. All eight fall sports are tabulated in this tabulation. Calvin and Hope tied for first place in the 2007-08 Commissioner’s Cup standings.

Calvin favored for MIAA men's title, Hope women picked to repeat

Calvin College has been installed as the preseason favorite to win the 2008-09 MIAA men’s basketball title, while defending champion Hope College is the preseason pick of coaches to win the MIAA women’s basketball crown.

According to the preseason coaches’ poll, the Knights, who finished third in the MIAA a year ago and reached the championship game of the league tournament, narrowly edged defending champion Hope. Calvin picked up five first-place votes to three for the Flying Dutchmen, who graduated four starters from a team that finished third in last year’s NCAA Division III tournament.

2008-09 MIAA Men's Basketball Preseason Poll:
1. Calvin 10 (5). 2. Hope 11 (3). 3. Albion 20. 4. Olivet 29. 5. Adrian 30. 6. Trine 32. 7. Kalamazoo 45. 8. Alma 47.

2008-09 MIAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll:
1. Hope 11 (6). 2. Calvin 14.5 (2.5). 3. Albion 21.5 (0.5). 4. Saint Mary’s 31. 5. Adrian 34. 6. Olivet 46. 7. Alma 53. 7. Trine 53. 9. Kalamazoo 60.

Hope picked to win MIAA football title

Defending MIAA co-champion Hope College has been installed as the preseason favorite to win the 2008 league football championship. Despite losing 15 starters to graduation, including nine on offense, a poll of coaches and media gave the Flying Dutchmen a slight nod over Adrian and Olivet, who shared last year’s championship with Hope and made its first appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Coaches and media had differing views on the season. Olivet was the favorite among coaches, picking up four of seven first-place votes, while Adrian, which picked up the other three first-place votes, was the second choice. Among media, Hope was the favorite, even though it only picked up two of eight first-place votes. Adrian, which was picked second, had four first-place votes and Olivet, which was chosen third had two first-place votes.

Poll Results (first-place votes in parenthesis):
1. Hope (2) 27 pts, 2. Adrian (7) 33, 3. Olivet (6) 34, 4. Alma 56, 5. Trine 64, 6. Albion 67, 7. Kalamazoo 100.

The nation's oldest collegiate athletic conference, the MIAA begins its 111th season of competition Sept. 6, with league play to begin Oct. 4.

New Hartman and Renner Awards Announced

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the winners of two newly-established awards honoring outstanding publicity efforts by its member schools - the Hartman Writing Award and the Renner Associate SID Award.

The first recipients of the new awards both come from Calvin College. Bruce Van Baren, a student assistant in the Calvin sports information department, was named the winner of the Hartman Award, while Annalise VenHuizen, also a student assistant at Calvin, was named the recipient of the Renner Award.

Bruce VanBaren, who will be a senior at Calvin this fall, was honored for a story he wrote on the comeback of Michael Holwerda, a member of the Knights' men's soccer team who overcame a serious medical problem to earn All-MIAA honors last season. continue

A native of Crete, Ill., VanBaren has worked for two years as a student assistant in the Calvin sports information department. A graduate of Illiana Christian High School in Lansing, Ill., VanBaren produces game stories, feature stories and columns. A business communications major, he also serves as a broadcaster on Internet broadcasts of Calvin sports events.

A dean's list student at Calvin, VanBaren has also served as the co-sports editor of the school's student newspaper, Chimes, and has served internships at WMVP-AM in Chicago and WOOD Radio in Grand Rapids. This summer, he served as an intern for the nationally-syndicated Michael Reagan Talk Show, based in Washington D.C.

A May graduate of Calvin with a degree in English, Annalise VenHuizen worked in the school's sports information office all four years she attended. She started as a writer and became involved in producing game day programs. Soon, she picked up photography and took photos of numerous Calvin athletic events and athletes, highlighted by her photography at this year's NCAA Division III track and field championships.

VenHuizen also worked as a game day statistician for men's and women's basketball and updated the Calvin sports Web page with game stories, statistics and photos. Earlier this year, she was selected to serve as a chaperone for visiting writers at Calvin's Festival of Faith and Writing.

A native of Lansing, Ill., and also a graduate of Illiana Christian High School, VenHuizen has accepted a teaching position at Grand River Preparatory Academy in Kentwood, Mich.

