Cornerstone University - News

[Men's Outdoor Track & Field] Risch leads three CU All-Americans in the Race Walk

Randy Strawser — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:00:00 -0600

(Marion, Ind.) Cody Risch took the runner up spot in the 5,000 meter race walk on the second day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The race began as a repeat of the NAIA Indoor 3,000 meter walk as Risch joined Alejandro Chavez and Nick Christie of Missouri Baptist in a three-way duel. Christie was the first to before the half way point, then Chavez pulled ahead with a mile remaining. Risch held second finishing in 21:37.40, twenty-four seconds behind Chavez.

Sophomore, Nate Vanderwall finished fifth in 24:25.25 and Issac Withrow took eighth in 27:56.94. All three earned All-America honors.

Deon Fox completed the second half of the decathlon. After running 15.27 in the 110 meter hurdles and sending the discus 100' 8", Fox improved his best in the pole vault to 14' 9" and added over fifteen feet to his best in the javelin with a throw of 136' 7". A difficult 5:28.55 for the 1500 meters, Fox totaled 6018 for twelfth in the competition.

At the end of the second day, Cornerstone stood tied for sixth in the team standings with 15 points.

[Women's Outdoor Track & Field] Eight Golden Eagles All-American on day two

Randy Strawser — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:00:00 -0600

(Marion, Ind) Almost everything went right for the CU women's team on the second day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Picking up from the previous day, Anita Souza and Brittany Green completed final three events of the heptathlon. Souza started with a scare in the long jump. After two fouls and only one attempt left, Souza planted well behind the foul board and got in a legal 16' 8 ½" mark, well off her best, but good enough to keep her in the top five. Green had two jumps of exactly 18' ¼", the third best in the field of sixteen. Next, Green sent the javelin 95' 11" and Souza 79' 6". Knowing she needed to finish even with Doan's Karissa Blank in the 800 meters to hold fifth place, Anita did exactly that finishing in 2:33.64. Green's 2:42.74 kept her in eighth. Souza scored 4547 and Green 4426. Briana Vander Woude of Doane won the seven event competition with a score of 5098.

Just 45 minutes later, Souza got into the blocks for the 100 meter hurdle semi-finals. Running in the third of three heats with the top two advancing automatically to the finals, Anita left nothing to chance, winning in a season best 14.16, the third fastest time overall heading into Saturday's final.

Julie Oosterhouse had the advantage of running in the third heat of the 800 meter semi-finals. After the first heat raced relatively slowly, the sophomore knew she could advance on time instead of place if the pace was fast. It was. After passing through 400 meters in 64 seconds, Oosterhouse moved up in the pack and reached the finish in fourth running 2:12.52, the fourth fastest time of the three heats, earning a spot in the finals.

Cornerstone sent three women to the line in the 5,000 meter race walk. Monica Lawrence raced with the lead pack early on then backed off slightly after receiving a form warning from a judge. Lawrence held the sixth spot while Brianna Griffiths worked her way up to seventh. Freshman, Kayla Ovokaitys entered the race as the fifteenth seed and worked her way up to tenth. After finishing first, Nicole Bonk of Embry Riddle was disqualified due to three form violations. Lawrence (26:28.55) and Griffiths (26:53.78) earned All-America plaques for their fifth and sixth place finishes. Ovokaitys was one spot out of the awards taking ninth in 28:29.11.

Cornerstone finished the day with the 4 x 800 meter final. Freshman, Trinity Hulst was substituted for Jill Louisignau, who led off the team in the semi-final so she could focus on Saturday's steeplechase final. Hulst put the team in position with a 2:21 opening leg. Audrey Tremaine handled the second leg then Oosterhouse used a 2:12 split to bring CU from ninth to seventh. Julia Contreras concluded her relay career with a 2:19 anchor split, making her three for three in finishing All-American relays.

Altogether Cornerstone women scored or advanced in every event they competed in. After two days the Golden Eagles tied for tenth in the team standings with 16 points.

[Women's Outdoor Track & Field] Souza sizzles on opening day of Heptathlon

Randy Strawser — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:05:00 -0600

(Marion, Ind.) The first day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships stayed overcast and gloomy most of the time with brief periods of light rain. None of that seemed to bother CU's Anita Souza as she charged through the first four events of the heptathlon ending the day in second place.

