Cornerstone University - News

[Golden Eagles] Grube Voted WHAC AD of the Year

Randy Strawser — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:25:00 -0600

Dave Grube was named WHAC AD of the Year by the conference Athletic Directors. Grube has been at the helm since 2003 and received the award for the 2nd time in his tenure. Grube has been instrumental in helping improve facilities for many of the teams at Cornerstone and has been very involved in building a strong athletic program with character. Grube has been very involved at the conference and national level as well serving on the National Administrative Council for the last six years. Click here to read the full story on the WHAC web site.

[Golden Eagles] Champions of Character Event

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:50:00 -0600

On Wednesday and Thursday, June 19 & 20, Cornerstone along with Davenport University announced the seventh annual Champions of Character All-Star Basketball games. The event will take place at Cornerstone University's Mol Arena.

On Wednesday, June 19, the women's college all-star game will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a professional/amateur men's game at 7:30 p.m. The women's game will consist of decorated women from the mid-west region playing in a head-to-head contest. The men's game will have college senior all-stars facing professional/amateur men's players.

Highlighting Thursday, June 20, events, all-stars from around the Grand Rapids area will face each other in an East/West format. The Girl's game will begin at 6 p.m. with the Boy's game beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Head women's coach Katie Mattera will join Davenport's Mike Williams as they lead former/graduated Cornerstone women's basketball players Robyn Veltkamp, Melissa Veltkamp-Duerksan, Kaleigh Hammond and Kathy DeYoung during the women's college all-star game on Wednesday.

During the men's all-star event on Wednesday Cornerstone's former players Bryan Edwards and John Jonker will represent the professional/amateur men's team.

On Thursday a handful of new faces that will be representing Cornerstone during the 2013-14 season will be participating during the high school all-star games. Women's all-stars include Mari Bugg (Grandville), Alyssa Van Ham (Hudsonville) and Samantha Kolenda (Sparta). Men's all-stars include Joey Blauwkamp (Tri Unity Christian), Michael McLaughlin (Forest Hills Northern), Nick Hopkins (Forest Hills Eastern), Caleb Kigar (Forest Hills Eastern) and Ben Scheckler (Sparta).

Tickets are $5 per person or $15 for families, with the money raised going to the "Champions of Character Lecturing Inivitiative." The Cornerstone University Champions of Character initiative, along with the NAIA, aims to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

[Golden Eagles] Golden Eagles finish 2nd in WHAC All-Sports Trophy

Randy Strawser — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:35:00 -0600

Cornerstone finished 2nd overall behind Davenport in the WHAC All-Sports Standings. The Golden Eagles won three championships this year in Women's Cross Country, Men's Soccer, and Women's Softball. Cornerstone had four teams finish 2nd (Men's Cross Country, Women's Soccer, and Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field. The points are accumulated throughout the year and you collect points on your highest finishes in five men's and five women's sports. The amount of points awarded for you finish is based on the number of schools participating in each sport. (Example: 12 points are awarded for first place in basketball because there are 12 teams competing in basketball. 6 points were awarded in bowling because they only had 6 teams competing. The minimum number of teams necessary to have a conference championship is 6. Click here to see the full results for the year.

[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

[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.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Athletics Recap

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:15:00 -0600

Baseball—The Golden Eagles' baseball team traveled to central Florida to participate in the RussMatt Invitational. Cornerstone notched their first win of the season and went on to finish the week with a 3-6 record.

On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles were eager to get back to the mound after dropping both contests of the double-header on Monday to Olivet Nazarene University. Cornerstone would face the Crusaders of Evangel University from Springfield, Mo. In the first of two games, the Golden Eagles lost 5-1 in spite of an excellent outing by starting pitcher Luke Heller. Cornerstone struggled at the plate, managing just three hits while committing six errors. During the second game of the double-header, the Golden Eagles earned their first win of the season, a 6-5 victory behind starting pitcher David Mitroff. The redshirt senior went 4.2 innings only giving up two hits and allowing five walks. Mitroff allowed four earned runs and struck out four batters. Ryan Harris relieved Mitroff in the fifth inning to pick up the win while Jon Knapp closed the sixth and seventh innings to earn his first save. During the win, CU tallied eight hits while driving in six runs.

Following the win, Cornerstone dropped their single game on Wednesday to the University of Saint Francis (Ill.), 1-8. Pitcher Cullen Montgomery dropped his first outing of the season while the Golden Eagles struggled defensively, committing eight errors on the day.

