Athlete of the week: Daniel Belkin ’19

Daniel Belkin ’19 had another incredible performance at the Centennial Conference Championships two weekends ago at Ursinus College. Belkin, who is from Florence, Mass. participates in the high and long jump for his main events. He propelled the men’s track and field team to a third place finish in the Championships with 85 points, finishing behind Johns Hopkins and Haverford, respectively. Belkin won gold in the high jump with a mark of 1.9 meters, and silver in the long jump, with an impressive leap of 6.47 meters. The Garnet finished their indoor season on a high note and hope to carry this momentum into the spring outdoor season.
Ping Promrat: What is your major, and what made you decide to choose it?
Daniel Belkin: I am a physics major. I came in undecided between physics and engineering, but I was really excited about the seminar format of the upper-level physics classes.
PP: What got you into track and field as a kid? How did you find out about Swarthmore in the recruiting process?
DB: My hometown had a youth track and field league run by the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club every summer, which is how I started out. The long jump pit was right by the entrance, so that was always the first event I did. I first visited Swarthmore before I’d decided I wanted to run in college, so I didn’t actually get in touch with the coaches here until I’d already decided to apply. Once I did, they invited me to come for an overnight visit with the team, and that visit kind of cemented Swarthmore as my top choice school.
PP: What are the greatest challenges in being a student athlete?
DB: Time management is tough, of course, although it’s something you get used to.
PP: What is your favorite part of participating in the high jump and long jump events?
DB: The part where my feet are off the ground.
PP: Was it satisfying to finish in third place overall in the Centennial Conference championships? How did your personal and team finishes match up with expectations for the season?
DB: Third place was pretty much what we were hoping for — Hopkins is generally unbeatable in our conference and we knew Haverford would have a strong team as well. I’m happy with how I performed personally as well, although of course I’m always looking to jump further and higher next season.
PP: If you could change one thing about Swarthmore, what would it be and why?
DB: Pasta bar on Tuesdays.