The sophomore from Brazil dominated the field of 16 women in the first event, running nearly one half second faster than everyone else in the 100 meter hurdles. Her 14.21 was a season best and worth 949 points. After clearing 4' 11 ¾" in the high jump, Souza extended her best in the shot put to 31' 6" and ended the day with the second fastest time in the 200 meters, running 25.39. Her 2947 points put her second to Briana Vander Woude of Dort.

Teammate Brittany Green totaled 2725 points with her 15.70 clocking in the 100 meter hurdles, 4' 10 ½" effort in the high jump and 27.21 for 200 meters. Just as she did at the NAIA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon, Green led the field in the shot put. Her 40' 2 ¾" effort on her second attempt was nearly two feet better than Vander Woude's next best mark.

In the 4 x 800 meter relay semi-finals, Jill Louisignau, Audrey Tremaine, Julie Oosterhouse and Julia Contreras combined to finish second in their heat, advancing to Friday's final. Oosterhouse ran 2:13 on the third leg to bring the Golden Eagles from fourth to second and Contreras ran a smart, tactical anchor leg, bringing the baton to the finish in 9:25.38. Times for all three semi-final heats were slowed by a cold wind blowing up the backstretch and occasional drizzle.

One hour later, Louisignau lined up for the 3000 meter steeplechase semi-final. Needing only to finish in the top five in her heat, the junior from Benzonia raced patiently through the early laps then moved to the back of the lead group when the field strung out after four laps. "That was a tough double and a bit risky," said Wortley. "Jill really wanted to make sure the 4 x 8 made the final but we didn't want that to hurt her chances in the steeplechase. She's not only very fit, but very tough. She ran a smart race and the cold, windy conditions were actually better than most of the meets we ran in this season, so that helped."

The competition resumes Friday with Cornerstone women competing in the heptathlon, 800 meter and 100 meter hurdle semi-finals and 4 x 800 meter relay finals.

[Men's Outdoor Track & Field] Mahon earns All-American honors

Randy Strawser — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:30:00 -0600

(Marion, Ind.) Mike Mahon got the CU Men's team off to a great start on the opening day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University. The freshman from Middleville, MI took seventh in the hammer throw to earn All-America honors.

Seeded seventh, Mahon's first attempt measured 177' 7 ½", adding seven inches to his freshman record set in April. In the second round, Mahon launched a 180' 8" effort putting him fourth in his flight and earning a spot in the finals. Seeded seventh in the finals, Michael added throws of 179' 5 ½" and 180' 3". "Mike did a great job of being patient at competing through all six rounds," said CU coach Rod Wortley. "He wanted to be All-American and went out and focused on executing technique and it got the result we hoped to see." Mahon finishes the season adding an astounding 42' 8" to the freshman record set in 2012.

Freshman, Deon Fox spent the day working his way through the first five events of the decathlon. His 11.79 in the 100 meters, 20' 8" effort in the long jump, personal best 31' 11.5" in the shot put, 6' ¾" clearance in the high jump and 54.85 for 400 meters earned him 3090 points, putting him thirteenth.

Ryan Versen finished fifth in his semi-final heat of the 400 meter hurdles and did not advance to Saturday's finals.

Spencer Perry was unable to compete in the javelin due to an elbow injury and Louis Falland was unable to run the 3000 meter steeplechase because of an ankle injury. "We brought both guys because they earned their spots here and hoped for the best, but not competing was the better choice," said Wortley.

[Outdoor Track & Field] Track & Field Athletes start competition today at NAIA National ...

Randy Strawser — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:40:00 -0600

Cornerstone will be sending 25 male and femaleh athletes to the NAIA National Championships in Marion, Indiana. Below is a list of athletes and their events.

Men - Louis Falland (3,000 Meter Steeplechase), Ben Foreman, Travis Mabe (Marathon), Deon Fox (Decathlon), Mike Mahon (Hammer Throw, Spencer Perry (Javelin), Cody Risch, Isaac Withrow, Nate Vanderwall (5,000 Meter Race-walk), Ryan Versen (400 Meter Hurdles).