Thursday, the Golden Eagles split their pair of games. During the first contest, Cornerstone took the 2-0 victory over Clarke University. Freshman Ryan Harris picked up his second win of the week and improved to 2-0 on the year. The right hander struck out four and allowed eight hits but no runs during 6 and two-thirds innings. The game remained scoreless until the sixth inning when CU pulled in front off two runs by Adam Brooks and Adam Homan. The defense only committed one error in the field. The loss of the day came at the hands of nationally ranked Point Park University. Point Park overwhelmed the CU pitchers with great hitting, taking a 16-0 victory.

Friday and Saturday were the final two days of the RussMatt Invitational. Cornerstone notched a victory over Calumet College of Saint Joseph with a final score of 10-2. Highlighting the contest, Daniel Marlow pitched a complete game giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. The Golden Eagles put up 10 runs on 12 hits while four players tallied two hits. Geren Albury had two RBI and two runs scored during the game. The Golden Eagles lost their final two games in Florida to the hands of Clarke University and the University of Saint Francis (Ind.).

Following the week, the baseball team is now 3-10 overall. Looking ahead, Cornerstone hosts their first contest in the new stadium as Indiana Wesleyan University comes to town for a double-header on Thursday. Cornerstone will then host Taylor University on Saturday for another double-header. The first pitch for both Thursday and Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Softball—During spring break the Golden Eagles softball team traveled to Clermont, Fla., to participate in the NTC Spring Games. Cornerstone finished the week with a dominant record of 10-2. The only losses came to the hands of Ave Maria University and Hannibal-LaGrange University.

Saturday, March 2, was the first game of the 2013 campaign and the first time playing outside this season for the Golden Eagles. Cornerstone faced Ave Maria University in the first contest. With the scored tied 1-1 heading into the sixth inning, Ave Maria broke the game open with five runs in the sixth and seventh innings to defeat Cornerstone 6-1. Heidi Warmelink (0-1) dropped her first game of the season, yielding six runs on eight hits in seven innings of work during her first start of the season. During the second contest of the day, Cornerstone started out much better, notching the 9-6 victory over Southeastern University (Fla.). Jenna Weightman went 2-for-4 with a run scored while Warmelink went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Cornerstone pitcher Rachel Nelson (1-0) picked up her first career win during her first career start.

On Monday and Tuesday, the bats continued swinging in favor of Cornerstone as the Golden Eagles picked up wins against Hannibal-LaGrange University, Lourdes University, Point Park University, and Clarke University. The Golden Eagles outscored their four opponents 22-3 as the Cornerstone bats erupted on Tuesday. Highlighting the four contests, CU pitcher Heidi Warmelink tallied two more wins while Rachel Nelson advanced to 3-0. Megan Oberst had five RBI against Point Park and Lauren Pasciak notched three RBI against Clarke University.

Wednesday, the Golden Eagles picked up another win against Bellevue University before a loss to Hannibal-LaGrange University. Warmelink picked up her third win of the season, yielding no runs and only giving up one hit in seven innings of work as the Golden Eagles took the 2-0 victory against Bellevue. Warmelink led the bats for CU as she went 2-for-3 during the contest. During the 3-2 loss to Hannibal-LaGrange Rachel Nelson picked up her first loss of the season while going 5.1 innings and yielding three runs on seven hits. Designated hitter Megan Oberst went 2-for-3 driving in one runner during the contest.

During the final two days of the NTC Spring Games, CU went 4-0 against Mount Vernon Nazarene, University of Saint Francis (Ill.), and Spring Arbor. Highlighting the fourth game, the Golden Eagles found themselves down 6-2 to St. Francis through six innings. During the top of the seventh, Heidi Warmelink stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and seized the opportunity, sending a grand slam over the fence. Jenna Weightman followed with a solo shot of her own to give the Golden Eagles a 7-6 lead. Solid pitching performance throughout the seventh by Warmelink gave CU the victory.

Cornerstone pitcher Heidi Warmelink advances to 6-1 and was honored the WHAC Pitcher of the Week while Rachel Nelson begins her career with a 3-1 record. Megan Oberst leads the team with 14 RBI with a .375 batting average.

Following the week, the Golden Eagles are 10-2 overall and will host their first home game of the 2013 season on Saturday. Lake Superior State University will come into town for a double-header with the first pitch out at 2 p.m.

Men's Outdoor Track & Field—Sunny skies and warm temperatures created ideal conditions for Cornerstone's Track & Field sprint crew at the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Senior Eric Schroeder combined with freshmen Jon Brinks, Austin Hazen and Tyler Kubik for second place in the 4 x 100 meter relay. Their time of 42.88 was less than one second away from the NAIA provisional standard.

Track & Field head coach Rod Wortley commented, "For three freshmen to pass the baton effectively in the first meet and run a good time is impressive."

Schroeder also ran a personal best 11.25 in the 100 meters to take 12^th place while Ryan Versen claimed third in the 400 meters in 49.05. Spencer Perry placed eighth in the 400 with a new best time of 50.36. Perry also added over 14' to his best in the javelin, taking tenth with a throw of 167' 10".

