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The
Stanford Cardinal wasn't the only team to dominate an NCAA Cross
Country Championship last fall. The Calvin College Knights (of Grand
Rapids, Michigan) won the Division III crown in remarkable fashion
with a 1-6 pack split of just 20 seconds and scoring just 48 points;
80 fewer than runner-up University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Six
of the Knights' seven runners earned All-America honors, with juniors
Dave Haagsma and Hendrik Kok leading the way in seventh and eighth
place, respectively, over the 8,000m course.
The
result was anything but a surprise to those who follow Division
III cross country. Calvin has established an incredible tradition
under the leadership of coaches Brian Diemer (a three-time U.S.
Olympian in the steeplechase who won bronze in the 1984 Olympic
Games) and Al Hoekstra. In the last 11 years, Calvin has finished
no worse than seventh at Nationals. More recently, the Knights have
finished worse than second only once since 1998 — a fourth-place
finish in 1999. Their 2003 national title was their second in the
last four years.
Dave
Haagsma is a redshirt junior from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He sports
PRs of 14:46 (5k) and 30:39 (10k). His previous best national finish
in cross country was 49th in 2002. Hendrik Kok of Lynden, Washington,
transferred to Calvin after a year at the University of Washington.
The redshirt junior has shown impressive range in running 1:52.9
(800m), 3:52.25 (1,500m), and 14:26 (5k). He finished ninth at Nationals
in the fall of 2002 and has picked up three All-America awards in
just two outdoor track seasons at Calvin.
Mensracing.com
caught up with Haagsma and Kok not long after their dominating NCAA
victory; they spoke about being part of a growing distance running
dynasty in the often-overlooked arena of Division III collegiate
athletics.
Mensracing.com:
Let's begin by talking about Calvin's recent dominating performance
at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Hanover,
Indiana. Your team score of 48 points was the second lowest in DIII
nationals history. Can you describe the feelings that come with
running so well as a team when it counted most?
Dave
Haagsma:
Well, we knew coming in that we were capable of running well and
winning the championship, so we kind of expected that sort of outcome,
but we thought it would be closer than it ended up [being]. That
said, it was extremely rewarding for it to all come together on
that day.
MR:
Hendrik, how did the race unfold for you?
Hendrik
Kok:
Well I got out well with the lead pack and I had a teammate, Kris
Koster, with me. Coming into the season, I had hopes of not only
winning the team title, but also contending for individual honors.
But, I couldn't even finish a race until the conference meet due
to an asthma problem. So at that point, my focus just became on
running well enough to help my team. But I've been feeling better
lately, and I am usually a pretty aggressive racer, so I decided
to go out with the front pack and kind of set the tone for our team.
We were up near the front for about two miles, maybe almost two-and-a-half
miles, before Josh Moen just ran away from everybody. Then I started
to struggle a little bit from there, but I was still running around
eighth place. I wasn't passing anybody, but no one was catching
me, either. I stayed there until the last stretch when Haagsma just
blew by me.
MR:
Did you ever have any thought of pursuing Josh Moen (of Wartburg)
or were you running a bit conservative to insure you won the team
race?
Kok:
Yeah, I thought about it, but the team race was most important and
trying to stick with him would have been risky. A lot of the guys
who went out after him ended up dying pretty badly. Looking back,
no one was going to beat him on that day, and we won the team title,
which is the most important thing.
MR:
Dave, it appeared from the pictures of the meet, that you started
out more conservatively and worked your way up towards the front.
Is that fair to say?
Haagsma:
Yeah, I am more of a conservative starter. Basically through four
miles I was running between 20th and 25th place and I was fortunate
enough to have a few teammates with me, so we were working together.
At four miles, I saw a bunch of guys up ahead and I started going
after them and as I passed people I got more and more confident
and that pushed me on. I almost didn't make it to the finish though,
I was so tired — I got really wobbly those last few meters.
MR:
I read that you almost collapsed short of the finish line.
Haagsma:
Yeah, it got pretty ugly. Even now, I get really nervous just watching
those last few strides on video tape. My body was just shut down.
MR:
Your whole team ran close together all fall. Were there any special
tactics that Coaches Diemer and Hoekstra set out for you guys prior
to the nationals or was it simply business as usual?
Kok:
No there were no new tactics really. Coach Diemer just talked to
us in the huddle right before the race and reminded us to look for
our teammates out there so we could help each other out.
MR:
How do you guys approach a championship competition as a team? Is
there a lot of emotion or do you try to stay levelheaded?
Haagsma:
I think that there's a lot of emotion involved, especially as the
meet draws closer and we get more and more excited, but at the same
time, we definitely always try to stay levelheaded and stick to
the game plan that Coach lays out for us.
MR:
There has been a lot of talk about the warm weather taking a toll
on people. How did the heat affect you and how did you prepare for
it?
Kok:
We just drank a lot of water and tried not to think about it really,
we knew we had hydrated well. I think it may have been more of a
psychological thing where people thought, 'Oh we've been training
in 30-degree weather and now it's in the high 60s, what am I going
to do?' But we didn't let it get to us and we raced like we would
in any type of weather. I think a lot of the leaders who went out
pretty hard... I think it affected them more. A lot of guys should
have finished a lot higher than they did.
