Calvin athletics photo

On the morning of July 16, another edition of the Rival Relay between the Calvin and Hope men’s and women’s cross country teams took place. The event, which dates back to 1919, involves a seven-leg relay beginning in Grand Rapids and concluding in Holland.

The event is entirely organized by the student-athletes without any aid from the coaching staffs of either school.

Saturday’s race began at John Ball Park in Grand Rapids and ended at Tunnel Park in Holland.  The first six legs were five miles each, with the anchor leg finishing the final 5.85 miles.  In between, runners traversed through the streets of Grandville, past the cornfields of Jamestown, through downtown Zeeland, past the blueberry patches of north Holland and then concluding at Tunnel Park.

Both Calvin teams were victorious on Saturday. Members of the Calvin men’s relay team were Alex VanHaitsma, Steven Haagsma, Job Christiansen, Alex Wrobel, Greg Whittle, Jacob Kuyvenhoven and David VandeBunte Ben Lewis also participated, riding his bike throughout the entire race. Members of the Calvin women’s relay were Alyssa Penning, Kaitlin Diemer, Jodi Hoekstra, Sarah Fennema, Lydia Peterson, Samantha Westveer and Nicole Michermhuizen. At the conclusion of the race, both teams from Calvin and Hope gathered for a post-race cookout at Tunnel Park.

For more coverage, including a history of the event and audio interviews, check out Calvin's website.