Travis Mabe and Cody Risch ran a well-paced 10,000 meters. Mabe covered the final mile in 5:00, placing third in 32:43.37. Rich was seventh, lowering his PR to 32:54.43.

The meet ended with sense of what might have been in the 4 x 400 meter relay. After Schroeder and Perry split sub-50 second legs, Versen put the Golden Eagles in contention with a 47.7. Zach Yeo was closing what was left of the gap on the leaders from Coastal Carolina when he felt a twinge and pop in his hamstring coming off the final turn. The senior wisely pulled up and walked off the track as the host team went on to win in 3:15.29.

The men are idle until the end of the month when they compete at the Grand Rapids Open at Housemen Field on March 29-30.

Women's Outdoor Track & Field— The Cornerstone University 2013 Outdoor Track & Field season opened at the sunny Coastal Carolina University Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C. After a week of practice and oceanfront relaxation, the Golden Eagles put up two national qualifying marks.

After earning All-America honors in the 60 meter hurdles at the NAIA Indoor National Championships one week earlier, Anita Souza ran her way to outdoor nationals in the 100 meter hurdles. The sophomore from Brazil took sixth in 14.58, well under the automatic qualifying mark of 14.90. Brittany Green took 14th in 15.57. Green also took third in the long jump with a mark of 17' 9".

In other sprint action, Souza placed fifteenth in the 200 meters at 25.56 and Larissa Hampton ran 49.74 to finish 18^th in the 400 meters . Lindsay Lipa, Souza, Hampton the Katie Walker combined for fourth in the 4 x 100 meter relay with a time of 48.73. Kaitlyn Bronkema and Lyndee Sayers joined Lipa and Hampton to run 4:01.93 for eighth in the 4 x 400 meter relay.

In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Jill Louisignau of Cornerstone and Amber Thompson of Mount Olive College repeated their duel from 2012. Last year, Thompson set the pace but Louisignau won with a great kick. In the 2013 rematch, Jill took the early lead, with the goal of running 11:10 for the seven and one half laps. Thompson sat back and reversed the outcome, having the better finish and winning in 11:15.83. Louisignau came within one second of her school record, taking second in 11:19.74, bettering the NAIA automatic standard of 11:25.00. Liz Baller was sixth in 12:17.41.

On Friday, Louisignau, Audrey Tremaine, Tanner Hostetler and Julia Contreras battled 20 mph winds on their way to third in the 4 x 800 meter relay in 9:51.15. Saturday, with the wind reduced to a breeze, Contreras took third in her heat of the 1500 meters, running 4:56.32. Tremaine used a 74-second last lap to take fourth in her heat, clocking 5:02.90 in her 1500 meter debut. Freshmen Trinity Hulst and Hostetler took second and third in their heat of the 800 meters with Hulst running 2:23.37 and Hostetler 2:24.83.

The Golden Eagles will take a break before the next meet scheduled for March 30-31 at Houseman Field in Grand Rapids.

Men's Tennis—The Golden Eagles men's tennis team traveled to Florida for a week of matches. After the week, Cornerstone is now 2-5 overall during the spring season.

Cornerstone notched wins against Ursinus College and Warner University on Wednesday and Thursday. Highlighting the two matches, Austin Hunt, Christ Reed, and Andrew Son both picked up two wins during the singles competition while Alex Tarnow notched a single win against Warner University. During the double competitions, partners Elijah Yi and Austin Hunt took two wins while Chris Reed and John Andrew and Andrew Sonand Alex Tarnow defeated Ursinas College double partners.

Following the two wins, Cornerstone dropped a disappointing 1-7 loss to Webber International and finished their Florida competitions. On March 13, the Golden Eagles will head back to the court to face Calvin College at 5 p.m.

Women's Tennis—After dropping their first two matches of the spring season, the Golden Eagles women's tennis team traveled to Florida to participate in a handful of matches during spring break.

On Monday, the tennis team dropped both matches to Bethel University and the University of Saint Francis. Hannah Guest and Samantha Akert were the lone Golden Eagles who were able to notch wins against Bethel while in the doubles competition Guest and Akert notched a win for Cornerstone. During the second match of the day in Orlando, Fla., the Golden Eagles were swept by the University of St. Francis, 9-0.

Tuesday the Golden Eagles dropped an 8-1 loss to Ursinas College. The only win for Cornerstone came during the singles competition when Janie Silvers defeated Ursinas' Audrey Whitebloom.