The new awards honor two sports information directors who have given many years of service to the MIAA - Robin Hartman of Albion College and Tom Renner of Hope College. The Hartman Award honors outstanding writing in a sports information capacity, either by a sports information director or assistant, while the Renner Award honors outstanding efforts by student assistants in sports information offices at MIAA schools.

Here are links to other entries for the Hartman Award:
By Colin McWhertor, Calvin College student assistant
By Bobby Lee, Albion College Sports Information Director
By Geoff Henson, Olivet College Sports Information Director
By Geoff Henson, Olivet College Sports Information Director
By Sarah Miesle, Adrian College
From Calvin College
From Kalamazoo College
From Kalamazoo College

Recipients of Kovalchik and Deal Awards Announced

Awards by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the outstanding senior athletes from its member schools during the 2007-08 academic year have been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.

Sarah Wittingen of Calvin College has been presented the Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award, while Dustin Meisner of Olivet College has received the Albert H. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award.

"Dustin and Sarah have had marvelous careers these last four years in the classroom, on the track and in the pool, 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).

Sarah Wittingen
A graduate of East Grand Rapids High School, Wittingen was an All-MIAA selection in track all four years at Calvin, leading the Knights to four straight conference championships. She was a 12-time league champion, winning the 400-meter hurdles in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and the 100-meter hurdles in 2006 and 2007. A team captain her junior and senior years, she was also part of Calvin's winning team in the 4x400-meter relay four consecutive years and the 4x100-meter relay team in 2005, 2006 and 2007. She holds the school record in both the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles, as well as the MIAA record in the 100 hurdles (:14.28) and 400 hurdles (1:01.37), and is part of another league record in the 4x400 relay (3:48.58). Wittingen was named the MIAA's most valuable runner three consecutive years, from 2006-08.

At the national level, Wittingen was a 10-time All-American, capping off her career this year by winning the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III national championships in Oshkosh, Wis., in a school-record time of :59.39. She also finished seventh in the 100-meter hurdles and ran the leadoff leg for Calvin's 4x400 relay team, which finished fifth in the nation. Wittingen has earned All-American honors in the 400-meter hurdles in 2006-08, the 100-meter hurdles in 2007-08, the 4x400-meter relay all four years and the 4x100 relay in 2007. Sarah was named the Great Lakes Region Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2007 and 2008.

An accounting major, Wittingen graduated from Calvin in May with a 3.96 grade point average. She was a member of the Calvin orchestra for three years, the Gioioso String Quartet for four years, and played the cello at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and at local church services. Additionally, she served as an English as a Second Language tutor for foreign students.

Wittingen was selected to the Academic All-MIAA Team in 2005-07, a member of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team from 2005-07, and was named to the ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-America team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2007 (second team). Sarah Wittingen is the daughter of Rosemary Fiedler and Terry Wittingen.

Other candidates for the Kovalchik award were Sara Morningstar of Adrian, Shauna Paradine of Albion, Melissa Morcom of Alma, Lindsay Lange of Hope, Laura Winkler of Kalamazoo, Shanna Fisher of Olivet, Allison Kessler of Saint Mary's and Amanda Steiner of Tri-State.

Dustin Meisner
A native of Temperance, Mich., and graduate of Erie-Mason High School, Meisner was a four-time All-MIAA selection in men's swimming at Olivet. He won the 200-yard breaststroke three times during his career (2005, 2006 and 2007) and finished runnerup in the 100-yard breaststroke four times, leading the Comets to conference championships in 2006 and 2007. Meisner also competed in three NCAA Division III national championships, earning honorable mention All-American honors in 2005 and 2007.

Dustin holds the Olivet school record in the 100-yard breaststroke (:57.19) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:04.61), and also swam the breaststroke leg on two school record-setting relay teams - the 200 individual medley (1:34.09) and 400 individual medley (3:26.46) relays.

Meisner, a double major in visual arts and biology, graduated summa cum laude from Olivet in May with a 4.0 grade point average. He received the college's Donald A. Morris award, given each year to the top graduating students with the highest GPA. On campus, he was a member of the Art Alliance, Omnicron Delta Kappa (a professional academic honor society), Hosford Society and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He also participated in Olivet's Service Day activities all four years in school.

