From water polo to track, senior Rachel Bellin has managed to be successful while having fun throughout her high school career.
She has played water polo and participated in track and field all four years at Carlmont, being the only girl hurdler for two years on the varsity track team.
“I started track because my brothers are involved with it, so it is sort of a family thing,” she said.
Bellin was awarded frosh-soph PAL champion her sophomore year for track, but was disqualified this past season for a false start.
“Getting disqualified was a really unsuccessful moment for me,” said Bellin.
However, getting disqualified didn’t stop her. She went on to secure her spot in CCS for high jump, hoping to end her track and field legacy at Carlmont on a good note.
On the other hand, Bellin succeeded in water as much as she did on land.
“I started playing water polo because a lot of my friends played, but then once they all quit I continued playing club, which took me to my first junior Olympics,” said Bellin.
This year will be Bellin’s third year at the junior Olympics for water polo, and she says it gets more exciting every year.
“My junior year we got a new water polo coach and we moved up a league, and this year we went to CCS for the first time,” said Bellin.
“Ray is the fiercest athlete and she kills her competition because she always puts 100% into workouts and meets. She’s DANGEROUS,” said Bellin’s water polo teammate Eliza Abinader.
When asked how she balances grades and sports in her everyday life, Bellin replied confidently.
“I get the best grades when I’m playing sports,” she said. “When I’m not playing sports, like during winter, my grades drop.”
Many students feel that when they are playing a sport every day after school, they are better with time management. They know how much more limited their schedules are for homework, so it keeps them focused and prioritized.
Bellin’s college aspirations are high as she moves on from Carlmont sports into her bigger and brighter athletic future.
“I am going to be playing water polo in college next school year at San Jose State University,” said Bellin.
San Jose State is ranked tenth in the nation for womens water polo, making this a prestigious honor for Bellin to be part of the team.
Not only has Bellin managed to keep herself sane every year while balancing sports, school, and a social life, she has continued to succeed in her goals as an athlete, a student, and a teammate to look up to.