CLU Kingsmen Cross Country News

Kahovec, Reed Earn All-Region Accolades

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:45:00 PST

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Senior Toccoa Kahovec and junior Evan Reed received All-Region recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) based upon their respective finishes at the 2011 NCAA West Regional.

Official Release: USTFCCCA NCAA Division III All-Region

Nearly 560 athletes from across the country were honored by the USTFCCCA, runners who finished in the top 35 individually at one of the nine regional events received All-Region recognition.

Kahovec led all Regals runners with her sixth-place time of 21:51.0; Reed's 26.21.3 effort at the Pomona-Pitzer campus course helped him capture 29th place - the highest individual finish of any Kingsmen harrier at the event.

A total of 17 women and 16 men from SCIAC schools were honored by the USTFCCCA for their efforts at this season's West Regional.

Kingsmen End Season at NCAA West Regional

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - With three of the top four Cal Lutheran times recorded by upperclassmen harriers, the Kingsmen earned a 14th-place finish at Saturday's NCAA West Regional.

Results: NCAA West Regional (Men)

Ending the event in a first place tie, both Colorado College and Occidental will compete in the Division III Cross Country National Championship as the teams captured both available automatic bids to next weekend's national event.

In addition to earning a first place team finish, Colorado College also captured a first place individual finish, as the Tigers' Jackson Brainerd completed the campus course at Pomona-Pitzer in 24:53.4.

Recording a 26:21.3 on the same route that was utilized earlier this season at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, junior Evan Reed ended his third consecutive meet with Cal Lutheran's fastest individual time.

Competing in the final meet of their respective collegiate careers, seniors Stephen Shirk and Brett Halvaks round out the trio of upperclassmen harriers who helped Cal Lutheran finish 14th out of the 20 participating teams.

Shirk's final appearance in a Cal Lutheran uniform was also his fastest as he was the second Kingsmen to cross the finish line in Saturday's race, clocking a new personal best of 26:57.0 in the process.

Recording the fastest NCAA regional time of his CLU career, Halvaks completed the 8k course in 28:11.0.

Rounding out the Kingsmen five whose times comprised the team's overall result were freshmen Matthew Garvin and sophomore Mason Hill. Competing in his first-ever regional, Garvin's time of 27:30.3 was the third-fastest performance out of the seven participating CLU runners.

Hill ended the event with a time of 28:24.6.

Kingsmen Ready for Saturday's NCAA Regional

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran men's cross country team will compete in the NCAA West Regional this Saturday, Nov. 12, at 10 a.m. on the campus course at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.

Website: NCAA XC Regional Championships

Runners who finish in the top eight are guaranteed a berth in next week's NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championship.

One runner who could extend his season to the NCAA National Championship meet by another week with an impressive showing in Claremont is Evan Reed.

"He (Reed) has been running well and coach Crawford has done a great job with his training in an attempt to keep him as fresh as possible for this weekend's regional," said head coach Matt Lea. "I know he is excited, and with a great race he has a chance to advance to next weekend's NCAA Championship."

In his previous meet at the SCIAC Championships, Reed led all Kingsmen with his 18th place finish and clocked his fastest time ever at the conference's season-ending event.

Also recording their fastest conference championship times ever at this year's meet were seniors Brett Halvaks and Stephen Shirk. Each will compete in the final regional of their careers with their second trip to the campus course in the last six weeks.

Giving the Kingsmen a leg up on the other participating teams is their familiarity with the course at Pomona-Pitzer. Hosting its second NCAA regional in the last three years, the course is the exact same one utilized earlier this season at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.

"We definitely have an advantage over the schools traveling from the north that are unfamiliar with the layout," explained Lea. By running that course earlier this season, our guys know when it is appropriate to pace themselves, and when they need to increase their efforts."

Kingsmen Finish Sixth at SCIAC Championships

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:00:00 PST

CHINO, Calif. - Led by junior Evan Reed and his time of 27:11.43, Cal Lutheran finished in sixth place at Saturday's SCIAC Cross Country Championships.

Results: SCIAC Cross Country Championships (Men)

In addition to earning his fourth consecutive SCIAC individual championship with a time of 25:37.45, Occidental's Eric Kleinsasser also helped his team capture a first place team finish, and this season's SCIAC championship.