Meisner was a three-time selection to the ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-America team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the first student-athlete in Olivet's history to achieve that honor. He was a third-team selection in 2006 and a first-team selection in 2007 and 2008. Dustin Meisner is the son of Dan and Alison Meisner.

Other candidates for the Deal award were Chris Elsey of Adrian, John Fileccia of Albion, Alex Catlin of Alma, Ricky Tilton of Calvin, Tommy Yamaoka of Hope, Mike Benson of Kalamazoo and Matt Eby of Tri-State.

Greg Chandler is Appointed MIAA Publicist

The appointment of Greg Chandler as publicist/statistician of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.

Chandler succeeds Tom Renner who is concluding his service to the conference as publicist/statistician after 42 years in that capacity. Chandler will begin on July 1.

Neilson further announced that Renner, who is associate vice president for public and community relations at member institution Hope College, will continue to serve the conference as MIAA historian. He will be responsible for the MIAA’s archives and will take the lead in preparing the MIAA for its celebration as American’s oldest collegiate conference in 2011-12.

“Tom’s contributions to the student athletes of the MIAA over the last 42 years have been immeasurable and I’m pleased that Tom has agreed to continue in a new role for a while longer. Tom’s strong working relationship with our new MIAA publicist, Greg Chandler, plus the depth of experience among our fellow MIAA SIDs, will be helpful to Greg as he steps into the role Tom has performed so well."

A native of Detroit, Chandler has worked in the print and broadcast media for more than 20 years. He has been a freelance news correspondent with the Grand Rapids Press since 1998, and also contributes to various other publications. He has broadcast college and high school football and basketball games and professional basketball games on WHTC-AM in Holland.

Prior to joining the Press, Chandler was sports editor at the Holland Sentinel from 1996-1998, and was news director at WHTC from 1988-1996. He has also worked at the former WMAX-AM in Grand Rapids and WMUB-FM in Oxford, Ohio. Chandler also has been a Great Lakes regional reporter for two Web sites devoted to NCAA Division III sports, d3football.com and d3hoops.com.

Chandler, 44, holds a bachelor's degree in broadcast and cinematic arts from Central Michigan University, a master of science degree in mass communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and a master of business administration degree from Grand Valley State University. Chandler lives in Holland with his wife, Leanne, and daughters, Lindsay and Megan.

07-08 Commissioner's Cup Standings End in Tie Between Calvin, Hope

For the first time in the eight-decade-long history of the MIAA Commissioner's Cup (All-Sports) standings, there is a tie for first place. Calvin and Hope each accumulated 202 points in the compilation. The MIAA Commissioner’s Cup award is based on the cumulative performance of each member school in the league's 18 sports for men and women.

The Commissioner's Cup (MIAA All-Sports Award) has been presented since 1934-35. The standings have been based on men's and women's sports standings since 1981-82. The closest finish before this tie occurred in 1999-2000 when Calvin edged Hope edged Hope 178-176. Hope won the Commissioner’s Cup the next seven years (2000-01 thru 2006-07).

This year's "race" came down to the final MIAA athletic of the school year. By winnning its final baseball game, Calvin clinched the MIAA championship and garnered enough all-sports points to cause the tie.

Commissioner's Cup Standings:1. Calvin 202. 1. Hope 202, 3. Albion 153, 4. Olivet 110, 5. Alma 103, 6. Tri-State 102, 7. Adrian 89, 8. Kalamazoo 79

Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 97, 2. Calvin 90, 3. Albion 68, 4. Olivet 60, 5. Tri-State 51, 6. Alma 45, 7. Kalamazoo 42, 8. Adrian 36.

Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Calvin 112, 2. Hope 105, 3. Albion 85, 4. Saint Mary’s 75, 5. Alma 58, 6. Adrian 53, 7. Tri-State 51, 8. Olivet 50, 9. Kalamazoo 37.

The final Commissioner’s Cup standings are determined on the basis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and eight of nine sports for women.

Hope has won the award 30 times, followed by Albion 14, Kalamazoo 13, Calvin 9 and Alma 5.

MIAA Commissioner's Cup Standings thru 2007-08 Winter Season

Posted February 27

Commissioner’s Cup Standings: 1. Hope 134, 2. Calvin 126, 3. Albion 99, 4. Olivet 85, 5. Kalamazoo 62, 6. Tri-State 61, 7. Alma 56, 8. Adrian 51.

Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 67, 2. Calvin 50, 3. Olivet 48, 4. Albion 44, 5. Tri-State 35, 6. Alma 30, 7. Kalamazoo 27, 8. Adrian 18.

Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Calvin 76, 2. Hope 67, 3. Albion 55, 4. Saint Mary's 48, 5. Olivet 37, 6. Kalamazoo 35, 7. Adrian 33, 8. Alma 26, 8. Tri-State 26.

The MIAA Commissioner's Cup award is based on the cumulative performance of each member school in the league's 18 sports for men and women. The final All-Sports standings will be determined on the basis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and eight of nine sports for women. The standings after the winter season are based on 10 of 12 sports played to date (five for men and five for women).

Commissioner Emeritus Albert Deal Dies at Age 93

Albert L. Deal, Commissioner Emeritus of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), died on Thursday, Feb. 14, in Grand Haven, Mich. following a lingering illness. Mr. Deal was 93.

"This is, of course, a very sad day for the MIAA and our member schools," said current commissioner David Neilson. "Al Deal was a giant in the history of the MIAA, serving at a time of great transition in collegiate athletics. We extend our deepest sympathies to the entire Deal family."

Mr. Deal served as commissioner of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1971-91. He guided the MIAA through a historic period in which the MIAA became one of the first collegiate conferences in America to have a combined governance structure for men's and women's sports. His efforts also increased the MIAA's stature among NCAA Division III conferences. Even in retirement, he and his wife, Connie, frequently attended conference events at the member campuses.

He received an A.B. degree from Kalamazoo College and the M.A. degree in school administration from the University of Michigan.

In 2003 the MIAA established the Albert L. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award, which is presented annually to the top graduating male scholar-athlete in the league.

In a distinguished career spanning 40 years in Michigan public education, he served four school districts as superintendent, including the Kent County Intermediate School District. He served as president of the Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and was active in the Michigan Association of School Administrators. In 1988 he was inducted into the Michigan Education Hall of Fame.

He received the Michigan Sport Sages' Humanitarian Award in 1991 and was voted into the Kalamazoo College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995 . In 1999 his alma mater presented him the Distinguished Service Award. He was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Olivet College.

He was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Naval Armed Guard in WW II, during which he saw duty in both the Atlantic and Pacific war operations.

He is survived by his wife Connie, three daughters: Ann M. VandenBerg, Emily J. Dood and Martha E. Butler; four stepsons: Richmond H. (Cindy) Jones, Douglas H. Jones, Dr. Donald H. (Maryvic Cuison) Jones, all of Spring Lake, and Craig H. (Lisa) Jones of Vero Beach, FL; and several loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, Mich. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Vanzantwick Bartels and Kammeraad Funeral Homes, 213 East Savidge St., Spring Lake, Mich. Memorial gifts are suggested to St. John's Episcopal Church.

MIAA Commissioner's Cup Standings thru 2007 Fall Season

Commissioner’s Cup Standings: 1. Hope 96, 2. Calvin 86, 3. Albion 67, 4. Olivet 51, 4. Tri-State 51, 6. Alma 46, 7. Adrian 39, 7. Kalamazoo 39.

Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Hope 49, 2. Calvin 32, 3. Olivet 31, 4. Albion 30, 5. Tri-State 27, 6. Alma 26, 7. Kalamazoo 16, 8. Adrian 13.

Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Calvin 54, 2. Hope 47, 3. Albion 37, 3. Saint Mary’s 37, 5. Adrian 26, 6. Tri-State 24, 7. Kalamazoo 23, 8. Alma 20, 8. Olivet 20.

The MIAA Commissioner's Cup award is based on the cumulative performance of each member school in the league's 18 sports for men and women. The final All-Sports standings will be determined on the basis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and eight of nine sports for women. The standings after the fall season are based on all eight sports played to date (four for men and four for women). As a single sport member (football), Wisconsin Lutheran was not computed into the all-sports standings.

Men's Basketball Coaches Pre-Season Poll
1. Hope (5) 10, 2. Calvin (3) 11, 3. Tri-State 23, 4. Albion 25, 5. Adrian 26, 6. Kalamazoo 38, 7. Olivet 42, 8. Alma 49.