Wednesday brought Cornerstone their first win of the spring when they defeated Warner University (5-4). After losing the first three singles competitions, Cornerstone's Ashley Green, Hannah Guest, and Samantha Akert notched wins. During the doubles competition, Allison Rusticus and Ashley Green and Hannah Guest and Samantha Akert helped CU grab the victory.

Before heading home to Michigan, Cornerstone faced Webber International for their final match in Florida. Webber came away with the 2-7 decision. The Golden Eagles' wins came from Samantha Akert defeteaing Aleena Jack (6-0, 6-0) while partners Guest and Akert notched the last win for Cornerstone.

After the week, the Golden Eagles went 1-4 and are now 1-6 overall. Coming up next Cornerstone will face Grand Rapids Community College at 10 a.m. on March 23.

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[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Athletics Recap

Aimee Luurtsema — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:35:00 -0600

Men's Basketball—The Golden Eagles' men's basketball team entered last week's Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament as the number four seed.

During the WHAC quarterfinals on Thursday night, Cornerstone welcomed fifth-seeded Indiana Tech. The two teams had met twice during the regular season, with Cornerstone taking both contests. After struggling offensively in the first half, Cornerstone entered halftime with only a five point lead, but the break seemed to set them back on track as they quickly built their lead to 10 points early in the second half. Cornerstone's biggest lead of the night, 19 points, came with 3:20 remaining, and the Golden Eagles rode out that lead to win the quarterfinal contest, 74-68. Cornerstone out-rebounded Indiana Tech by 10, aided by senior Derek Kingshott who grabbed eight rebounds in his final game at Mol Arena. Junior Wes Hudson scored 27 points to lead the team's offense.

The much-anticipated WHAC semifinal, which pitted conference rivals Cornerstone University against the Panthers of Davenport University, stayed true to form on Saturday as the two teams battled through two overtimes before the Panthers prevailed 93-91. Davenport outscored Cornerstone 9-4 to close out the first half, giving the Panthers a 35-30 lead heading into the half. During the second half, Davenport pushed the lead to seven, but from there the two heavyweights traded leads throughout the remainder of the second half. With 23 seconds remaining in regulation, CU's Ty Mason sunk two free throws to tie the game at 65 and push it into overtime. Davenport controlled most of the first overtime and appeared to be heading into the WHAC Championship. However, a crucial steal by Cornerstone and a missed free throw by Davenport gave the Golden Eagles possession with six seconds remaining. CU's Hudson drove the lane, ran into a double team, and dished it off to a wide open Kingshott for an easy layup to send the game into double OT. During the second OT, Davenport held a six point lead with 53 seconds remaining but with two back-to-back three pointers by CU, Cornerstone was down one with just seconds left. Davenport went to the free throw line but was only able to convert one attempt. Cornerstone's final effort came when Wes Hudson fired a 35-footer for the win. The crowd held its breath as the ball seemed dead set on finding the bottom of the net, only to bounce off the front iron as time expired. Kingshott recorded a double-double with 14 rebounds and 14 points.

The Golden Eagles still have a chance to receive an at-large bid to the 2013 NAIA DII National Championship. Cornerstone will await their fate when the announcement for the tournament comes out Wednesday at 5 p.m. Tournament seeding is announced on Thursday. Following the week, Cornerstone is now 21-11 overall.

Women's Basketball—Cornerstone University's women's basketball team participated in the 2012-13 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament last week, traveling to Livonia for the quarterfinal game against Madonna University.

During the Wednesday night contest, the teams were tied at five apiece within the first two minutes of play. However, the Crusaders would outscore the Golden Eagles 18-7 over the next 12 minutes to take a 23-12 lead at halftime. Cornerstone would cut the deficit with a 14-6 run to start the second half, but the Crusaders responded quickly and pushed the lead to an eventual 69-43 victory.

During their final game as Golden Eagles, seniors Robyn Veltkamp, Kayleigh Hammond and Kathy DeYoung each put forth valiant efforts. Veltkamp led the team in scoring with 14 points, while Hammond notched six points and grabbed four rebounds.

The Golden Eagles end their season with a 19-12 overall record and a 13-9 conference record. Looking ahead to the 2013-14 season, Cornerstone graduates three seniors and returns eight players. Head coach Katie Mattera will look to have a successful season next year as she begins her second year as the head coach of the Golden Eagles.

Men's Indoor Track & Field—After finishing fourth in the 2013 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, 17 Golden Eagles will participate in the NAIA National Championships on Feb. 28-March 1.

After receiving the prestigious Performer of the Meet award during the WHAC Championships, Louis Falland hopes to continue his success during the weekend while participating in the mile and relay events.

Jared Courtright cruised through the 5000 meters, earning his first WHAC Indoor title in 15:11.77. Courtright will look to cruise through the event again this coming weekend.

