Halvaks joined the Chapman cross country/track coaching staff fresh off graduating from Cal Lutheran University in 2012. While at Cal Lu he ran four years of cross country and long-distance outdoor track, setting a personal best in the 8K with a time of 27:37 and currently ranks eighth in Kingsmen history with a 9:32 mark in the 3000 meters. Halvaks was named to the SCIAC All-Academic Cross Country team in 2011 and serves on the NCAA Division III Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He was SAAC president for the SCIAC (2010-11) and at Cal Lu (2010-12). The OC native graduated from Woodbridge High in Irvine in 2007.