Cal Lutheran ends its season in sixth place, a finish based upon the combined results earned at this year's SCIAC Multi-Duals and Championship events.

Finishing in 18th-place, Reed was one of three Kingsmen who were able to record their fastest time in a Championship event after completing the 8k course at Prado Park.

In addition to Reed who recorded a time that was 26 faster than his previous SCIAC Championship personal mark, seniors Stephen Shirk and Brett Halvaks each clocked the fastest championship times of their respective careers at Saturday's event.

For Shirk, Saturday's performance was a 21 second improvement over his time earned at last year's championship; Halvaks beat his 2009 effort by nearly 52 once he crossed the finish line in 55th place with a time of 28:48.77.

Shirk ran a 27:58.39 to finish in 34th place.

The next race on the Kingsmen's schedule will take place on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Claremont, Calif., site of the 2011 NCAA West Regionals.

Kingsmen All Set for SCIAC Championships

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:00:00 PST

CHINO, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran men's cross country team will compete in the SCIAC Championships at Prado Regional Park on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 29.

Official Release: SCIAC Preview

"I think we will do very well this weekend...we have a group of experienced runners led by our captain Evan Reed," said Head Coach Matt Lea. "He is such a hard worker and wants it so badly...it has rubbed off on the rest of our team."

Seniors Stephen Shirk and Brett Halvaks are part of a talented upperclassmen trio that will lead the way for Cal Lutheran. The younger group has been able to progress together while learning from a knowledgeable group.

"Our younger guys have learned from all three of them this season and it has been very beneficial for our team to grow together."

Sophomore Mason Hill finished second on the Kingsmen squad at the SCIAC Multi-Duals, followed closely behind by freshman Matt Garvin.

The SCIAC Championships are set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. Cal Lutheran earned three points at the SCIAC Multi-Duals which represents half of the scoring system used to determine the final conference standings.

Reed Leads CLU at SCIAC Multi-Duals

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:00:00 PST

LA MIRADA, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran men's cross country team defeated two conference squads during the SCIAC Multi-Duals meet at La Mirada Park on Saturday morning. Evan Reed finished the 8k course in 17th overall to lead the Kingsmen.

Results: SCIAC Multi-Duals (Men)

The competition pits each team's top five runners against each of the other seven competing conference teams on a head-to-head competition. The lowest scoring team against each team on a head-to-head basis wins. Cal Lutheran earned two victories against Caltech and Redlands finishing 2-5 overall.

Reed's time of 27:44.32 was within 30 seconds of a top-10 finish overall. Mason Hill and Stephen Shirk recorded top-50 finishes with freshman Matt Garvin and Brett Halvaks not far behind in 55th and 61st place, respectively.

Senior Eric Kleinsasser of Occidental College won the individual crown by 25 seconds over runner-up and teammate Colin Smith. The Tigers also won the team competition defeating all seven SCIAC squads.

Cal Lutheran will next compete at the SCIAC Championships at Prado Park on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Shirk Leads the Way for CLU

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Finishing with the fastest time for Cal Lutheran at the 2011 Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, senior Stephen Shirk and his Kingsmen teammates earned a 13th-place finish Saturday morning at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.

Results: Pomona-Pitzer Invitational

One of five harriers to compete for CLU, Shirk recorded a 27:20.3 on the 8k course located on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer.

Running a 29:27.1 and 32:18.0 for CLU, sophomore Shawn Jackson and freshman Steven Fuller recorded their fastest times as a Kingsmen, improving their previous times by 4.7 and 13.3 seconds respectively.

Completing the field of CLU harriers were freshmen Matthew Garvin and senior Brett Halvaks, completing the race in 28:05.2 and 28:16.1 to record Cal Lutheran's second and third-fastest times.

Recording four of the top nine individual times, Cal State San Marcos ended the event in first place. Running as an unsponsored competitor, Sam Hyams clocked the fastest performance out of the field of 181 participants with his time of 24:46.0.

Cal Lutheran will return to action on Oct. 15 at the SCIAC Multi-Duals held at La Mirada Park in La Mirada, Calif.

CLU Harriers Set New Personal Marks

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:30:00 PST

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Led by junior Evan Reed, five Kingsmen set new personal records at Saturday's UC Riverside Invite.