Women - Julia Contreras (1500 Meter Run), Brittany Green, Anita Souza (Heptathlon), Brianna Griffiths, Monica Lawrence, Kayla Ovokaitys (5,000 Meter Race-walk), Tanner Hostetler, Trinity Hulst, Julia Contreras, Jill Louisignau, Julie Oosterhouse, Audrey Tremaine (4x800 Meter Relay), Erin Laplander, Leah Shepherd, CallyAnne Wyma (Marathon), Jill Louisignau (3,000 Meter Steeplechase), Julie Oosterhouse (800 Meter Run), Haley Russell (Discus), Anita Souza (100 Meter Hurdles).

The competition starts today at 10:00 a..m. Click here to go the the NAIA National Track & Field Championship site.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Announces Summer Sports Camps

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:50:00 -0600

Boys Basketball

June 10 - 13 Grades 7-10 Overnight/Commuter*

June 13 – 15 Hoops Heaven Overnight

June 17 – 20 Grades 7-10 Overnight/Commuter*

June 24 – 27 Grades 3-6 Day

Girls Basketball

June 17 - 20 Grades 5-7 Day

July 8 – 11 Grades 7-10 Overnight/Commuter*

Volleyball

July 15 – 18 Grades 5-12 Overnight/Commuter*

July 22 – 25 Grades 5-12 Day

Baseball

June 24 – 27 Grades 6-8 Day

July 21 – August 2 CU Baseball Academy Overnight

*The commuter campers follow the same daily schedule as the overnight campers. They are free to leave after league play (around 9:00pm).

*All grades shown are for the grade campers are entering in the fall of 2013.

COST:

Overnight Camp: $299.00 ($75.00 non-refundable registration fee, $224.00 instruction, meals, lodging, t-shirt)

Day/Commuter Camp: $230.00 ($75.00 non-refundable registration fee, $155.00 instruction, lunch, t-shirt)

Enter Promo Code: wcsg to receive $50.00 off, when registering online for all Golden Eagles Sports Camps! Hurry offer ends June 30!

CLICK HERE to register online

For more information please contact:

Mike Riemersma

Assistant Athletics Director

michael.riemersma@cornerstone.edu

616-254-1671

[Men's Basketball] Caleb Kigar Signs with Men�s Basketball

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30:00 -0600

Forest Hills Eastern star Caleb Kigar recently signed his Letter of Intent to play basketball at Cornerstone University next season. The 6-5 forward finished his senior year at Eastern by averaging 14 PPG. He was named the OK Bronze All-Conference team for his efforts. Kigar, who also earned Honorable Mention All-Area honors as well, averaged a team-high 7 RPG to go along with his 1.3 steals/game.

Kigar helped lead his team to a 14-7 mark overall and a second place finish in the OK Bronze with a 8-2 record. He scored a career-high 29 points against Northpointe Christian on January 29.

Kigar was also very successful in the classroom where he maintained a 3.6 GPA. He was on the Honor Roll at FHE every semester and was also a National Honor Society member both as a junior and a senior.

Caleb on why he chose Cornerstone: "I've been following Cornerstone athletics for all my life. I've attended numerous camps in my younger years and countless games. Now the chance to be a part of the team that I've watched is unfathomable. I am so grateful for this opportunity. I've been seeking the Lord's guidance ever since I've started submitting applications and after wise counsel and family input, I felt led to sign on with Cornerstone and continue my education there."

Coach Elders on Caleb: "Caleb is terrific young man. He's a class act both on and off the court. It's great to see how he's developed into a good basketball player since coming to our camps a few years back. Caleb is a very hard worker and he knows how to compete. We're excited that he has chosen Cornerstone to further his education and to play basketball.

Kigar, who is undecided on a major at this point, is the son of Kurt and Jennifer Kigar.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone Signs Sheckler

Chuck Lowitzki — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:35:00 -0600

The Cornerstone University Athletic Department is pleased to announce the signing of Ben Sheckler, a basketball and baseball player from Sparta High School in Sparta, Mich. Sheckler, a 6'7" left-hander, looks to make big contributions to both the basketball and baseball programs at Cornerstone.

Ben wrapped up an excellent senior basketball season this spring in which he averaged 16.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game while shooting 90% from the free throw line. Still in the middle of his senior baseball season, Sheckler is 4-0 in 27 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts and a 1.03 earned run average.

