Bethany (Kowalczyk) Cruikshank made her mark on the soccer field with the help of four older brothers, who helped draw out her natural competitiveness. But soon sport became more than just trying to top her siblings. She said that it made her come alive, she loved the comradery of the team, training to be the best and seeing hard work pay off on game day.
She followed her brothers Bryan and Dan to Houghton as a student-athlete and quickly made her mark on the field and in the Highlander record books.
Bethany finished her four-year career as the program's all-time leader in goals and points. She scored 96 goals and added 42 assists in her illustrious career. She twice scored 29 goals in a season, adding 21 and 17 in her other two campaigns. She was a four-time conference player of the year, three-time NAIA region player of the year and Houghton's first four time All-American. She was First Team NAIA All-America in 2004 and 2005 and Second Team in 2006. Though she missed the 2007 season with a knee injury, she returned for a final campaign and captured NAIA Honorable Mention honors in 2008. Houghton women's soccer produced a record of 71-7-5 over her four seasons with four NAIA National Tournament appearances, including two Elite 8 berths.
She said she chose Houghton because it was exciting to join not only a winning program but also play alongside other great athletes that wanted to use sport as a way to glorify God. She points to the influence of
David Lewis and his character and integrity as a constant source of encouragement. His reminders to "keep our eyes fixed on Jesus" were a reflection of his heart and his desire to keep his athletes drawing closer to the heart of God.
Big wins against top-ranked teams like Martin Methodist, Lindsey Wilson and Robert Morris stand out as some of her favorite memories but one of the most meaningful was a loss at Nationals to end her sophomore year. "I remember being so upset about the loss," Bethany says, "but afterwards we piled into the vans to head back to the hotel. In the midst of our disappointment we raised our voices in worship together and I remember looking around just taking in how blessed I was to be on a team where this was our response to defeat."
Her Houghton experience was foundational for Bethany as it helped push her in her walk with God through the amazing people she met, including her husband Chris, a member of Houghton's men's program.
Bethany graduated in 2008 with a degree in communications. Today, she and Chris lead the young adults group and are on the prayer ministry team at their church near where she grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. She also works for a non-profit organization that provides services to persons with physical disabilities and empowers them to remain living in the community.
She enjoys following the Houghton women's team online, attends games when possible, and catches up with Coach Lewis from time to time. She loves to be outdoors and active and is living out her dream of being a mom to her two children.
