DWU Athletic Department

Patrick Belling
Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach
The University of South Dakota ’03
The University of South Dakota ’06
pabellin@dwu.edu
605-995-2954

Patrick Belling is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Tiger cross country and track and field programs. During his time at DWU, Belling has coached numerous DWU athletes to school records, All-GPAC honors and the NAIA National Championships.

In the 2008 cross country season, Belling guided junior Thomas Madut to All-GPAC and All-Region honors, and Madut became the first Tiger runner to qualify for the NAIA Cross Country National Meet since 2004.

In the 2008-09 indoor track season, Belling coached three athletes to the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships – Natalie Wipf in the 400-meter dash and Alex Liberty and Frank Thompson in the high jump. The men’s team had two All-GPAC selections and 10 performances that ranked in the Top 10 in DWU history. The women’s team set six new school records, had two All-GPAC selections and had 11 performances that ranked in the Top 10 in the school’s record books.

In the 2009 outdoor track season, Belling guided the women’s 4x100-meter relay team to the NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships in addition to All-GPAC honors. His women’s team had five All-GPAC selections in three events, set a total of four school records and had a total of 12 performances that ranked in the Top 10 in DWU history. On the men’s side, Belling coached two All-GPAC selections and had five performances that ranked in the Top 10 in school history.

Overall, Belling had a total of eight national qualifiers, 10 All-GPAC selections in 2008-09 and three NAIA Scholar-Athletes, the most during his tenure with the Tigers. In his three seasons at Dakota Wesleyan, Belling has coached a total of 18 national qualifiers, 17 All-GPAC selections, eight NAIA Scholar-Athletes and one GPAC Athlete-of-the-Week.

He came to Dakota Wesleyan after three seasons as the track and field graduate assistant coach at the University of South Dakota. He worked with the sprinters and was part of the Coyote outdoor squad that finished fourth in the nation, the second-best outdoor finish in school history.

Belling, an Omaha, Neb., native, was a three-time NCAA All-American sprinter at USD and a member of NCC Championship teams. He was a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad that finished sixth at the 2002 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships. Belling was also a member of the 4x100-meter relay team that set a state record with a time of 40.80 in 2001-02.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from USD in December 2003 and completed his Master of Arts degree in athletic administration from USD in May 2006.

A graduate of Omaha Roncalli Catholic High School, Belling was a Nebraska “Class B” State Champion in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash at the 1999 Nebraska State Track Meet. His time of 21.92 won the 200-meter dash All-Class Gold Medal that year, and his time of 10.79 in the 100-meter dash set a new “Class B” state meet record.

Belling currently lives in Mitchell.

Casey Collins
Assistant Track and Field/Cross Country Coach
Missouri State ’07
cacollin@dwu.edu

Casey Collins is currently in his second season as a graduate assistant coach for Dakota Wesleyan University’s cross country and track and field programs. Collins is the team’s primary distance coach, so he is involved with all phases of coaching and training the Tiger cross country teams, and he spends track season coaching the team’s distance runners.

Collins came to Dakota Wesleyan prior to the 2008-09 season with a wealth of coaching experience already under his belt and numerous levels. He was the head varsity cross country coach and an assistant track and field coach at Republic High School in Republic, Mo., in 2007 and 2008.

He also served as an assistant middle school track coach at Greenwood Laboratory School in Springfield, Mo., in 2007 and was an assistant cross country and track coach at Kickapoo High School in Springfield from 2005-2007. Collins has also been a counselor at the Joe Bill Dixon Wilderness Running Camp, and he is currently the camp’s head counselor.

Collins received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Missouri State University in Springfield where he was a two-year member of the cross country team. A native of West Plains, Mo., Collins is a 2003 graduate of West Plains High School where he was a member of four Missouri cross country state championships.

At Dakota Wesleyan, Collins is pursuing a Master’s degree in educational policy and administration, which he plans to complete this May. He currently lives in Mitchell.