On Friday, May 3, 2019, Council Rock South seniors Jacob Roytman and Josh Belder were recognized for committing to continue their swimming careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the college recognition breakfast, please visit the Photo Gallery at the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p775859561
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Joshua Belder – Ursinus College (Swimming)
Major: Biology with Biostatistics and Entrepreneurship minors
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Stevens Institute of Technology, Temple
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “Ursinus has an incredible science program and a reputation for preparing students-athletes for medical school, which is my goal. Coach (Mark) Feinberg is an incredible coach, and the program is one that will become my second family.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in swimming at the collegiate level? “I realized that I wanted to swim in college when I realized that I feel empty and bored when I’m not doing it. Swimming is my passion and a part of who I am. I’ve had many incredible coaches that have helped me achieve this dream. I have wanted to be a college student-athlete since I was about 13 years old.”
Coach Mike Rituper: “Josh is a multi-talented athlete. He can swim just about any stroke, but he was the biggest asset in our relays. Those were his star events. At the beginning of high school, he was more of a breaststroker, but towards the end, he broke the school record for the butterfly.
“The really gratifying and exciting thing about Josh – more so than just a hardworking athlete, he’s also a very talented student. His scholarly achievements far exceed his swimming accomplishments because he’s always been at the top of his class. He wants to be a medical doctor, and he’s a very invested scholar, and on top of that, he was constantly balancing schoolwork and sports better than anyone else. Just by the nature of his well roundedness, he served as a really good role model for everyone younger than him. Not only was he one of our top performers, but he’s also in the top group with his grades, SATs and everything else, so that’s very, very impressive beyond the pool. He’s not just going to continue to progress as an athlete at Ursinus, but I also know he’s going to grow into a well-rounded member of society. I have a little bit of bias with the major he picked because I myself am a registered nurse, and I absolutely love it when I see my kids studying anything in those fields. I know he’s going to be a huge asset to the healthcare field, and he’s going to really touch the lives around him.”
About Josh:
Favorite food: Steak, Roasted Potatoes and Veggies
Favorite movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
Favorite music: Chill hits on Spotify
Jacob Roytman – Bloomsburg University (Swimming)
Major: Business/Supply Chain Management
Final list of colleges: Bloomsburg, IUP, Shippensburg, Penn State Altoona, University of Pittsburgh, Bradford
Reasons for choosing Bloomsburg: “I liked the atmosphere – how it’s small and easy to navigate. I really like the coach and the way he organizes his practices and runs his team.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in swimming at the collegiate level? “I started swim lessons when I was three with a private Russian swim coach. We were in the baby pool and the next pool over was the big pool, so I was watching the big kids swim and I really liked it. He said, ‘You can swim if you want.’ I started swimming in the lap pool when I was four years old. We transferred to another private Russian coach when we were seven, and we joined Council Rock Aquatic Club at the same time. Ever since then, I’ve been swimming competitively.”
Coach Mike Rituper says: “Jacob didn’t start in high school on the swim team. He swam when he was younger, but he was a wrestler initially. He’s always been a very strong athlete, but through the years he’s experienced plateaus and didn’t really have the exposure to the sport that a lot of others did, but he never looked for an excuse to give up on his shortcomings. That class at Council Rock South is exceptionally strong and over the years they did excel quite a bit, but despite not experiencing some of the time drops of his colleagues, Jacob was never really discouraged or down because he was not experiencing the same success as them. At the end of his senior year, it just all came together, and he dropped two seconds in his 100 backstroke, which was very significant. He had one of the biggest time drops out of anybody in that entire class, and a lot of it is due to the fact that he maintained that same mental approach regardless of how much he struggled at certain points or despite not seeing the results he wanted to. Finally, when his body was ready, it just all came together. Jacob never once gave up, and he never really was down on himself. I think the Bloomsburg coach saw that and was shocked at the progression he made in the last few months of his high school career, and they were so excited to hear about his progression and invited him on board. He is also academically inclined. I’m really excited. I think Jacob is going to have a couple of really good years ahead of him with the sport. He has one of the most intense work ethics when it comes to swimming that I’ve ever seen.”
About Jacob:
Favorite food: Chicken Parmesan
Favorite TV show: The Office
Favorite music: Martin Garrix
Greg Roytman – East Carolina University (Club Team)
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