Results: UC Riverside Invite

Finishing in 25:33.2, Reed recorded the fastest time of the morning for the Kingsmen, also setting a new Cal Lutheran course record in the process.

Earning a 66th place finish out of a field of 242 participants, Reed's mark was also the sixth-fastest result earned by any Division III runner at the the 8k UC Riverside Farm Course.

Sophomore Mason Hill (27:24.7), freshman Matthew Garvin (27:15.7), and senior Stephen Shirk (27:09.6) also ran their fastest time in CLU colors, shaving nearly five, 13, and 14 seconds off their previous personal record.

But it was Brett Halvaks who recorded the most impressive improvement of the morning, obliterating what once was his personal record earned at last year's Riverside Invite by more than 46 seconds. The senior finished this year's event in 27:37.2.

Competing first-ever collegiate meet, freshman Carlos Moran rounded out the contingent of CLU harriers with his time of 30:05.1.

Featuring teams from all collegiate levels, Cal Lutheran finished the meet in 22nd place.

The only individual to record a sub-23 minute mark, Cam Levins and his 22:58.7 effort helped Southern Utah finish in first place amongst all competing individuals and teams.

The Kingsmen's next race will take place on October 1 in Claremont, Calif. at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite.

Garvin Leads the Way for Kingsmen Harriers

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:00:00 PST

BREA, Calif. - Beginning his cross country career by clocking Cal Lutheran's fastest time of the afternoon, freshman Matthew Garvin led the way for the Kingsmen cross country team Saturday morning, recording a time of 27:38.6 at the Cal State Fullerton Opener.

Results: Cal State Fullerton Season Opener

Out of the 19 teams that competed at Carbon Canyon Park, Long Beach State ended the morning in first place thanks to five runners who were amongst the first eight individuals to cross the finish line. Running against a sizable contingent of harriers from Division I programs, Cal Lutheran ended the event in 15th place.

Competing in an 8k race, the standard distance of a collegiate course in comparison to a 5k course that is the standard at the high school level, Garvin and freshman teammate Steven Fuller were the lone Kingsmen neophytes who made their collegiate debut in CLU's first event of the 2011 season.

Fuller finished with a time of 32:31.3.

Ending his first season as a Cal Lutheran harrier with a top-40 time at the 2010 SCIAC Championships, Mason Hill started his sophomore season with the Kingsmen's second-fastest time of the morning, clocking a 27:46.9 just eight seconds behind Garvin.

Familiar with Carbon Canyon due to their previous participation in past Openers, seniors Stephen Shirk and Brett Halvaks were the next pair of CLU harriers to earn points with times of 28:20.9 and 28:58.6 respectively.

"This is my third year here, and the third different course," stated Halvaks who started his final season at Cal Lutheran with a new personal best at the Brea course. "This is by far my favorite and my time definitely showed it."

Sophomores Shawn Jackson and Andrew Dowling rounded out the field of Kingsmen competitors, ending the morning with their 30:27.6 and 31:06.2 efforts.

Cal Lutheran will return to competition on September 17, traveling to the Inland Empire to participate in the UC Riverside Invitational. That meet is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m.

Kingsmen Cross Country 2011 Preview

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:30:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - As the only three upperclassmen on a roster filled with bourgeoning talent, seniors Brett Halvaks, Stephen Shirk, and junior Evan Reed are visible proof of the success a CLU harrier can achieve if fully committed to the program.

"Assistant coach Nicole Crawford has done a phenomenal job with the distance runners since arriving to Cal Lutheran four years ago," said Kingsmen cross country head coach Matt Lea. "By meticulously setting up the entire workout program for runners to follow, everyone from top to bottom has improved their times dramatically on a consistent and annual basis."

Often hitting the pavement before sunrise, Halvaks, Shirk, Reed, and their teammates logged up to 80 miles per week training, meticulously following a strict diet designed to help prepare their bodies for the rigors attached to a typical cross country season.

"Coach Crawford and I can tell that even the incoming freshmen have been busy training throughout the off-season and are ready to handle the transition from a 5k course, the standard distance at a high school meet, to a collegiate-level 8k course."

Mainly comprised of local talent, both coaches are excited to see how their incoming recruits will handle the first test of their respective collegiate careers this Saturday at the Cal State Fullerton Season Opener.

