[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CALVIN COLLEGE KNIGHTS

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the 
Calvin College Knights on their recent athletic success. On Saturday, 
March 18, 2000, Calvin College's Men Basketball team completed their 
``storybook'' season by winning the Division III Men's National 
Championship. The National Championship is the Men's second since 1992 
and the third for Calvin College in the last two years. The Calvin 
Women's Cross Country team captured the National Title in 1998 and 
1999.
  With only two seniors on their roster, the young Knights opened the 
season by winning the Lee Pfund Classic in Wheaton, Illinois. After the 
tournament, Calvin began play in the competitive Michigan 
Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the nation's oldest athletic 
conference, where they compiled a perfect 17-0 record. Included in this 
total were two thrilling victories over arch-rival Hope College. For 
the uninitiated, this intrastate rivalry has the ability to make or 
break either school's season. Sports Illustrated has noted that the 
rivalry between these ``two Division III schools in Western Michigan, 
is the equal of Duke-North Carolina, Georgetown-Syracuse or any of the 
big Division I rivalries,'' and Tim Russert announced the outcome on 
``Meet the Press'' this year.
  The drama and success of the regular season served as a prelude to 
the NCAA Tournament. Calvin's first tournament game was an overtime 
cliff-hanger against Franklin in which Nate Burgess, of Grand Rapids, 
MI, tipped in the winning basket with 3.6 seconds left. This basket 
allowed Calvin to advance to the ``Sweet 16'' for the first time since 
1993. After two lopsided victories, Calvin relied on the last minute of 
heroics of Bryan Foltice, of Grandville, MI, who hit a running jumper 
as time expired to propel Calvin into the National Championship game.
  The Championship game against the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire 
featured a torrid first half, clutch plays in the waning minutes and a 
well-balanced attack in which five Knights scored in double figures. 
With this 79-74 victory, Calvin concluded the season with a 22-game 
winning streak, and became only the sixth Division III school to have 
won two national championships.
  The season became even sweeter when Jeremy Veenstra, of Kalamazoo, 
MI, and Aaron Winkle, of Lake City, MI, were named to the Final Four 
All-Tournament team. In addition, Winkle was both an All-American and 
Academic All-American. I know my Senate colleagues will join me in 
saluting Calvin College for their extraordinary individual achievements 
and their National Championship. Go Knights!
  Mr. President, I ask that the team roster be printed in the Record.
  The material follows:

                                           CALVIN COLLEGE MEN'S ROSTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Name                         Yr      Ht      Wt       P                Hometown
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No.  4. Kyle Smith............................     Fr.     6-0     175       G  Jenison, MI
No. 10. Bryan Foltice.........................     Fr.     6-0     165       G  Wyoming, MI
No. 12. Jon Potvin............................     So.    5-11     165       G  Gladstone, MI
No. 14. Aaron Winkle \1\......................     Sr.     6-6     195       F  Lake City, MI
No. 20. Dave Bartels..........................     Fr.     6-3     175       G  Kalamazoo, MI
No. 22. Nate Burgess..........................     Jr.    5-11     170       G  Byron Center, MI
No. 24. Nate Karsten \1\......................     Sr.     6-2     190       G  Zeeland, MI
No. 30. Tim Bruinsma..........................     So.     6-3     190       G  Grand Rapids, MI
No. 32. Jason DeKuiper........................     Jr.     6-2     190       G  Fremont, MI
No. 34. Jeremy Veenstra.......................     Fr.     6-6     205       F  Kalamazoo, MI
No. 40. Brian Krosschell \1\..................     Jr.     6-8     215     F/C  Grand Rapids, MI
No. 42. Nick Ploegstra........................     So.     6-4     215       F  Cleveland, MI
No. 44. Jon VanderPlas........................     Fr.     6-6     210     F/C  Kalamazoo, MI
No. 50. Derek Kleinheksel.....................     Jr.     6-6     200     F/C  Hamilton, MI
No. 52. Josh Tubergen.........................     So.     6-7     205       C  Zeeland, MI
Rob Dykstra...................................     So.     6-3     215       F  Byron Center, MI
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ denotes tri-captains.
Head Coach: Kevin Vande Streek.
Assistants: Chris Fear, Tim VanDyke.



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