When asked about his choice of Cornerstone University, Sheckler said, "I chose Cornerstone because I wanted to be surrounded by a great group of guys that like winning and love Jesus. I hope to grow in my faith and mature as a person. I also want to experience a lot of success on the court and on the diamond."

Cornerstone head basketball coach Kim Elders said, "We're very excited to have Ben in our program. He's a terrific young man who is definitely a Cornerstone fit. Ben is a talented player who has so much potential to develop into an outstanding player. We love his size at 6-7 and his ability to shoot from the perimeter. Ben led the area in rebounding this past season, so we know that he can really help us on the boards. He has a lot of skill and also has a very high basketball IQ."

Cornerstone head baseball coach Dave Mitroff said, "We can't wait to get Ben here on campus working with our guys. He is a late bloomer who has turned into an excellent left-handed pitcher. He is a great young man from a great family who will be an outstanding fit on campus and in our baseball program. It will be fun to watch him develop over the next few years and see where he ends up."

[Golden Eagles] Brown Awarded Leroy Walker Character Award

Randy Strawser — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:10:00 -0600

Janelle Brown, CU'12, was presented the Dr. Leroy Walker Champions of Character Award during the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics convention in April, although she received the award last year.

The annual award, created to honor Dr. LeRoy Walker, a former president of the NAIA and president emeritus of the United States Olympic Committee, recognizes a student-athlete with at least a junior academic status who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, campus and community leadership embracing the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative, athletic achievement and future ambition.

"I feel very honored to receive the award," said Brown, who spent the past year in China working for Women At Risk International. "The five core values of the Champions of Character programs are values that Jesus demonstrated for us. Therefore, it was a natural step to incorporate them into my life as an athlete."

Brown holds five school records for indoor and outdoor track and field in the race walk, and qualified for the NAIA national championships every year at Cornerstone.

She served as co-captain of the track and field team during her senior year and is a six-time NAIA All-American. She also qualified for three USA Track and Field championships.

Her last three years at CU she was invited to the Penn Relays.

While at Cornerstone, Brown founded Cornerstone's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) program – now called Enactus. As president of the chapter at CU, the group earned two regional championships and a national rookie of the year award.

"Janelle is not just a student-athlete," said Rod Wortley, Cornerstone's cross country and track coach. "She is a mature person who seeks to use her skills to affect significant, positive change in others' lives."

But, she doesn't pretend to be perfect.

"I made mistakes and failed many times along the way, but living out these values and being around others who were living them out in sports and in everyday life helped strengthen my Christian walk and I hope I was able to influence others as well," said Brown.

Brown was nominated by the athletic department, Wortley and her teammates.

[Baseball] Baseball adds Rakestraw

Chuck Lowitzki — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:15:00 -0600

Head coach David Mitroff and the Cornerstone University Golden Eagles Baseball program are pleased to announce the signing of Austin Rakestraw, a right-handed pitcher and first baseman from Lansing, Mich. A senior from Lansing Christian School, Austin hit .304 and scored 22 runs as a junior. On the mound he went 5-2 with a 4.07 ERA. This year, he is 3-0 on the mound and hitting .400 while his team is off to a 13-1 start.

When asked about his hopes for his time at Cornerstone, Austin said, "I hope to grow in my faith while I'm here, and lead others in their faith walk. And for the team, I would like to help us achieve excellence in school and on the ball field. I chose Cornerstone because, when I first visited CU, I felt like God blessed everything that happened that day."

Cornerstone baseball coach David Mitroff said, "We are excited to add someone of Austin's character to our program. We believe that he will be a great fit at our university and have a chance to compete for innings right away. We hope Austin will have a big impact on and off the field."

[Men's Tennis] Tarnow wins ITA Arthur Ashe Award

Dan Erickson — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:10:00 -0600

Tonight at the NAIA Tennis Banquet in Mobile, AL, it was announced that CU Men's Tennis player Alex Tarnow won the national ITA/ Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. Considered by many to be the most prestigious award available to a college tennis player, the Arthur Ashe Award recognizes one male and one female tennis player in each division who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements. Alex first won the Award for the ITA East Region so was then nominated and won the award at the national level. As part of winning the award, Alex will travel to the US Open in New York, where he will participate in Arthur Ashe Kids Day at Ashe Stadium, as well as the National NJTL breakfast.