"Matt Garvin (Thousand Oaks HS) will make a huge impact on the team this season," stated Lea. "As middle distance runners, both Steven Fuller (Charter Oak HS) and Carlos Moran (El Camino Real HS) should also make an immediate and positive contribution to the team from the very start of the season."

Having successfully conquered the transition from high school to collegiate competition last year, returning sophomores Andrew Dowling, Mason Hill, and Shawn Jackson return to campus ready to compete with their teammates in the hopes of further developing their cross country careers.

Comprising nearly half of the Kingsmen runners at last year's SCIAC Championships, all three look to improve on last year's marks and turn in times fast enough to earn a trip to Claremont, Calif. (or in Hill's case, a return trip), site of this year's NCAA West Regional Championships.

"There is no doubt about the expectations Coach Crawford and I have for both cross country teams this season. For the first time since I arrived to Cal Lutheran we are running an entire injury-free squad, I cannot underestimate how big that is for us."

Led by Reed who has shaved the most time off his previous personal marks, Kingsmen harriers continue to set new personal marks thanks to coach Crawford's training even though the season is merely a handful of days old.

"Our runners want to be a part of something special and are fully committed to all aspects of this program. We are quickly closing the gap between ourselves, Redlands, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (last season's SCIAC champions) and will definitely surprise a few teams this season."

CLU Cross Country Schedule Released

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Six dates complete the 2011 Cal Lutheran cross country schedule culminating with hopes of adding a seventh. Last year both the Kingsmen and Regals were represented at the national level with individuals qualifying for and competing in the NCAA National Championships.

Schedule: 2011 Cross Country

"It is a very simple process to set up our schedule...Our final four meets are set each year from the SCIAC Multi-Duals in October to (Nationals) at the end," said head coach Matt Lea. "The other three are established meets that have been going on for several years."

September 3rd will mark the third straight season CLU has begun its campaign at the Cal State Fullerton Opener. From then on competitions will take place on a bi-weekly schedule the entire way with the Kingsmen and Regals competing at either the UC Riverside Invitational or Sundodger Invite in Seattle, Wash. on Sept. 17.

"Our philosophy is to go every other weekend to ensure our runners get their rest," stated Lea. "It is very important for our newcomers, especially on the men's side to build up to the collegiate distance and these early meets will help."

Traditional high school cross country competitions are 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) in length for both boys and girls. At the collegiate level men's races are 8,000 meters or just shy of five miles while the women cover 6,000 meters (3.73 miles).

The Pomona-Pitzer Invitational is the final tune up before conference competition begins with the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Multi-Duals on Oct. 15.

Most of the Cal Lutheran harriers will hope to peak for the SCIAC Championships on Oct. 29 with the top finishers heading onto the West Region Championships in the city of Claremont, Calif. on Nov. 12.

Toccoa Kahovec finished ninth at the 2010 West Regional meet earning her first trip to the NCAA National Championships. Her efforts to return would land her at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wis. on Nov. 19 if successful.

Pair Earns Academic All-District Honors

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Senior Ray Ostrander and junior Toccoa Kahovec were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District VIII Track & Field and Cross Country teams.

Ray Ostrander - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
The Cal Lutheran Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year was one of 10 student-athletes chosen to this year's CoSIDA All-District Team. During the cross country season this past fall he was one of 142 men in Division III to be named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.

He led the Kingsmen this season at the conference championships finishing eighth to receive All-SCIAC First Team honors for the second straight year. Ostrander finished 11th at the SCIAC Track & Field Championships in the 5,000 meters.

Ostrander completed his program of study and graduated this past May with degrees in Geology and Environmental Sciences.

Fellow conference runner Alex Lapides of Caltech was also named to the team. The senior will graduate with a 3.80 grade point average earning his degree in Chemistry. He won the high jump at the SCIAC Track & Field Championships as the only competitor to clear 1.97 meters.

Toccoa Kahovec - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
The CLU junior was the only member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) to earn first team honors. For the second straight season Kahovec has earned CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII Team recognition.

Following her fourth place finish at the SCIAC Cross Country Championships she took ninth at the West Regional and 115th in her first appearance at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. Kahovec was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and was just one of 170 female Division III student-athletes to earn such recognition.

