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Calvin to compete at MIAA championships
By Chris Sveen
Staff Writer
Behind every great scientific breakthrough, every adventurous feat and every unbelievable task is the will to succeed. The culmination of success is a reward all to itself for the participants. On Feb. 13-15 the men and women swim teams will compete in the MIAA Championships in Holland, MI. This will be the pinnacle for the team before the NCAA Championships in March.
The year-round work of the athletes will be reflected as they take on the rest of the conference. Both teams look to improve on last year’s finish. Calvin’s men finished third behind Hope and Kalamazoo while the women finished second before an ineligibility ruling on the Hope swim team boosted Calvin to first.
On the men’s side, Calvin has two MIAA MVP candidates in Peter Boumgarden and A.J. Penninga. Boumgarden returns as the two-time individual conference champion (100 fly, 200 fly) and the 800 freestyle relay is also expected to defend its 2002 league title. Calvin is expected to place third again behind Kalamazoo and Hope but have several swimmers capable of becoming conference champions in a plethora of events.
Boumgarden is the top seed in both the 100 and 200 fly as well as seeded second in the 200 individual medley. Penninga is seeded second in both the 200 and 500 freestyles and Ryan Preston is seeded second in the 200 breaststroke and third in the 100 breaststroke. Calvin’s relays also boast the top times in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays and the 400 medley relay.
Also looking to make a splash is senior Ryan Johnson who is returning from a separated shoulder suffered last winter that kept him out of last year’s conference meet. Sprinter Brad White continues to dominate the short events and is a driving force behind Calvin’s top relays.
Freshman Luke Bagnall also makes his conference debut seeded in the top six of several events.
On the women’s side, Calvin is counting on senior Katie Nagelkirk to retain her titles in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. She has the top times in those events this year as well.
Freshman sensation Abby Johnson has high expectations in both the individual medley and butterfly. She will team with Nagelkirk to solidify the women’s relays. Senior women Megan Bagnall and Anne Kuiper are in contention for the top spots in the breaststrokes and individual medley.
Other freshman to watch are Jen Kool in the sprints and Lynn Visser in the distance events. Jenny Los, who recently became engaged to fellow tri-athelete Brad White (luckiest girl on campus) joins Visser and Brittney Stevens to pace the distance battalion. Calvin also will count on critical points from divers Julie Erickson, Sara TerHaar, Anna Battaclay and Jodie Offringa.
Calvin will have its stiffest competition from Hope College and will look to regain its form from their 2001 championship campaign.
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