Haagsma:
To be quite honest, we talked about drinking a little bit, but it
wasn't really a worry for us.
MR:
Let's talk for a moment about the tradition that has been established
at Calvin. You guys have now finished either first or second five
out of the last six years at nationals. What's it like to not only
be part of that tradition, but to add to it with this year's dominating
victory?
Haagsma:
It's pretty remarkable to just put on the Calvin uniform. We have
what we call "Stud Lists" so we look back at all these
great runners and their times in the past and see where we stack
up. A lot of the alumni still come out and support us at the races
and if they can't make it to the race, they will contact us and
encourage us beforehand. It's big Calvin family — just a really
cool atmosphere to be a part of.
MR:
Clearly you guys buy in to the notion that team goals are first
priority. But how is that instilled in the newcomers who may have
not run in a true team atmosphere prior to arriving at Calvin?
Kok:
With the incoming freshmen, we emphasize that they don't need to
have super high expectations right away. They don't need to be in
the top five or top seven right off the bat. The newcomers are just
expected to soak it in for a while and adapt to our program. They
need to get used to not being the top guy on the team anymore. The
team atmosphere is contagious. When you start doing well as a team,
you start to get more excited about team goals than individual things.
Haagsma:
They really have no other choice (laughs). If you come in with a
big ego it will get put out pretty fast. This year's group of freshmen
seemed even better than years past. They were eager to learn from
us and they really found their place and contributed as the season
wore on.
MR:
Hendrik, your season was in question for much of the fall due to
asthma problems. What was the nature of the problem and when and
how did you get it resolved so that you were able to finish out
the season so strong?
Kok:
It was kind of complicated. I've always had exercise-induced asthma.
This year it was worse than it had been before. A medication I was
taking was causing tissue to dry out in my lungs in race situations.
Our team doctor finally figured out it was the medication that was
causing the problem. As soon as I stopped taking it the problem
disappeared.
MR:
If you could, briefly describe the training philosophy at Calvin.
Kok:
Coach Diemer really focuses on strength. We don't do very high mileage,
but he always tells us that everything we do is to get us strong.
Haagsma:
Coach really bases it off how we're feeling. He'll ask us how we
feel before we workout and if we're not recovered, he'll have us
wait a day, so he's pretty flexible in that regard.
MR:
What type of mileage did you guys put in last summer?
Kok:
I think I was pretty much between 60 and 70 [miles per week]. I
probably put in a couple weeks in the low 70s early in the fall.
Dave and I are pretty similar in terms of mileage. We've had a couple
guys in the past who have run close to 100 [miles per week] in the
off-season, but most of the guys are between 60 and 80 [miles per
week]. Some of the freshman start off with even lower mileage
MR:
Give an example of a key workout or two you guys do that prepares
you for the rigors of competition.
Kok:
Nothing too unique, just a lot of longer tempo runs. We do mile
repeats which are pretty standard.
Haagsma:
We do a workout called "Tower Hill" about three times
during the season. It's a 25-minute threshold run all on grass with
a pretty good hill in it. We run it at about 85% effort. That's
one of my favorite workouts.
MR:
How conducive is the Grand Rapids area for training?
Kok:
It's OK. There are not too many trails so we do a fair amount of
our mileage on roads or on the gravel on the side of the roads.
It's nothing too special but it's not bad either. You can get out
of the city pretty quick and find some nice country roads.
Haagsma:
Around the campus, there's not much in the way of trails. The nice
thing is that there's a lot of nice parks around that aren't too
far away that are pretty nice for running.
MR:
Calvin has an excellent academic reputation. What are you guys studying
and how difficult is it to balance your studies with running?
Kok:
Academics are definitely the priority here. I'm a Pre-Med/Biology
major so it's tough at times, but I think the discipline required
by running helps you to structure your life. I think running has
helped my grades a lot. Not having a lot of time has forced me to
use my time more wisely.
Haagsma:
I'm a business major. I don't find it too hard to balance although
it's a little hectic now because I have an internship now that I
have three days a week before practice. I look forward to practice
each day as a break from the stress. I force myself to prioritize
too.
MR:
Hendrik, you transferred to Calvin after a year at the University
of Washington. What convinced you that Calvin was the place for
you?
Kok:
I found the Division I atmosphere to be not conducive to my academic
priorities. The travel was so extensive that I felt like I didn't
have the time to do my best in the classroom. So I looked at smaller
schools and I really wanted to go to a Christian college. Pretty
soon it became clear to me that Calvin had the best combination
of academics and running in all the Christian schools I looked at.
Having an Olympian as a coach didn't hurt. And the team's tradition
was also an important factor. I knew Calvin was a place where I
could excel academically and also take my running to a higher level.
MR:
If you could, talk for a moment about how your Christian faith intersects
with your running at Calvin.
Kok:
Well, right off the bat, I think your focus is different from most
runners. We're not running for ourselves or not even primarily for
our team. The focus is on using our gifts to the best of our ability.