During a successful distance medley relay clocking a final time of 10:32.62, Zach Bourdon, Alex Macias, Tyler Grey and Thomas Bambach will participate in the National Championship this weekend and hope to improve their time.

Spencer Perry took the runner up spot in the 600 with a personal best and NAIA provisional qualifying time of 1:22. 63, while Zach Yeo was second in the 800 meters in 1:58.48 during the WHAC Championships. Both men will race during nationals this weekend as well. Eric Schroeder will join the team in Geneva after running a new best 7:01 in the 60 meter dash, taking fourth in the conference championship.

Senior Bryant Langdon placed fourth in the 35-pound weight throw during the WHAC Championships. Langdon sent the ball 54' 8.3/4" and will represent Cornerstone in the field events this weekend.

The remaining qualifiers traveling to Geneva include Mike Darling, Jared Holmberg, Travis Mabe, Cody Risch, Derrek Schaaf, Nater Vanderwall, Ryan Versen and Isaac Withrow.

The Cornerstone men's track and field participants will head to Geneva, Ohio, on Tuesday morning with events starting on Thursday, Feb. 28. Following the big weekend, the whole team will then head to Myrtle Beach, S.C., during spring break to participate in the Coastal Carolina Invitational set for March 8-9.

Women's Indoor Track & Field—The Cornerstone women finished in second at the 2013 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 15-16. Highlighting the championship, CU dominated the middle distance events where they added a school record and improved their point total from last season. Sixteen Golden Eagles qualified for the NAIA National Championships and will head to Geneva, Ohio, this weekend.

The sixteen participants representing Cornerstone this weekend include Liz Baller, Kaitlyn Bronkema, Kaylee Carew, Julia Contreras, Brittany Green, Brianna Griffiths, Larissa Hampton, Trinity Hulst, Monica Lawrence, Lindsay Lipa, Jill Louisignau, Julie Oosterhouse, Kayla Ovokaitys, Lyndee Sayers, Anita Souza and Audrey Tremaine.

Claiming three individual titles, scoring in four events and earning Performer of the Meet honors, Julie Oosterhouse will lead the competitors this weekend. Oosterhouse will look to continue her streak of powerhouse performances during nationals when she runs in the 800 meter and team relays.

Julia Contreras defended her 2012 title during the 800 meter event in the WHAC Championships. Contreras got the job done in 2:21.11 while teammate Audrey Tremaine finished fifth in 2:26.68.

Lindsay Lipa, Lyndee Sayers, Anita Souza, and Larissa Hampton raced to second in the 4 x 400 meter relay during the conference championship meet. Their 4:01.51 marked the second time this season CU has bettered the NAIA automatic qualifying standard. The women will look to continue their dominant performance this weekend at nationals.

Anita Souza ran a season-best and NAIA automatic qualifying time of 8:88 in the semi-finals of the 60 meter hurdles. Souza finished second in the finals, clock 8.91 during the WHAC Championships. She will also participate in relay events this weekend.

Representing the Golden Eagles in the pentathlon and the long jump, Brittany Green tallied a long jump measurement of 18' 6.5", placing her third overall against other conference competitors. Green hopes to be successful in all events this weekend.

Cornerstone will return to action this Thursday when they travel to Geneva, Ohio, for the 2013 NAIA National Championship meet. After the weekend the whole team will travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to participate in the Coastal Carolina Invitational.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Athletics Recap

Aimee Luurtsema — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:00:00 -0600

Women's Indoor Track & Field—The Cornerstone women traveled to Allendale, Mich., with the men's team this past weekend to participate in one of the season's largest indoor track and field meets. The meet was held by Grand Valley State University with events taking place on Friday and Saturday.

Julie Oosterhouse opened the Big Meet with two automatic qualifiers on Friday. In her first event, Oosterhouse ran the 600 meters in a time of 1:36.87, which bettered the NAIA automatic qualifying mark and was fifth overall. Lindsay Lipa improved her best in the same event to 1:39.53 for 13^th place and Kaitlyn Bronkema finished 18^th with a PR 1:42.17. Oosterhouse returned in the second heat of the invitational 800 meters for more of the same. Her 2:12.95 was good for sixth overall out of the three heats and broke the school record she set last season.

The second day of the GVSU Big Meet produced national qualifying marks with season and personal bests.

Julie Contreras, Lyndee Sayers, Julie Oosterhouse and Jill Louisignau finished the fast heat of the distance medley relay with a time of 12:20.99, nearly two seconds faster than they ran in January.

During the final event, the Golden Eagles needed to run 4:00.40 or faster in the 4 x 400 meter relay to earn their annual spot at the NAIA Indoor Championships. Lindsay Lipa, Julie Oosterhouse, Anita Souza, and Larissa Hampton placed third in their heat and seventh overall in 3:58.80, earning an automatic qualifying time.