Says Tarnow, "I am grateful and humbled to win the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award. Mr. Ashe was a great humanitarian and tennis champion, so to win an award in his name is a tremendous honor."

Coach Erickson on Tarnow, "Alex is a wonderful representative of our team, our school, and all of the values that we stand for at Cornerstone. I'm thrilled that he won this award, and I know that he has done the work to be worthy of that honor. I'm proud to be his coach."

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association is the governing body of college tennis and grants their own awards on top of the regular NAIA awards. This is the first time in the brief history of Cornerstone tennis that a CU player has won a Regional or National ITA award. The awards release can be found here.

[Women's Outdoor Track & Field] Russell and Louisignau smash school records

Randy Strawser — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:30:00 -0600

(Grand Rapids, Mich.) The Cornerstone Track & Field women's team spread their efforts in the final qualifying week over four meets, picking up an additional automatic mark, a new provisional mark and two school records.

Wednesday at the Aquinas Twilight Meet, there was little competition but the conditions were some of the best the team has seen all season. The sprinters took full advantage in the 4 x 100 meters. Lindsay Lipa, Anita Souza, Kaitlyn Bronkema and Katie Walker combined for a season-best 48.44, taking second.

After acting as the rabbit for three laps in the 1500 meters, Jill Louisignau stepped off the track as Julia Contreras (4:45.09), Julie Oosterhouse (4:51.04 / PR) and Audrey Tremaine (4:56.75) swept second through fourth.

The highlight of the meet came in the discus. After throwing within two inches of the school record on multiple occasions this season, Haley Russell's first attempt sailed 130' 5" breaking the old mark of 126' 4" set in 2011 by Erin Swinger. On her fourth attempt, Russell added nearly five more feet with a 135' 4" effort. Now less than four feet from the NAIA provisional standard, Haley launched her last throw 141' 1" for her third school record of the evening and her first NAIA national qualifying mark.

Friday, at the Dr. Keeler Invitational hosted by North Central College, Brittany Green raised her high jump best to 5' ¼". The cool windy conditions prevented further improvement in the 4 x 100 as athe women took third in 49.15.

Julie Oosterhouse lowered her season best to 2:13.92, taking eighth in the 800 meters and bettering the NAIA automatic qualifying time.

Louisignau battled to sixth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase taking another twelve seconds off her school record set last month, running 11:01.98. Liz Baller was twelfth in a PR 11:43.57.

The 4 x 400 meter relay squad of Lipa, Oosterhouse, Souza and Hampton ended their season with taking tenth in 3:58.62.

Closer to home, Russell had her second best day in the discus, despite wet and windy conditions at Grand Valley State's Second to Last Chance Meet. She placed fifth with a mark of 132' 1".

Saturday in cold, driving rain, Trinity Hulst raced just off her season best clocking 2:23.63 for sixth at the GVSU Last Chance Meet. Russell managed only 109' in the discus the horrible conditions.

[Men's Basketball] Zeeland East Standout Signs with the Golden Eagles

Aimee Luurtsema — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:50:00 -0600

Ty Smith, a two-sport standout at Zeeland East High School, recently signed his Letter of Intent to play basketball for Cornerstone University. Smith, a 6-4 forward, helped his team to an 18-4 record this past season. An All-Conference performer, Smith averaged 10 PPG and 8 RPG while leading the Chix to an OK Black championship as a senior. The two-year starter was voted the team's Best Defensive Player and was also named as the Chix Character Award winner for the 12-13 season. Smith, who served as captain of his team, had a season-high 21 points versus Grand Rapids Union on February 20.

Smith was also a key player on Zeeland East football team last fall. A two-way player, Smith played both tight end and defensive end while earning All-Conference honors as well. He helped his team capture the OK Black Conference championship and a #1 rating in Division 3. The Chix finished the season at 9-1.

Equally successful in the classroom, Smith maintained an impressive 3.7 GPA at ZE. He has been a National Honor Society member the last three years. Smith has also been very active outside of school - going on two mission's trips, teaching Sunday School and serving as a small group leader in his church. He has also been a volunteer at the Hope Bus, where he has served food to the needy.