Women's Basketball Coaches Pre-Season Poll
1. Hope (6) 10, 2. Calvin (3) 15, 3. Albion 23, 4. Saint Mary's 26, 5. Adrian 41, 6. Alma 45, 7. Tri State 52 , 8. Olivet 53, 9. Kalamazoo 59.

"This event proved to be a very successful time both from a competitive interaction and equally from a cultural exchange perspective," said MIAA Commissioner David Neilson. "Both our MIAA student-athletes and those from Isreal had plenty of opportunity to compete and interact both on and off the field. It was a special week."

Participating MIAA colleges included Albion, Alma, Calvin, Kalamazoo, Olivet and Tri-State.

Tri-State Closer to Full NCAA Membership

Posted August 6, 2007
The NCAA Division III Management Council has recommended that Tri-State University become a full member of the NCAA effective September 1st. The Thunder will be ending three years of provisional membership. Tri-State has been eligible for MIAA championships since the 2004-05 school year. Beginning in 2007-08, Tri-State will be eligible for all NCAA Division III championships.

MIAA Hosts First SAAC Retreat

Posted August 6, 2007
Student-athletes from the MIAA member colleges participated in the conference's first-ever Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) retreat the weekend of August 4-5 at Mackinac Island.

The retreat was organized as part of a league-effort to enhance student-athlete leadership and heighten institutional commitment to student-led initiatives on the various MIAA campuses. The Student Athletic Advisory Committee is part of the MIAA's governance system. The retreat was supported by the National College Athletic Association (NCAA).

The group of 40 students and advisors heard from league officials on topics such as the history of the nation's oldest collegiate conference and the philosophy of Division III athletics. They were also brought up-to-date on issues facing NCAA Division III.

Each school's representatives shared how they have sought to involve their campus communities through activities, service projects and educational initiatives such as sportsmanship, substance abuse and gambling. They also shared their plans for the upcoming school year.

"As this was our first retreat, I was very pleased by both the group that attended, and the energy and commitment they brought to our discussions and activities," said Commissioner David Neilson. "We expect to see some very positive outcomes as a result of our efforts. We are blessed to have outstanding student-athletes on our MIAA campuses."

Hope Favored in Pre-Season Football Poll

Posted August 3, 2007
Defending MIAA football champion Hope is the pre-season favorite of the league's coaches and the media. The Flying Dutchmen were the unanimous pick of the coaches and received 12-of-13 votes from the media during the 38th annual Media Day hosted by Albion College.

Poll Results: 1. Hope (19) 21 pts., 2. Adrian (1) 59, 3. Olivet 65, 4. Albion (1) 70, 5. Alma 85, 6. Tri-State 119, 7. Kalamazoo 121, 8. Wisconsin Lutheran 152.

The oldest collegiate conference in America, the MIAA will mark its 110th football season in 2007. After a month of conference play, the conference schedule will begin on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athletes Named

Posted June 13, 2007

Awards by the MIAA to the outstanding senior athletes from its member schools during the 2006-07 school year have been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.

Lisa Winkle of Calvin College has been presented the Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award while Josh Brehm of Alma College has received the Albert H. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award.

“The selection committees have chosen two exceptional scholar-athletes from an outstanding group of candidates,” said Commissioner Neilson.

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

This year’s awards recognize two students who excelled on a national level as well as in the MIAA. Each was named the national Division III player of the year in their sport, Winkle in basketball and Brehm in football.

A graduate of Grand Rapids South Christian High School, Winkle was a standout two-sport athlete, basketball and in track and field. In basketball, she finished her career as Calvin’s all-time leading scorer (1,722 points) and rebounder (1,034 rebounds). The only four-time first team All-MIAA selection in MIAA women’s basketball history, Winkle was a two-time MIAA MVP and was named a Kodak All-American as a senior. She also led the team to a pair of MIAA titles, three trips to the NCAA III tournament and two visits to the national quarterfinals. She was twice named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American and as a senior was presented the prestigious Jostens Trophy, an award that honors basketball and academic excellence as well as service in the community.

In track and field, she was a three-time All-MIAA selection, including a three-time league champion in the long jump. She was a part of four MIAA championship teams as well as three national runner-up squads. She finished her track and field career as a 10-time NCAA III All-American. Winkle was graduated from Calvin with a degree in secondary education and mathematics while carrying a 3.96 grade point average. This was recently named the 2006 Michigan Female College Athlete of the Year by the Detroit Athletic Club.