She repeated as conference champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished runner-up in the 1,500 meters. Kahovec took part in her first track and field national meet to finish her junior season and took eighth in the steeplechase to earn All-America status.

The Saugus, Calif. Native is currently maintaining a 3.87 grade point average while pursuing her liberal studies degree.

Seniors Kelsey Bermudez, Mackenzie Smith and Kortney Watring from SCIAC member Redlands both earned Academic All-District VIII Second Team honors.

Both Ostrander and Kahovec will be eligible to earn Academic All-American honors which will be released later this month.

CLU Hands Out End of Year Awards

Mon, 09 May 2011 18:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - On Monday inside Gilbert Arena student-athletes representing each of Cal Lutheran's 19 programs were recognized for their achievements throughout the 2010-11 season at the annual end of the year gathering put together by members of both the CLU athletics department and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The Cal Lutheran Senior Athletes of the Year were officially announced during the event with Allison Kerr of volleyball earning the honor for the women. Eric Flores and Andrew Giuffrida will share the honor for the men.

Seventy-two Cal Lutheran student-athletes are scheduled to graduate this month including the CLU Scholar-Athletes of the Year in Bobby Sanders of women's water polo and Ray Ostrander of men's cross country and track and field.

All student-athletes from this past season received a token of appreciation for their respective contributions this year with first year CLU members getting a CLU athletics department shirt, second year a sweatshirt, third year a letterman and fourth year a plaque.

Cal Lutheran Athletes Making the Grade

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:45:00 PST

It started in a little room in the humanities building. It eventually moved to the Lundring Events Center, where everyone assumed it would remain for many years. But the numbers just kept increasing, so this year's Cal Lutheran Scholar-Athlete Society induction banquet had to be held in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center.

A record-high 112 athletes were honored last Saturday for having a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4. The standard far exceeds the 2.0 needed to be eligible to compete in athletics.

"To me that is the whole Division III philosophy of being a student and a top athlete," CLU Athletic Director Dan Kuntz said. "Our mission is to help them do well in school and do well in their sport and give them an opportunity to carry those on to other things."

The Scholar-Athlete Society started in 2003 with only 36 athletes. Although the amount of teams at CLU has remained the same, the number of athletes honored has jumped exponentially.

This year's total represents nearly 30 percent of the athletes at CLU.

"They are competitive people, and if you let them know what the expectation is, they are going to go for it," Kuntz said. "Once it happens once and someone see it, they realize the opportunity is there for them and it becomes a road map for others to follow."

CLU distance runner Roy Ostrander and women's water polo player Bobby Sanders, who were recently named Cal Lutheran Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year, have been members of the society all four years at CLU.

In front of a large gathering of relatives, coaches and administrators, each of the 116 honorees received certificates and other small tokens of reward.

"If they have the passion and commitment to their sport, it is a large chunk of their time they have to dedicate to play," Kuntz said. "It's asking a lot because they are not getting scholarship money or a private tutor or special trainer or registration just for them. They are doing this on their own because they want to."

Kuntz believes the environment at CLU is conducive for athletes to balance sports and academics successfully.

"The students have people around them and resources available if they need support, and I think a person tends to thrive more if they feel like they can do more," Kuntz said. "I think those things have really evolved at CLU the last several years and there has been a lot of work to ensure the infrastructure is in place."

CLU Announces its 2011 Senior Scholar-Athletes

Tue, 03 May 2011 14:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Ray Ostrander of the men's cross country and track and field teams, and Bobby Sanders from women's water polo have been named the 2011 Cal Lutheran Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Both have been members of the Scholar-Athlete Society each of their four years while at Cal Lutheran.

Ray Ostrander
Ostrander has been among the elite in the classroom, on the courses and around the track. He has been an NCAA national qualifier each of the past two seasons and became the first Kingsman in 13 years to earn back-to-back first team all-SCIAC selections. He became the first male harrier in CLU history to earn all-West region honors three consecutive years.

By virtue of his placement at the national championships and cumulative grade point average Ostrander was named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III all-Academic Team in 2009 and 2010. He was one of only 142 male runners to earn such distinction this season.

Ostrander is a double major in Environmental Science and Geology.