Julie Oosterhouse finished her outstanding performance this weekend by being named the Women's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week for the WHAC conference. Cornerstone will return to action this Saturday when they travel to Trine University in Angola, Ind., for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Indoor Championship meet at 4 p.m.

Men's Indoor Track & Field—The Cornerstone men traveled to Allendale, Mich., this past weekend to participate in the GVSU Big Meet. The meet had all levels of collegiate athletics and different clubs from around the country during the invite sections on Friday and the open sections on Saturday.

The opening day yielded big results for the men. Led by Louis Falland's school record and NAIA leading performance in the mile, three CU school records fell amid five national qualifying performances.

Highlighting the mile race, Falland cruised through the final 400 meters in 59.1 seconds to win the heat and finish fifth overall with a final time of 4:07:57. Falland regained his spot as the top miler in the NAIA and broke the CU school record.

Ryan Versen ran the fourth heat of the invitational 400 meters, winning the heat and taking sixth overall as he plowed through the competition in the final 150 meters. His time of 48.50 bettered the school record he set last season and was well under the NAIA automatic qualifying standard. Zach Yeo finished fourth in the 600 meters, his 1:21.07 improving his NAIA provisional qualifying mark. Spencer Perry (1:23.38 / 11^th), Zach Bourdon (1:23.51 / 13^th) and Tyler Grey (1:26.71 / 25^th) also recorded new best times.

In the 5000 meters, Jared Courtright moved to the top five on the NAIA list with a huge personal best of 14:47. Ben Foreman also raced well, improving his PR by 13 seconds, clocking 15:38.23. The evening ended with the always exciting 4 x 400 meter relay. For Cornerstone, Eric Schroeder, Spencer Perry, Ryan Versen, and Zach Yeo finished in a new school record 3:15.78. CU took second in their heat and tenth overall out of the four invitational heats.

During the second day of the Big Meet, Falland lost his first race of the season. After finishing second to Southern Illinois' Zach Dahleen, Falland consoled himself with the satisfaction of another school record with a time of 1:53.23 in 800 meters.

The 800 meters was the showcase event for the Golden Eagles as Yeo finished sixth with a personal best and NAIA automatic qualifying time of 1:55.40. Altogether, six CU men ran under 2:00, the first time in program history. Behind Yeo, Zach Bourdon was 17^th in 1:56.85, Tyler Grey was 30^th in 1:58.98, Jared Holmberg set a PR of 1:59.29 in 32^nd and Thomas Bambach snuck in at 1:59.92 taking 39^th.

After the weekend, Louis Falland was named Men's Indoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week conference honor. The Golden Eagles travel to Angola, Ind., Saturday for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Indoor Championship meet.

Women's Basketball—Cornerstone University's women's basketball team posted both a win and a loss last week against conference opponents.

At home on Wednesday, Cornerstone picked up their second win over Aquinas College this season. After a 6-3 run by the Saints late in the first half, the Golden Eagles took a 21-17 lead into halftime. The Golden Eagles would go on a 15-0 run half way through the second half before winning 54-42. CU's Ashley Niedermayer grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

In Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday, Cornerstone fell two points short of an upset against nationally ranked Concordia University. Finding themselves down by one point at the half, the Golden Eagles had their chance to steal the lead with one minute remaining left in the contest, but fell short to the Cardinals, 54-52. Cornerstone's bench outscored Concordia's bench 25-2 during the afternoon.

Following the week, Cornerstone moves to 17-11 overall and 11-9 in conference play. The Golden Eagles welcome Indiana Tech on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles will recognize their three seniors (Robyn Veltkamp, Kayliegh Hammond and Kathy DeYoung) on Wednesday before traveling to Lourdes University on Saturday for a 6:30 p.m. tip off.

Men's Basketball—The Golden Eagles' men's basketball team swept its pair of conference games last week.

Wednesday night, Cornerstone went on a late 10-2 run to open up a 26-17 lead at half en-route to a 51-44 victory against Aquinas College. The Golden Eagles were able to force the Saints to turn the ball over 20 times on the night while Wes Hudson recorded four steals. Derek Kingshott led CU with 12 points.

In Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon, Cornerstone downed Concordia University, 84-72. The Golden Eagles held a 20-point advantage at the half but Concordia was able to chip away at the deficit, pulling within three (65-62), but CU rode out the lead until the final buzzer. Wes Hudson led all scorers with 27 points.

After the week, Cornerstone improves to 18-10 overall and 12-8 in conference play. Looking ahead, Cornerstone plays two conference opponents this week. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles welcome Indiana Tech for senior night (honoring Derek Kingshott) at 7:30 p.m., then travel to Lourdes University on Saturday for an 8:30 p.m. tip off.

