Hannah Swale ’26, a first year from Allentown, NJ, scored 2,905 points in the pentathlon at the Bison Open. She placed second at the meet, surpassing the Swarthmore program’s previous record of 2,693 by over 200 points. The first year finished top three in three out of the five pentathlon events. She placed second in the 60m hurdles with a time of 10:05 and second in the 800m with a time of 2:42.14.
Abby Chang: How do you feel about your performance this weekend?
Hannah Swale: My performance this weekend was a little surprising for me because I’ve been hurt for the past two weeks, so my goal for this weekend was simply to not get more injured. So all week before the event, I was rehabbing and resting. Thankfully, the day of the event I was in no pain and was able to get a new personal record as well as the school record.
AC: What are some of your goals for the season?
HS: My goals for this season are to stay healthy, get faster and stronger, and keep having fun with the team and in the sport in general. I, of course, want to get PR’s in my events and keep performing better each weekend, but that isn’t as important as staying healthy and keeping the injuries to a minimum.
AC: What has been one of the highlights for the team so far this season?
HS: I think a highlight for the team so far was Early Return (when some of the student athletes come back to Swat from winter break to begin practicing and competing about a week earlier than everyone else). Not everyone on the team came back early, but for those of us who did, it was a really great time to have together and bond as teammates.
AC: What is your favorite thing to do with the team outside of practice?
HS: I love getting dinner with my teammates and chatting outside of practice, and it is truly uncanny how much of the team studies in Cornell every day after practice, so seeing them there is always a good time.
AC: Why did you choose Swarthmore?
HS: I chose Swarthmore because I wanted to attend an academically rigorous school where I could pursue all of my interests and continue to do track and field. Looking back, Swat really was the best choice for me, and I’ve definitely grown to love it here.
AC: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore?
HS: My favorite class I’ve taken so far would have to be the film class I took last semester. It was a first-year seminar called Women and Popular Culture, which content-wise was so interesting, and my classmates and professor made it such a good experience.
AC: Favorite Dining Center bar?
HS: I like taco bar or Caribbean bar best.