The Lord has blessed us with running and it's our responsibility
to use that gift. It's easy to find joy in that. This year, I think
our focus was just finding joy in running — almost like a Chariots
of Fire theme where Eric Liddell said 'When I run I feel the Lord's
pleasure.' We really felt that this year. We knew we had to put
in the work and race hard and the rest was out of our control.
Haagsma:
I think Hendrik said it really well. We've all been blessed with
running and we just prepared ourselves to run our best. One of our
team verses was Proverbs 31:21 which says 'The horse is made ready
for the day
of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.' We just focused on
that all year. We knew what we had to do to develop our gifts and
left the rest to the Lord. Even aside from running, there are so
many different gifts on this team that combine to form something
really special.
MR:
Outside of winning a national championship, what have been some
of the most rewarding memories from your college days up until this
point?
Kok:
In the beginning of the year, we have a team camping trip and we
got up to the upper peninsula of Michigan and basically just hike
out ten miles and camp out there for a week. That's been just a
great experience each year and a great bonding time. We train out
there but the real focus is just on relaxing and enjoying each other's
company.
Haagsma:
For me it would have to be all the people we've met and formed friendships
with. It's really just amazing when I stop and think about it.
MR:
What are some of your interests outside of running?
Haagsma:
I think everybody else on the team would say I spend all my time
with 'Mrs. Haagsma' (laughs) and I do spend quite a bit of time
with her (laughs). The only other sport I really get into is golf.
Kok:
Myself, coming from the Northwest, I love outdoors stuff like hiking
and climbing. I love doing mountaineering stuff over the summer
when I can. I don't have much time during the season.
MR:
Dave, are you married or is "Mrs. Haagsma" just a nickname
for your girlfriend?
Haagsma:
(laughs) No, I'm not married... yet. It's just a nickname the guys
have given her.
MR:
What were your high school PR's?
Haagsma:
I think my two-mile PR was my most impressive and that was 9:24.
I ran the mile in 4:21. I never broke 2:00 in the 800m. For cross
country, my best 5k was 15:44.
Kok:
I was a really big soccer player in Junior High and even into high
school. I ran 4:17 (1, 600m) and 1:57 (800m) my junior year. They
switched the soccer season from the fall to the spring my senior
year so I opted to play soccer instead of track. I never took running
real seriously in high school.
MR:
What are your goals for the upcoming track season?
Haagsma:
For me, it's qualifying in the 10,000m again and I'd like to finish
in the top eight and be All-American. I'd love to qualify in the
5,000m too, I'd really like to get a bunch of my teammates qualified
in the 5k as well, because I think it would be really cool to run
my last track race for Calvin with a bunch of teammates.
Kok:
Like Dave was saying, my first year at Calvin we had four All-Americans
in the 5,000m. That was just the coolest thing ever. I would love
to get the same type of thing going again this year. I've been third
and fifth in the 5k the last two years. I'm about a second off the
school record right now, so I'd like to get that. I might try out
the 10,000m and see what I can run there and I'd like to really
improve upon my finish in the 5k.
MR:
There are a lot of runners who run well in cross country with the
team atmosphere and all that comes with it, but then seem to disappear
on the track. Do you guys make a conscious effort to carry over
that teamwork, which is such a key to your fall success, to the
spring season?
Haagsma:
Oh definitely, we're trying to keep the momentum going. There's
so much excitement in the program now from freshmen and other guys
who didn't make the top seven and run at Nationals but went to the
race and watched. They are so pumped and it gets us excited too.
Track is also a great preparation for next fall where we want to
repeat as champions. I am now on my two weeks off from running and
I can't wait to get back out there training again.
Kok:
We had an All-American in track that didn't even make our top seven
this year. And there were a few other guys with similar stories
on the team. They want to get back to a level where they are running
well at Nationals so they will be pushing us from behind.
MR:
You guys take a real low-key approach to indoor racing. Is the winter
primarily used to build base and strength for outdoors?
Kok:
Yeah, we usually go out to the University of Michigan and do one
or two indoor meets there and that's pretty much it. That's just
to keep us motivated. We like to go in there and race a 3k against
the Michigan guys and see if we can hang with the Hanson's guys.
Haagsma:
I've never been much of an off-season trainer so I've never been
in shape to race indoors. I think I've only done one or two indoor
meets since I've been at Calvin, so I hope to change that this year.
We just do distance runs through February, so any races will just
be run off of strength. I don't think we even do tempo runs until
late February, but I'm looking forward to running a race or two
indoors.
MR:
Looking down the road, what are some of your goals and dreams once
your studies and running are done at Calvin?
Kok:
For me, with plans for medical school in the future, I don't know
how much time I would have for running, but I'd like to continue
and see what I can do. I think both Dave and I are relatively new
to this sport in a sense, as far as serious training goes. If possible,
I'd like to keep racing for a couple years after college and keep
lowering my PRs.
Haagsma:
I'm planning on working in the area and I'll keep running. I'll
probably try some road races to see if I can win some money, but
I want to keep improving as well.
(Interview
conducted in December 2003, posted January 6, 2003.)
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