Excellence has become an expectation rather than a surprise for Calvin University’s track and field program. Similar to the past few years under head coach Adam Haldorson, Calvin’s track and field teams are quickly breaking records as the indoor championship season is underway.
Numerous records have been broken at the beginning stages of this season. On the men’s side, freshman Gabe Van Goor has already broken the 60-meter school record twice. On the women’s side, senior Sydney Radigan has broken her own records in both the 60-meter and 200-meter. Freshman Dasha Mason cleared the triple jump record by nearly a foot, according to Haldorson, who also predicts his team will break even more school records in the coming weeks. Other standout performances from the season include senior Mia DeJonge, who broke the Calvin school record in the 60-meter hurdles last Friday at the GVSU big meet, with a time of 8.94 seconds, placing her 23rd overall in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) III. Senior Sophie Bull added yet again to her already legendary Calvin career by breaking the 3000-meter run indoor record. Sophomore Ben Habers has also had a strong start to the season, as he now ranks second on Calvin’s all-time record list with a time of 22.67 seconds in the 200-meter.
Haldorson described the success, saying, “We’ve rewritten 50% of the record book over the last couple of seasons at the top spots. It’s been a whole bunch of people performing really well.” DeJonge reflected on what it has meant to be part of the program’s growth over her time in college. “I am so grateful to have been on this team for the past four years and to watch it grow the way it has,” DeJonge said. “We’ve made huge strides as a team, both competitively and in our community. To have been part of that change is very special.”
Calvin’s track and field team has been led by Haldorson for four years. Since a young age, Haldorson has been surrounded by the sport. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, which is known as “Track Town USA,” Haldorson competed as an athlete at George Fox University. He later returned as a coach, staying there for 15 years. Once Haldorson arrived at Calvin, he said, “There was an awesome core of people who wanted to improve and dive into some new challenges … they led the foundation. [Our success] dates back to the first year that I was here … those people set a cultural foundation that has just been built on. It’s kind of a self-sustaining organism at this point.”
Haldorson views his job as a “service industry.” He explained that his main duty at Calvin is to “help people. Since Division III athletes receive no [athletic] scholarships … it means that the students want to be here because they want to get better. … It’s my job and the rest of the coaching staff’s job to try to provide a great experience, and provide them with the resources, guidance, and all that they need to achieve the things they’re after.” Haldorson has incorporated Christian faith into his coaching in many ways. He explains, “We are focused on … our relationship with God. When you see it click for somebody, there’s light and joy in their face, and it’s so much fun to get to be near that when it happens. Those moments and the relationships with people are definitely a [highlight in coaching].”
Junior Zach Van Baren mentioned Halderson’s unique approach to recruiting. Instead of focusing solely on talent or performance, Halderson prioritizes character and team fit. Current athletes are often included in the recruiting process through questionnaire panels, where they share honest feedback about prospects. If a recruit doesn’t seem like the right fit for the team’s culture, the staff may choose to move in a different direction, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a close, family-like environment. Van Baren noted that this intentional approach has helped strengthen the program’s culture, especially as the team has grown from a smaller roster. While most track athletes would lack sufficient relationships with those outside their event groups, Calvin strives to build relationships across the team. Sophomore Abe VanDuinen described the community, saying, “We have an incredibly strong culture. … That’s what makes it really worth it for the majority of people on the team … the coaches do a good job integrating us. Once a week, we have meetings where we get in groups of people from all across the team.”
Van Baren and the other heptathletes and pentathletes have the MIAA Combined Events Championship on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 16 and Feb. 17, along with a meet at Grand Valley State University on Friday, Feb. 20.
While Haldorson is remarkably proud of all the recent accolades of his team, he views success in a deeper sense. “The real goals of this sport have absolutely nothing to do with trophies, placements, times and distances. It’s really about the ways we uplift each other. This points back to Christian faith, and how we further his kingdom through [our actions].” While track and field is typically viewed as an individual sport, under Haldorson, the team’s success is built on the collective effort achieved through a community.