Hailing from Ithaca, Mich., Brehm led NCAA Division III football in three categories: total offense (4,084), passing yards (3,448) and passing yards per game (344.8). The MIAA’s 2006 most valuable offensive player, he set an NCAA record with 288 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, and set the NCAA Division III record with 10 consecutive games of 300 yards of total offense or more. He participated in the East Coast Bowl completing 20 of 28 passing for 240 yards, one touchdown and added another on the ground.

Brehm is the holder of 15 school records including passing yards (10,706), pass completions (919) and touchdown passes (85). A two-time All-MIAA first team selection, he collected 12,247 career yards of total offense and was honored as the MIAA offensive player of the week seven times over his career.

Brehm was the 2006 recipient of the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded annually to the best player in Division III football for excellence in academics, athletics and community service.

In addition to his expertise and agility on the football field, Brehm, a double major in business and psychology, had a 3.78 GPA. He had three consecutive semesters with a 4.0 GPA and has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. This past year, he was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team. An active member of Alma’s Students in Free Enterprise, Brehm dedicated countless hours of service in area schools. His many activities at Alma College included spearheading a fundraising effort in memory of Joe Nelson, a fellow football player, who tragically died in a car accident.

Other candidates for the Kovalchik award were Abby Sikora of Adrian, Emily Stocker of Albion, Kelsey Krull of Alma, Lisa Smith of Hope, Elizabeth Garlow of Kalamazoo, Stephanie Smith of Olivet, Anne Cusack of Saint Mary’s and Rainbow Bednarski of Tri-State.

Other candidates for the Deal award were Ryan Sulek of Adrian, Jason Bowman of Albion, Tim Finnegan of Calvin, Ryan TerLouw of Hope, Chris Werme of Kalamazoo, Ananta Fetters of Olivet, and Adam Garvin of Tri-State.

Hope Wins 06-07 Commissioner's Cup

Posted May 14, 2007
Hope College has won the 2006-07 MIAA Commissioner's Cup. The women's All-Sports Award was won by Calvin College and the men's All-Sports Award received the Men's All-Sports Award.

Commissioner's Cup Standings: 1. Hope 216, 2. Calvin 197, 3. Albion 152, 4. Olivet 116, 5. Alma 102, 6. Kalamazoo 101, 6. Tri-State 101, 8. Adrian 77.

Men's All-Sports Award Standings: 1. Hope 108, 2. Calvin 86, 3. Albion 73, 4. Olivet 54, 4. Tri-State 54, 6. Kalamazoo 46, 7. Alma 42, 8. Adrian 41.

Women's All-Sports Award Standings: 1. Calvin 111, 2. Hope 108, 3. Albion 79, 4. Saint Mary's 74, 5. Olivet 62, 6. Alma 60, 7. Kalamazoo 55, 8. Tri-State 47, 9. Adrian. 36.

The final standings for the all-sports awards are determined on the basis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and eight of nine sports for women. These point-totals are added together to determine the winner of the Commissioners' Cup. As a single sport member (football), Wisconsin Lutheran is not computed into the all-sports standings.

The Commissioner's Cup (MIAA All-Sports Award) has been presented since 1934-35. Hope has won the award 29 times, followed by Albion 14, Kalamazoo 13, Calvin 8 and Alma 5.

All-Sports Standings After Winter Sports

Posted February 24, 2007
Hope tops the Commissioner's Cup standings after the winter sports season. Winter sports champions were: men's basketball, Hope; women's basketball, Calvin; men's swimming and diving, Olivet; women's swimming and diving, Calvin. Fall sports champions were: men's and women's cross country, Calvin; men's soccer, Hope; women's soccer, Calvin; football, Hope; volleyball, Calvin; women's golf, Olivet and men's golf, Hope.

Men's All-Sports Standings thru Winter: 1. Hope 68, 2. Calvin 50, 3. Olivet 44, 4. Albion 41, 5. Tri-SDtate 37, 6. Kalamazoo 30, 7. Alma 25, 8. Adrian 23.

Women's All-Sports Standings thru Winter: 1. Calvin 80, 2. Hope 70, 3. Albion 51, 4. Saint Mary's 49, 5. Kalamazoo 40, 5. Olivet 40, 7. Alma 31, 8. Adrian 26, 9. Tri-State 24.