Bobby Sanders
Sanders has been named Collegiate Water Polo first team All-America (2009) and honorable mention (2010) as well as ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-America first team (2010). She was part of the first-ever SCIAC Champion team in Cal Lutheran history when Cal Lutheran won in 2009.

She is one of only seven student-athletes in this year's graduating class to have earned CLU Scholar-Athlete Society honors during each of her four years. Sanders ranks in the program's career all-time top-10 marks in each of the four major field player categories with 88 goals (T-8^th), 94 assists (4th), 248 steals (2nd) and 140 drawn exclusions (4th).

Sanders is majoring in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine with emphasis in pre-Physical Therapy and Human Performance.

The Cal Lutheran Senior Athletes of the Year will be announced at the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Senior Athlete Social on Monday, May 9.

April 6 is National Student-Athlete Day

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - On Wednesday, Apr. 6 institutions of higher learning will celebrate student-athletes across the country as part of National Student-Athlete Day. The program of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS), has been celebrated annually on this date since 1987.

Official Website: National Student-Athlete Day

"We are very proud to honor hundreds of student athletes competing at CLU in 19 Division III sports programs and soon to be 20 with the addition of women's golf in 2011," commented Cal Lutheran Athletics Director Dan Kuntz. "As Division III athletes our students embrace the philosophy that competing in sports is an educational experience where learning extends beyond the classroom."

Brett Halvaks, the current CLU SAAC President as well as the NCAA Division III SCIAC and Northwest Conference SAAC Representative is receiving and giving out recognition to fellow student-athletes.

"I believe this day provides a wonderful opportunity to recognize what CLU Student-Athletes have accomplished over this past year; both in their sport and in the classroom as well," said Cal Lutheran Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President Brett Halvaks.

The special day honors individuals at both the high school and collegiate levels. There are over 425,000 NCAA student-athletes with Cal Lutheran representing some of the more than 168,000 from Division III.

"It is remarkable to think that CLU, not to mention all Division III student-athletes in general are competing at such a high level while being provided minimal athletic aid," stated Halvaks who is a member of both the Kingsmen cross country and track and field teams.

Appropriately two of Cal Lutheran's eight spring teams will hold true to the student-athlete moniker with women's water polo hosting Redlands at 5 p.m. and baseball heading out to Chapman on a day that recognizes the student-athlete.

Ostrander Named National Scholar Athlete

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:00 PST

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Ray Ostrander of the Cal Lutheran men's cross country team was named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-Academic Team on Tuesday.

Official Release: USTFCCCA NCAA Division III

Scholar Athletes are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest individually at the most recent NCAA Championships.

Ostrander, a senior from Hayward, Wisc. is well-known on and off the courses and tracks on a national level after receiving this same honor last year. He is one of 142 NCAA Division III male student-athletes to earn recognition in 2010.

On the courses this season he earned his second trip to the NCAA National Championships this season where he finished 170th overall. Ostrander capped off his career at that competition and became the first back-to-back first team all-SCIAC runner for CLU since 1996 (Jed Colvin) after taking fifth and eighth place at the conference championship meet his final two years, respectively.

Anders Hulleberg of Haverford was named the Division III Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He is a senior from Baltimore, Md., won the individual NCAA Division III Cross Country title with a 24:22.2 8k run, topping defending champ Michael Spain of North Central (Ill.) by two seconds. In addition, Hulleberg, who has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.60 in the field of sociology, led the Fords (87 points) to the first NCAA title in the school's athletics history.

Cal Lutheran finished in seventh place in the final conference standings and fifth at the SCIAC Championship meet.

Cal Lutheran Among Top-25 Athletic Schools

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:00:00 PST

CLEVELAND, Ohio. – Following the completion of the fall athletics season Cal Lutheran University ranks No. 25 in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings. The standings are based on points awarded to team finishes of respective schools in each of the 18 selected sports—nine men’s and nine women’s—throughout the year.

Official Release: Division III Cup Standings (Dec. 23)

“We are very proud of our student-athletes..for them to take their passion and see it reflected on a national level is very exciting,” said CLU Athletic Director Dan Kuntz. “Much of the credit needs to be given to our coaches. They help provide an environment and the tools to achieve success on a national level.”

Despite Cal Lutheran being recognized for its athletic programs, Kuntz is aware that it would not have been possible without the support of the entire University.