[Golden Eagles] 2013 Hall of Honor: Inductees

Aimee Luurtsema — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:10:00 -0600

Every year Cornerstone hosts a Hall of Honor banquet to induct Cornerstone athletes who succeeded in academics and in their area of sport(s). This year Cornerstone University welcomes three athletes and two Golden Eagle Club inductees. Tonight Cornerstone would like to introduce this year's 2013 Hall of Honor class:

Shannon (Burmaster) Mulder: Graduate of Cornerstone in 2005 with a degree in Business/Marketing and was a member of the Volleyball and Track and Field programs. During her three seasons as a Golden Eagle, Mulder was a strong leader on the volleyball court and dominant competitor in Track & Field. Mulder received numerous individual and team accolades while breaking several Cornerstone records.

Individual Volleyball Honors:
- WHAC Awards: 1^st Team All-Conference (2002-04), WHAC Player of the Year (2004), MVP "Best of the Best" (2004), "Best Hitter (2004)
Volleyball Team Honors:
- MVP Offense (2002, 03, 04)
- Team Captain (2003, 04)
- Team MVP (2004)
CU Volleyball Records:
- 1^st in Career Kills – 2131 total Kills
- 2^nd in Career Aces – 214 total Aces
- 4^th in Career Blocks – 2078 total Blocks
Individual T&F Honors:
- National Awards:
  - 2004: Indoor All-American High Jump (5^th Place)
  - 2005: Indoor All-American High Jump (National Runner-up)
  - 2005: Outdoor All-American High Jump (3^rd Place)
CU T&F Records:
- At time of graduation, Indoor and Outdoor school record High Jump
- Now co-holds Indoor and Outdoor school record eight years later

Julie Vogelzang: Graduate of Cornerstone in 2002 with a degree in Social Work and was a member of Women's Basketball program. During her four years, she received numerous individual and team accolades while breaking several CU Women's Basketball records. Vogelzang also helped the Golden Eagles reach the NAIA Division II National Championship in her last season (2001-02).

Individual Honors:
- National Awards: CU's first 1^st Team NAIA All-American (2001-02), Honorable Mention All-American (2000-01), NAIA Division II All-Tournament 1^st Team
- WHAC Awards: Runner-Up WHAC Player of the Year (2001-02), 1^st Team All-WHAC (2000-01), 2^nd Team All-WHAC (1999-2000)
Team Honors:
- Team Captain (2001-02)
- Team MVP Junior & Senior Year
- Career average 13PPG
CU Records:
- 5^th in Scoring—1,667 career points
- 3^rd in Rebounds – 956 career rebounds
- 3^rd in Blocks – 161 career blocks

Ron Emmorey: Attended Grand Rapids Bible College from 1968-1971 while getting his Bachelor degree of Religious Education Program of Study. Emmorey was a member of the GRBC Comets' Mens' Basketball team. Emmorey helped the Comets reach a 16-9 overall record during one of his seasons, while the Comets shared the league championship with an 8-2 record. The Comets then advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association District Tournament. Emmorey received several individual honors and broke several records during his time at GRBC.

Individual Honors:
- All-Tournament Team
Record Books:
- 1^st in Free Throws Made in a Single Game (17) in 1970
- 14^th in Career Points – 1568 career points
- Scored 47 points on 21 of 25 shooting against Grand Rapids Junior College in only the fifth game of his career.

Gene & Mary Lynn Peterson: Gene was a professor at Cornerstone for 27 years teaching in CU's Teacher Education program as well as The Learning Center. He is known for his quick wit, his dedication to his students and his love for the Lord. His wife, Mary Lynn is an avid basketball fan as well and spends a lot of her time working with Paws With A Cause. This is an organization which trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities.

"They both have been very faithful in their support of Cornerstone University and have been a huge encouragement throughout their years as Golden Eagle Club members," stated Athletic Director, Dave Grube.

Congratulations to all the inductees and Cornerstone athletics is extremely proud to announce them into the Hall of Honor tonight at 6:30 p.m.

[Golden Eagles] 2012 High School Holiday Tournament

Aimee Luurtsema — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 09:00:00 -0600

Cornerstone University is set to host the 17^th annual High School Holiday Tournament Dec. 27-29 and Jan. 2-5, presented by Family Fare and D&W Fresh Market.

As the largest high school basketball tournament in the state, the High School Holiday Tournament has become the premier showcase for West Michigan's up-and-coming talent. Over 12,000 fans are expected to visit Cornerstone's Mol Arena to watch the 68 games scheduled over seven days.

