Wednesday

The morning began with clear skies. During training the clouds rolled in from the gulf ... 70˚ and overcast is great for practice.

Off to Lambert's Cafe for dinner with all one-hundred of us. 

Tuesday

Hurrah for the sunny skies!

• Online album : Gulf Shores track & field 2010

Morning devos went off as usual on the beach.

We just returned from the longest track session we've ever had in Gulf Shores. A solid fours hours at the track. While it has always been great to get outside to train during spring break; this season has a decidedly different feel to it. Because of the state of the art design and maintenance of Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex we've been training at a high level for months and the athletes are coming to Gulf Shores much more prepared for the outdoor season. The Calvin community's commitment to it's student body bears fruit daily.

Lots of dutch skin turning pink in the noonday sun. 

After training we all hit the beach for bags, ultimate and volleyball.

Today's big event is this afternoon's 1st Year Games. Yesterday's blustery weather forced us to bump them from Monday's 4 p.m. start time.

balloon wars

egg toss

relay races

Monday

As with anything filled with tradition ... the week at the beach immediately felt like years past. Morning began with coach Diemer's 8:30 a.m. devotions. 
From Kaylea Brase:
"The devos today were about living God-centered lives. Coach Diemer started by describing how he and some of his close friends followed their sport to the end of the trail (Olympics and such!) but found that it didn't satisfy. He read us a quote from C.S. Lewis that basically said that if you find nothing can satisfy you in this world, then maybe you weren't made for this world. We discussed our longing for home and for God and for something higher. We talked about why we are here, which is described in some confession (can't remember which one) as to glorify God and enjoy Him. We ended by discussing how we can turn our longing for God into service, worship, and joy instead of turning to things that don't truly satisfy."


Devos' were followed by another long standing tradition ... stragglers for the Monday morning bus to the track. 
Thanks to the quick thinking Caledonia boy (and football scourge of the Sailors), Kenny Echtinaw, realized we needed the throwing toys on the same bus as the dumbbells. We were heading a few miles up 59 to the track while the harriers were going for a long run along the intercostal. Two buses, two sites ... we needed all the heavy stuff on one bus. Things would not go well without our bright Calvin students.
The day was chilly ... high of 58˚ with a strong gulf breeze pushing down the coast. It gave everyone a good day to get settled.
Online album : Gulf Shores track & field 2010

As the sun settled in the west more traditions began to unfold ... walks to Scoops for some ice cream and the annual "Hey coach, can I get another piercing (or tattoo)?" phone call request. 

Sunday

I headed an hour east into to Pensacola Regional Airport to pick up our divers. Pole vaulters Casey Herman and Joy Leach were up at 3:45 a.m. to catch their flight out of Minneapolis–St Paul International Airport. They both dived for the Knights at the NCAA Divisiion III Swimming & Diving Championships. 
As we have for three decades, team attended the 10:45 a.m. service at First Baptist Church of Gulf Shores.


Meet report from Calvin's SID extraordinaire ... Jeff Febus.
MEMPHIS, TN – The Calvin men’s and women’s track and field teams both had strong starts to their outdoor seasons at the Rhodes College Open Invitational on Saturday. A mix of NCAA I, II and III along with some strong NAIA teams gave the Knights great competition at all levels.

On the women’s side, fresh off her national championship performance in the 400m the week before at the NCAA III Indoor Championships, junior Rachel Boerner (Bergenfield NJ) came up with an NCAA III automatic qualifying time of 61.64 that was good for second place on Saturday, behind Talisha Lee of Mississippi State University.

The Calvin women also had NCAA III provisional qualifying times from senior Jessica Koster (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in the 10k (36:42.39), senior Elizabeth Smit (Kirkland WA) in the 3k steeplechase (11:00.32), Calvin’s 4x400m relay team (3:55.00), junior Leigha Oberle (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in the discus (141-11) and junior Sarah Reasoner (Cambridge MN) in the discus (136-08) and shot put (43-09 ¾).

Highlights for the Calvin men included junior Joel Klingenberg (Hamilton ON) placing fourth in the javelin (173-11), senior Brad Stroner (Lakewood HS) raced well in the 100m (11.20) and 200m (22.81). Stoner commented, "After not competing in 2009 my training is coming around and my races felt great. I'm really looking forward to the MIAA Jamboree in a few weeks." Senior Caleb Rottman (Fargo ND) taking fourth in the high jump (6-04 ¾), senior Aaron Goodman (Milwaukee WI) taking second in the 3k steeplechase (9:25.05) and junior Ben Van Wyk (Sussex NJ) taking third with a 20-plus second PB of 9:26.00, junior Alex Wrobel (Arden Hills MN) taking eighth in the 800m (1:58.08), senior and former MIAA MVP Kelby McClelland returned to the outdoor races after a two season layoff by taking seventh in the 110m high hurdles (15.62) with Rottman eighth (15.83), sophomore Nick Kramer (Dyer, IN) taking fourth in the 5k (14:49.76) and sophomore Dan Kerr (Petoskey HS) placing third in the 10k (31:58.65).

Saturday

We had a great meet Saturday. Four bus trips (7, 7:45, 9:15 and 10 a.m.) over the Mississippi River got our ninety-one Knights to the track for a day of racing, jumping and throwing.


results:
Rhodes College Open Meet


Online album : Gulf Shores track & field 2010

We're on our way south

Greetings Calvin track & field friends.

I'll be make three to four entries a day discussing the goings-on of your Knight thinclads (see 1950s Chimes articles) during our yearly training trip south.

As usual I drove the blocker van ... arriving at the Ramada Inn west of Memphis about four hours ahead of the buses.

As you would expect, the only construction and traffic we saw on our ten hour drive was on the outskirts of the Windy City. To pass time we asked the kids the origin of the name of Illiana Christian schools.

Looks like a great meet for the Knights tomorrow with some solid NCAA D1 teams and few solid NCAA D3 teams. The men's 5k should a lightning fast. Here's the meet info:
Rhodes Open Meet
... and heat sheets:
Heat Sheets (Posted 3/19/2010)

Two of our coaches are also competing. Jed Christiansen, coming off his ninth NCAA appearance at last weekends NCAA Division III indoor championships, has completed his college eligibility and will spend his spring learning all the events as a student-assistant coach. He will be joining Nick Kramer in what looks to be a lightning fast 5k. Assistant coach and Olympic Trials 9th placer Katie Corner (2004 grad) will be competing for Sports Club Amicus as the top seed in the women's discus.

If you have any questions, concerns or questions just zip me an e-mail or give me a call 616.648.6273

Norm Zylstra
Calvin alumni office and track & field coach