“With the new facilities and the support of the CLU community towards the athletic programs and facilities has played a major role in helping our school be seen on a national level not only for athletics but all aspects as an institution.”

Cal Lutheran leads a group of four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) institutions that earned points during the fall season. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps currently ranks 49th, Redlands 77th and Whittier 180th.

CLU currently sponsors six of the seven programs recognized with three earning points for the institution. Volleyball garnered the most points after reaching the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Regals soccer provided 50 points with a spot in the second round of the postseason and Kingsmen football contributed 25 after earning its second playoff appearance in as many years.

Washington (MO) University currently leads the standings with 336 points featuring five programs in the top-17 and a pair of top-three finishers. Cal Lutheran has scored 139 points.

Harriers Complete Season at National Championship Meet

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:15:00 PST

WAVERLY, Iowa - Harriers from both the Kingsmen and Regals cross country squads competed at the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship meet on Saturday at Wartburg College. Senior Ray Ostrander took part in his final collegiate race finishing 170th place overall, while junior Toccoa Kahovec set foot in a national race for the first time, taking 115th.

Results (Men): 2010 NCAA D-III National Championships
Results (Women): 2010 NCAA D-III National Championships

The Iowa state weather conditions were a far cry from that of Southern California with race time conditions featuring temperatures in the 30s with slight winds.

Of the 279 entrants in the men's competition, Ostrander beat over 100 fellow runners completing the 8k course in a time 25:53.6. Of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) runners, Ostrander finished eighth best.

Ostrander earned back-to-back national championship meet appearances following his junior season in which he finished 144th out of 276 competitors in the 2009 race at Baldwin-Wallace in Ohio.

Haverford won the men's team title with a score of 87, followed by runner-up North Central with 104 and St. Lawrence in third with 137. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finished 19th in the team competition to lead the SCIAC. Brian Sutter led the Stags with a time of 25:16.7 and a 52nd place individual result.

Kahovec took to the 6k distance course finishing in a time of 22:32.1 and taking 115th place. She was the fourth fastest conference finisher with the SCIAC placing three individuals in the top-14 overall.

In the tightly contests women's team competition Middlebury won 185-193 over runner-up Washington-St. Louis, with MIT scoring 214 for third place. CMS was the top SCIAC school on the women's side finishing 20th overall

Kahovec Joining Ostrander at Nationals

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:00:00 PST

Ray Ostrander won't be flying solo to nationals this year. The Cal Lutheran senior will have a long-distance companion by his side at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship meet on Saturday in Waverly, Iowa. CLU junior Toccoa Kahovec will be competing in the event for the first time in her career.

The CLU runners earned their spots over the weekend at the NCAA West Regional.

Kahovec, a Saugus native, finished ninth overall in the women's 6-kilometer race in a time of 22 minutes, 40.83 seconds.

Ostrander, a Wisconsin native, finished 11th in the men's 8K race in 25:55.43 to become the first CLU runner to reach nationals twice in a career.

"I am excited to have Toccoa come along," Ostrander said. "It's always fun to have more people to share the experience and the atmosphere with out there. For that weekend, everything that is happening has to do with cross country and it will be nice to have someone along to talk to about all that stuff."

Kahovec is grateful to have a seasoned veteran available to help in her acclimation.

"I am so happy that Ray is going. He has been there before, so he can kind of guide me and show me what to do," she said. "It will be fun to have someone to run with while we are there."

Kahovec nearly reached nationals last year, but just missed qualifying with an 18th-place finish at regionals.

"I feel like I have been in the greatest shape of my life this year. I have been training really hard all summer and all throughout the fall and have been doing good," she said. "I feel like I have gotten progressively faster in college, but this is definitely the fastest I have been."

Although Ostrander enjoys interacting with his fellow runners, the socialization usually ends in the hours before a big race like Saturday.

"When I am nervous, I clam up and don't talk to anybody," he said. "I have been known to just unintentionally ignore people a few feet away from me because I am in a zone."

Last season, Ostrander became the third CLU men's cross country runner to ever race in the NCAA Championship meet and the first in 13 years. He finished 144th overall.

"I am hoping I place a lot higher this time," he said. "I really wasn't ready for the course and it was extremely muddy and slow paced. I hope to be in the top 100 this time and go for All-American."