C Club honors former president Tony Diekema
At the second annual 鈥攚here Calvin student-athletes and teams get special recognition for outstanding achievement鈥攖he first-ever Knight of Distinction award was announced.
Near the end of the evening鈥攎odeled after the ESPN 鈥淓spy鈥 awards show鈥攖he inaugural Knight of Distinction award went to Dr. Anthony "Tony" Diekema '56, former president of Calvin College from 1976-1995.聽Diekema was a starter for three years on the men's basketball team in its first three years of MIAA competition (with the Knights winning the league title in each of these years).
The Knight of Distinction Award was established by C Club to demonstrate the lifelong benefit of intercollegiate athletics at Calvin College as demonstrated in the lives and witness of former Calvin student-athletes.聽 This award will be granted annually by the C Club leadership, in partnership with the college's athletic directors, to recognize a former Calvin Knight who has served God, church and community with the Christian character that was partly shaped by participation in the athletic program at Calvin College.
"It was important to the C Club leaders that the very first recipient of the Knight of Distinction Award be a role model for what we want to communicate about Calvin athletics and about Calvin alumni athletes serving God's Kingdom," said C Club president Carl Gronsman '63. "We believe that Tony Diekema is the right person to make our award intentions clear."
Awards Knight has already become a highly anticipated end-of-year event for the Calvin athletic community. Student and alumni athletes present 15 different awards to students and teams, including 鈥淥utstanding Team鈥 (national champion women鈥檚 volleyball), 鈥淧lay of the Year鈥 (baseball player Grant Van Putten鈥檚 steal of home to win a league game) and 鈥淣ewcomers of the Year鈥 (Cassie Vince in cross county and Brent Stoughton in swimming and diving).
Calvin sports information director Jeff Febus interviewed various Calvin athletes, coaches and alumni prior to the event鈥檚 start, and the emcees were athletic directors Nancy Meyer and Jim Timmer.
The evening ends with the Ber茅 (men) and Tiemersma (women) awards for the male and female athletes of the year. This year, those honors went to basketball player Tyler Kruis and volleyball player Megan Rietema.