Freshman, JV and Varsity squads from 12 area boys' programs and eight area girls' programs will compete in the tournament. The girls' tournament will be held on Dec. 27 and 28, with the boys' tournament scheduled for Dec. 27, 29, and Jan. 2-5. WBBL-FM will air live broadcasts of the top varsity boys games on Dec. 27 and Jan. 4.

Cornerstone University organizes and hosts this annual event to highlight high school basketball and present it to the West Michigan community. Cornerstone Athletic Director Dave Grube said of the event, "We are delighted to provide the West Michigan basketball fans with a feast of holiday hoops. Cornerstone athletics always seeks to connect with the prep sports scene as a means to serve our community. This event certainly accomplishes our objective."

Tickets for the games are $5 for adults and $3 for students and can be purchased at the doors. Tickets are valid for the whole day. Visit cugoldeneagles.com for the complete list of teams and schedule.

For more information and up-to-date results click here.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Athletics Recap

Aimee Luurtsema — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:50:00 -0600

Women's Basketball— Cornerstone University's women's basketball posted a win and a loss last week.

At home on Wednesday night, the Golden Eagles fell to Siena Heights 53-46. The tight first half saw five ties and nine lead changes with Siena Heights eventually taking a 29-27 lead into the locker room. Cornerstone did grab a 37-36 second half edge before Siena turned up the defense to salt away the victory. CU's Ashley Niedermayer produced a game-high 11 rebounds.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone 14th in NAIA Learfield Sports Directors� Cup Standings

Randy Strawser — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:00:00 -0600

(Cleveland, Ohio) – British Columbia (Can.) leads the first set of Learfield Sports Directors' Cup fall standings. The Thunderbirds have accumulated 172 total points after taking home the women's cross country title and finishing sixth in men's cross country. Cal State San Marcos trails the Cougars by just seven points after a fourth place finish in women's cross country and a third place result in men's cross country, for 165 total points. St. Francis (Ill.) is in third place with 154 points. The Fighting Saints finished in first place in men's cross country and earned a 12th place finish in the women's race. Oklahoma Baptist currently occupies the fourth spot with 152 points after finishing fourth in women's cross country and sixth in men's cross country championships. Rounding out the top five is College of Idaho with 147 points. The Yotes placed second in women's cross country and 11th in men's cross country. Two of the six fall NAIA championships have been completed with the following institutions capturing titles: men's cross country – St. Francis (Ill.); women's cross country – British Columbia (Can.).

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Athletics Recap

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:55:00 -0600

Men's Basketball—The Golden Eagles' men's basketball team went 1-2 last week after losing at Davenport University and splitting a pair of games in the 17^th annual Grand Rapids Hall of Fame Classic on Thanksgiving weekend. After the week, Cornerstone falls to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in WHAC play.

Last week Tuesday, Cornerstone dropped a close game to Davenport 91-85 after the Panthers hit a pair of free throws to seal the game. At the Hall of Fame Classic, the Golden Eagles lost in the championship on Saturday to Calvin College after edging Hope College the previous night. Cornerstone's Wes Hudson and Ty Mason both received All-Tournament honors during the weekend.

[Golden Eagles] Cornerstone University Athletics Recap

Aimee Luurtsema — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:50:00 -0600

Women's Cross Country—The Cornerstone University Women's Cross Country team ended their remarkable season at the NAIA National Championships this past weekend, establishing themselves as a top fifteen team. Sophomore, Julie Oosterhouse's All-American honors highlighted the day. The University of British Columbia won the team title with 98 points, ahead of the College of Idaho with 112. Cornerstone claimed 15^th, scoring 437 points in the 32 team field.

With a passing shower an hour before the starting gun, the race was looking to become muddy and slick. As the race got underway on Saturday morning, Oosterhouse carried along around 60^th place in the first kilometer. The Golden Eagles co-captain, Jill Louisignau contracted a nasty case of food poisoning Thursday night but was bound and determined to not let that stop her from running. Senior Julia Contreras became the point women for the 2-6 group as the team worked to stay close. Midway through the second mile, Oosterhouse learned she was close to the top 30. Her usual outstanding finishing kick gained another half dozen places putting her 16^th at the finish in 18:20. Oosterhouse was just seven seconds off her best time on the hardest course and worst conditions of the season. Behind her, Contreras was pulling ahead of her teammates as she closed out her collegiate career.

Conteraras' time of 19:42 was good for 126^th place, CallyAnne Wyma finished 153^rd overall with a 19:55 time, Louisignau notched 168^th place with a time of 20 minutes flat and Audrey Tremaine finished in 20:03 placing her 172^nd overall. To finish her career Contreras added, "It went by fast, even though the times were slow. For my last race, I went out and enjoyed it. I'm proud to be part of the first Cornerstone women's team to make it to Cross Country Nationals and there's nobody I'd rather step to the line with in this race than these girls."