Smith on why he chose Cornerstone: "I chose Cornerstone because I liked the atmosphere and feel of Cornerstone and its coaches. I also felt God pulling me there."

Coach Elders on Ty: "Ty is a workhorse. Nobody plays the game harder than he does. He's a tough, physical player who loves to do all the dirty work. Ty is an outstanding defender and is relentless on the boards. Ty is a class individual and a great fit for our basketball program."

Smith will be majoring in Education at Cornerstone. He is the son of Steve and Cindy Smith.

[Women's Outdoor Track & Field] Louisignau leads CU to second at WHAC Championships

Randy Strawser — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:55:00 -0600

(Grand Rapids, Mich. – Houseman Field) Junior Jill Louisignau scored 22 ½ points in four events to lead the Golden Eagles past Aquinas to secure the runner-up spot for the Golden Eagles at the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Thursday, Louisignau led off the 4 x 800 meter relay to start the meet. After two legs, senior, Julia Contreras put in a 2:18 effort to erase an eight second deficit behind Davenport which allowed Julie Oosterhouse to cruise to a 2:20 anchor leg for the win in 9:29.30.

Brittany Green contributed two points, taking fifth in the javelin. Her mark of 108' 9" was a new best.

CallyAnne Wyma worked her way up to third in the 10,000 meters, running a PR 42:37.56. Brianna Griffiths also lowered her best time to 44:44.09 for seventh.

Friday's events began with the 3,000 meter steeplechase, an event Cornerstone has dominated over the years. With the best seed time by over 30 seconds, Louisignau paced teammate Liz Baller to a 1-2 finish, getting the win in 12:06.98, three seconds ahead of Baller. Race walkers, Monica Lawrence and Kayla Ovokaitys finished fifth and sixth, adding three points to the CU team score.

Just one hour later, Jill and Liz lined up for the 1500 meters. The Golden Eagle's strategy was to race as a pack and take five of the six scoring spots. With 500 meters remaining everyone was in place with only Cherie Gaines of Indiana Tech remaining in contention. Gaines made the first move with over 250 meters to go, stringing out the pack. Contreras responded and the pair pulled ahead with the Tech runner holding a slight lead through the turn. Contreras reached her shoulder in the final strides but Gaines had the better lean, winning 4:50.0 to 4:50.93. Oosterhouse (4:53.70), Louisignau (4:56.07, PR), Audrey Tremaine (4:56.45), Trinity Hulst (4:59.32, PR), Kaylee Carew (5:02.06) and Tanner Hostetler (5:06.55) swept the next six spots for 21 points.

Next, Anita Souza finished first in the 100 meter hurdles, lowering her season best and improving her NAIA qualifying mark to 14.35. Top seed, Shayla France of Indiana Tech stumbled on the sixth hurdle, clearing the way for Souza's first WHAC outdoor event title.

Indiana Tech was also favored to sweep the 400 meters, but freshman, Kaitlyn Bronkema snuck in for fifth in a season best 1:00.04.

In the jumping events, Green, Lindsay Lipa and Souza finished 3-4-6 in the long jump. Green's best measured 17' 3 ½" with Lipa half an inch back and Anita at 16' 9 ¾". Lipa also took fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 34' 8 ¼".

Haley Russell contributed four points, matching her best in the discus with a throw of 126' 2". Senior Kayleigh Hammond concluded her conference career with a 116' 2" effort for eighth place.

With five running events remaining, the battle for second was far from settled. Cornerstone planned to use the 800 meters to open up a gap, and Oosterhouse successfully defended her 2012 title running 2:17.86, however the rest of the race turned into a free-for-all with five teams scoring. Gaines and Contreras were the next two seeds, but both were clearly tired from their battle in the 1500 and spent the race battling each other back in the pack. Contreras prevailed in 2:24.68, but only managed ninth.

After the 800, Siena Heights and Cornerstone were tied for second with 97, followed by Aquinas at 94. Indiana Tech was 100 points ahead with the team title settled.

