Senior Spotlight - Joshua Provost

Hazleton, Pa. - As we resume our senior spotlight, we hone-in on graduates from the fall semester. Today's highlighted alum is Joshua Provost from Hazle Township, Pa. Provost was a mainstay on the Penn State Hazleton golf roster for four seasons and captain of the squad for the past two years. During his final season, Provost turned in an average score of 84 throughout the team's six official matches helping the Nittany Lions to a second place finish in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. Throughout his career, Provost could always be counted on to turn in score when his team needed it. He had the uncanny ability to shake off a big number, turn in a solid scorecard and above all else, always did it with integrity, respect for the course and his opponents.

In the fall of 2019, Josh wrapped up his collegiate career, graduating with a degree in Business Administration. Provost is a four-time member of the PSUAC Academic All-Conference Team, made the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National All-Academic Team on two occasions and earned Dean's list status five times. Currently Josh is looking into earning certifications to work with Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems as well as electrical work and would ultimately like to work as a supervisor in the field of maintenance or construction.

We caught up with Josh to reminisce about his time at Penn State and his time on the links:

What has been your favorite memory while participating in athletics at Hazleton?

Going out to nationals at University Park. I got to bond with teammates while we were staying overnight for a couple of days and every year, we got the three days of golf on the Blue Course. It was always something I looked forward to.

What advice do you have for your younger teammates or recruits on the golf team?

Practice hard. Think through your shots before you hit each one. You don't have the luxury of knowing how your all of your teammates and opponents are doing in real time so even if things aren't going your way on a given day, you still need to compete and grind out the best score possible. Every shot counts in team competition.

How did being an athlete make you a better student?

When I came to school my goal was to be successful in the classroom and on the course. Being an athlete helped drive me to be successful in class since I knew I could afford to let my grades slip.

If you could play any other sport, what would it be?

I'm working on becoming a professional cornhole player. Unfortunately I don't think there's much money in that.

What shows are you currently binge watching? Which one is the best?

I watched all four seasons of Money Heist in two weeks and I took in Tiger King in just one day. Other than that, I like to watch a lot of Discovery Channel and Destination USA shows.

What is the best class you took while attending Penn State Hazleton?

Kines 88 with Jason Martonick. I got to learn about the history of the game, play golf at the same time and I counted as gym credits! I also enjoy math and finding solutions to problems so Business Calculus with Gina Monks was another favorite of mine.

What role will golf play in your life going forward?

Well, since you can pretty much play golf for your entire lifetime I look forward to continuing to play the game. It taught me a great deal about respect and valuable etiquette skills that have helped me become a better individual off the course.

Are there teammates, coaches or family members you would like to thank for having a positive impact on your playing career?

My family has always helped me so I definitely want to thank them. Also, thank you to coach Jason Martonick and all of my teammates for such a great time!