Athlete of the Week: Matthew Su

The Hopkins men’s track team continued its historic run this past weekend by clinching its eighth straight Centennial Conference indoor championship. The Jays traveled to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. and took no prisoners on their way to the top of the podium.

There was no shortage of impressive performances from the Jays. 

The team racked up 212.5 points over the course of the weekend, 73.5 points more than the second place Ursinus College Bears and just 2.5 points shy of the Centennial Conference record of 215 that Hopkins set back in 2018.

Leading the Jays both on the track and in the locker room is senior Matthew Su. Since arriving on Homewood, Su has made his presence felt across the Centennial Conference and across the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

In 2017-2018, Su earned First Team All-Centennial honors and was an NCAA qualifier in the long jump along with earning Second Team recognition in the 60-meter hurdles. 

He followed up those performances with All-American honors in 2019-2020 in the long jump. 

During the indoor season, Su placed seventh in the country in the event before taking fifth place in the outdoor portion of the year.

Su was once again a key element of the Jays’ success during the Centennial Championships. 

The senior compiled high marks across the four events he competed in, placing third in the 60-meter dash, eighth in the high jump, second in the long jump, and third in the heptathlon. 

Across the seven events of the heptathlon, Su took first place in the 1000-meter, the long jump and the 60-meter hurdles; second place in the shot put; third in the pole vault; and fourth in the high jump.

For his outstanding performance this past weekend, and most notably for finishing the first day in first place, Su can add being named The News-Letter’s athlete of the week to his lengthy list of accomplishments. 

The News-Letter spoke with Su about his performance over the weekend, as well as his feelings throughout the weekend’s various events.

The News-Letter: How did you feel going into the Centennial Championships this weekend? Were you confident that you’d be able to perform as well as you did? 

Matthew Su: I was nervous but ready for the Championship meet. I try not to think about the results too much and just do my best to prepare properly for the meet.

N-L: Which events were you most excited to take part in, and which were you the most concerned about your performance in? How did that affect your preparation for the competition this weekend?

MS: I’m always the most excited for the long jump because that is my main event. It just means that I try to plan my preparation around the long jump.

N-L: What was it like competing on this stage? Did you consider yourself a favorite or frontrunner? Did you feel pressure to win, and how did that motivate you?

MS: I try to not be overconfident. I never look at myself as a favorite... Everyone is the same at the start of the meet. That being said, I still always want to win.

N-L: How did it feel to finish the first day in first place? Was that where you expected to be? Did you make any adjustments during the day that helped you end up there?

MS: It was exciting to be where I was. My day one tends to be my stronger day so it was not a major surprise.

N-L: Were there any specific events you feel you could have performed better in, or any events where you really feel like you excelled in more than you usually do?

MS: I was off from my record in the long jump by a good margin, so I definitely think I could have performed better there and I always want to. I definitely performed well in pole vault. I was not expecting to clear what I did with the time conflict with open long jump on day two.