Sea Beggar Athletics: Building a Tradition 

Realizing the importance of athletics as we build a holistic educational program, three years ago Providence started a men’s and women’s cross country team.  Under the leadership of Keri Whitaker, the cross country team has given Providence a taste of the excitement that comes with intercollegiate athletics … we now have a mascot and a fight song.  This past summer the college hired a men’s soccer coach, David Belden, to develop and recruit athletes to begin play next fall.  As the college adds sports and builds on a strong foundation, it is truly exciting to be a part of Sea Beggar Athletics!

Cross Country is Off and Running

“Off and running” is an expression used often at a new college, but it takes on a completely different meaning for the men and women involved in cross country.  Each day the members of the Sea Beggar cross country team are “off and running” in training for their season.  Over the past three years, the cross country team has seen improvement in both the number of runners and the times posted.  One of the great things about cross country is that it is an individual sport and personal bests or “PBs” are easy to measure.  It is so exciting for the athletes and the college community to see the PB times decreasing each meet.  An example of the improvement was seen at the first meet of the year at the University of Redlands.  Each runner who ran at this meet in 2010, improved his or her time in 2011 dropping an average of 1:41 of their previous year’s time. That is a great improvement and a testament to the runners’ off-season training.

In addition to keeping individual stats, coach Whitaker also recognizes the best time each season with an award at the season-ending banquet.  In 2009, the runners with the best times were Michelle Green (2010 graduate) and Henry Delaplane; last season, 2010, Delaplane again took the award for best men’s time and Emily DeBoer was the best women’s runner.  This year, the runners are all improving to challenging each other for the best times of the year.

The 2011 season includes a strong roster with four men and six women and a good combination of new students and experienced runners.

Henry Delaplane, Florida
Emily DeBoer, Indiana
Ian Harriman, Arizona
Evelyn Vane, British Columbia
Dane Beveridge, California
Candace Janzen, British Columbia
Jim Herrema, California
Gabby Cabel, California
Marie Bosma, British Columbia
Sarah Fleeman, California

Men’s Soccer Kicks Off

The college is excited to announce the second intercollegiate sport, men’s soccer, and to introduce the new men’s soccer coach, David Belden.  “Coach Belden is the perfect choice for this position,” states Dr. Kortenhoeven, acting athletic director. “He loves Providenceand excels at coaching soccer, but equally important are his connections to SoCal soccer.  He knows soccer coaches and players at the collegiate, high school, and club levels, and when you are recruiting to a new program, those connections are essential.”

Belden has an impressive coaching resume, winning both accolades in team competitions, including winning the California Interscholastic Federation – Southern Section title twice with his women’s team at Ontario Christian High School, and individual coaching recognition, such as being awarded “coach of the year” honors five times over the last ten years.  He also brings with him an unending passion for soccer (matched only by President Halvorson) and a clear understanding of the mission of athletics atProvidence. His successful soccer coaching experience, passion for the game, connections to Southern California soccer, and love for Providencewill all help him “kick off” a great tradition of Sea Beggar soccer.

Coach Whitaker and Coach Belden are looking for excellent student athletes who want to continue their athletic career at the collegiate level. If you or someone you know is interested in helping to build a tradition of Sea Beggar athletics, you can find more details, fill out a recruitment form, or email the coaches on our athletic website.