The 400 meter hurdles proved pivotal as CU freshmen, Lyndee Sayers (1:09.81, PR) and Rachel McNay (1:12.90) picked up fourth and fifth place points. After the discus points were added and Tech swept 1-7 in the 200 meters, the score stood Aquinas 113, Cornerstone 111 and Siena Heights 105. That left just the 5,000 meters and 4 x 400 meter relay to settle the matter.

Aquinas freshman, Britta Patterson and Tech's Becca Lamb had the best times of the season in the 5k. Cornerstone would send Louisignau after them and use their pack to take the rest of the top six places. "Our job was to make sure no one else scored," said Contreras. Patterson and Lamb raced aggressively at the front with the freshman winning in with a fifteen second personal best and NAIA provisional qualifying time of 17:49.93. Lamb stayed close most of the way finishing in 18:05.03. Louisignau lowered her PR by 56 seconds taking third in 18:28.46. Contreras controlled the next pack as they ran patiently through the field. By two miles they held the fourth through eighth spots. On the final lap, Wyma and Kaylee Carew moved ahead to finish fourth and fifth in 19:19.48 and 19:19.74. Contreras, in her final WHAC competition stayed back, taking sixth in 19:24.08 while pulling Sydney Tremaine to a PR 19:24.43. "Julia could have run with Jill or easily led our chase pack to the finish," said coach, Rod Wortley. "For her to care less about that than making sure Sydney ran a PR demonstrates the kind of servant leadership she's provided as a captain this season." Audrey Tremaine ran 19:33.84, completing the CU 3-8 sweep.

That put the Golden Eagles one point ahead of the Saints with just the 4 x 400 meters remaining. Lipa, Oosterhouse, Souza and Larissa Hampton extended the lead taking second in a season best 3:56.86.

Indiana Tech again proved they are one of the top teams in the NAIA winning the team title with 234 points. Cornerstone took second with 132 ahead of Aquinas' 125. Siena Heights finished fourth with 109, Davenport scored 41 and Concordia 2.

[Men's Outdoor Track & Field] Ross reaches Shot Put record at WHAC meet

Randy Strawser — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:00:00 -0600

(Grand Rapids, Mich. – Houseman Field) Great conditions and the usual great competition produced some great performances at the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Houseman Field.

Going into the meet, the Golden Eagles knew they would be without their top distance runner, Louis Falland, who was still not fully recovered from an ankle injury. Falland leads the WHAC with the best time in the 3000 meter steeplechase this season and without him CU's streak of six consecutive conference titles in the event was in jeopardy. That left Cody Risch as the next available candidate, but he had not raced the event since the conference meet in 2012.

The race started conservatively with all eight competitors bunched in a single pack. Just before the halfway point, Risch made a move to the front, taking only Brenden Zoltek of Indiana Tech with him. Risch maintained his pace of 1:15 per lap and found himself extending his lead. His winning time of 9:47.53 was three seconds off his best, but more importantly, kept the WHAC steeplechase title with Cornerstone for another year.

Over at the shot put circle, Ross Raymond opened with a new best of 44' 3" then followed two rounds later with a 45' 8.5" effort breaking the school record. The longest standing mark in the CU T&F record books belonged to Keith Tuttle who threw 45' 7 ¾" in 1985. Raymond finished seventh, while freshman, Daniel Door extended his best to 39' 11 ¼" in fourteenth place. Mike Mahon took eighth in the discus with a new best throw of 135' 10". Spencer Perry got third in the javelin throw with a mark of 170' 6".

Thursday evening, Travis Mabe matched his runner up finish in the 10,000 meters from 2012, taking second in 32:21.30. On Friday the senior concluded his WHAC career running 15:28.28 to place third in the 5,000 meters.

Ryan Versen took second in the 400 meter hurdles. His time of 53.89 was just over one second slower than the meet record he ran last year. Deon Fox improved his best time in the event to 57.86 in eighth place.

Perry, Zach Yeo, Zach Bourdon and Versen combined for 3:19.26 to finish fourth in the 4 x 400 meters. C

Indiana Tech continued their dominance in the WHAC, demonstrating that they are one of the top teams in the NAIA, winning the team title with 265 points. Aquinas was second with 158 followed by Siena Heights with 128, Cornerstone at 54, Davenport, 32 and Concordia 13.