This season, Lewis & Clark is welcoming one of several new coaches to its athletic staff, Sarai Seekamp. Seekamp is joining the coaching staff of the cross country and track teams, bringing immense amounts of experience from previous coaching positions, and is continuing to help build the athletic teams here on campus.
She coached at Jefferson High School in North Portland for four years, leading the team to break 19 school records, where many of her athletes later qualified for the Junior Olympics. However, this is her first season working at a collegiate level. She even coached some of LC’s current runners when they attended high school at Jefferson.
“There are students here at Lewis & Clark who I had the privilege of teaching and coaching while I was still at Jefferson, and it’s amazing to get to see them in this new environment thriving,” said Seekamp.
She has also coached abroad in Ireland, while receiving a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. She previously completed a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Education, as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching. While living abroad, Seekamp stepped into a volunteer position with a collegiate team and worked with athletes at the master’s level and with para-athletes.
“The experience also grants me another perspective that I get to share with our students and student-athletes here at Lewis & Clark,” she said.
Seekamp’s variety of coaching and educational experiences also included workshops and programs to assist student-athletes in their academic and athletic careers, at both a high school and collegiate level — from navigating the recruitment process to evaluating the pros and cons of different athletic divisions for student-athletes, and learning about post-secondary options for continuing in sports. The “Female Athlete Leadership” and “Student Athlete Academy” programs are some of the student-athlete programs she was involved in while coaching at Jefferson High School.
“It’s really about empowering young adults to be the best they can be in their sport, in the classroom and with whatever comes after they graduate,” Seekamp said.
When asked if she hopes to continue these support systems here on campus, Seekamp stated that she not only hopes to assist cross-country and track athletes, but all athletes on campus.
“I know that as I continue to settle into this role that I’ll be exploring ways that I can work with Lewis & Clark staff to contribute to the academic supports that already exist,” she said.
Going into her first year here at LC, Seekamp is looking forward to working with Head Coach Chris Reed, the cross-country and track staff, and the Athletics Department, which continues to build programs that support all athletes here on campus.
“It is exciting, as well, to be in an environment that is committed to hiring female coaches and staff to support student-athletes, especially at more elite levels,” she said. “I feel so fortunate that I have the opportunity to be in a role that shows what a pathway to collegiate coaching can look like for student-athletes after graduation, and to provide mentorship to young women who are exploring careers in sport.”
Seekamp’s drive to support not only cross-country and track athletes, but any athlete in any capacity, conveys how valuable of a coach and staff member she will be for LC Athletics. Using her educational and coaching backgrounds, Seekamp brings an abundance of experience that will help the cross-country and track teams make a mark in conference and in the classroom this year. So far this year, the cross-country team won their first meet since 2017. Several athletes broke school and personal records, received Pio of the Week, and won Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week. If you are looking to continue following the Cross Country and Track teams, follow along at their next meet, The National Preview Meet on Oct. 4.
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