Former Student-Athlete Spotlights (June 2026)
Would you like to be featured in the next 'Block S' Club Alumni Spotlight? We'd love to share your story! Fill out the interest form HERE and we'll be in touch! We plan to highlight one men's student-athlete and one female student-athlete each quarter. Read our last alumni spotlights here.
Jarret Eaton '12Â
Track and FieldWhen you think of speed, precision, and perseverance, you think of Jarret Eaton. A two-time USATF Indoor Champion in 60-meter hurdles, Jarret Eaton is an all-star competitor. Before winning a handful of gold, silver and bronze medals in the USATF Indoor Championships, World Indoor Championships and Pan American games, Jarret was a rising star while competing for Syracuse. Â Â
Growing up in Abington, Pennsylvania, Jarret began his career at West Chester University, where he quickly proved himself as an elite runner. At West Chester, he became an All-American in the 60-meter hurdles and 110-meter-high hurdles. He then transferred to Syracuse University, where he continued his success by becoming the first individual NCAA champion for Syracuse Track and Field. That same year, Jarret went on to win the 60-meter hurdles at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships, so it came as no surprise that Jarret was later honored as the Syracuse Male Athlete of the Year, Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and Male Performance of the Year at the 'Cuse Awards.
Jarret set school records that rank among the best in the school's history with the indoor 60-meter hurdles (7.49 seconds) and outdoor 110-meter hurdles (13.44 seconds). He was a USTFCCCA First Team All-American and dominated Big East competition, winning conference titles and consistently performing at the highest level nationally.
Jarret's path to the professional world of track seems like it should have been easy route. After breaking school records and being honored as an All-American, you'd think the path to the Olympics would have straight and narrow, but it was anything but that.
After graduating from Syracuse with a degree in Public Health, Jarret continued to train with Syracuse for a year and a half to prepare to race professionally. College athletics provides student-athletes with countless resources and support, and after graduation, reality hit. Jarret was left without a sponsor, a coach, and without a job.
At times, track began to feel more laboring and stressful instead of enjoyable like it once was. From training with without a sponsor or coach to finishing last place in the 2014 U.S. Track and Field Indoor Championships, there were moments in his career that felt like he was taking a step forward and then being pushed two steps back. However, those low moments did not define him. They were setting the foundation to lift him up higher.
Along the way, Jarret reconnected with Lawrence Terry, a track coach who previously recruited Jarret for school. Lawrence took on the responsibility of being Jarret's new coach, helping him improve on a few technicalities that improved his speed and confidence. These new skills led to him being favored to win the 2014 U.S. Track and Field Indoor Championship for the 60-meter hurdles. Although Jarret had a fall during this race which put him in last place, Jarret turned around and won the event two years later with a time of 7.52 seconds, which qualified him for the IAFF World Indoor Championships. He later earned gold, silver, and bronze medals in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022 USATF Indoor Championships. He also raced in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016 and 2021; an accomplishment that is considered one of the hardest all-around team selections in sport.
Jarret's story shows the importance of believing in yourself even if the circumstances around you are not in your favor. Training without a coach or sponsor while working on a limited income would make the average person give up. But average people don't compete at the Olympic level. With the support of his family and belief in himself, Jarret continued to establish himself in the world of track and field Today, Jarret works as a sprint coach helping the youth reach their dreams of competing at the highest levels like he once did. Jarret's impact on Syracuse is still evident today and we are happy to call him one of our own Orange alumni.
Stay connected with Jarret on Instagram: @jeaton22
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Rachel Park Hurt '03 G'04Â
SoftballA second baseman and four-year starter, Rachel Park Hurt, made a name for herself nationally while competing for Syracuse Softball. While elevating herself in her athletic career, she was simultaneously establishing herself in the classroom.
Outside of the competitions, Rachel was locked in and focused in her academics, earning five Big East Academic All-Star honors and nine Athletic Director's Honor Roll selections. Her academic success ran in parallel to her on-field success. By the end of her career at Syracuse, she was tied for the school's all-time hits record with 164 and was ranked among the top five in numerous statistical categories, including batting average (.294), runs scored (74), total bases (211), and RBIs (56).
As with any athletes, playing a sport doesn't come without any adversity. Whether coming from injuries, playing time, difficult coaching, diversity is bound to happen. For Rachel, that adversity showed up when she tore her ACL, not only once, but twice. The two ACL injuries not only halted her softball career but also restricted her from joining the US Air Force after being a part of the US Air Force ROTC at Syracuse.
Season-ending injuries can cause athletes to lose hope and lose interest in academics, their sport, or hobbies. Rachel chose to remain resilient and keep hope alive. Despite the injuries and the setbacks, Rachel continued to push herself forward, continuing to pour deeply into her academic studies and her sport.
Rachel's hard work paid off when she was named the first Syracuse softball player to receive the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She graduated cum laude with degrees in political science and history, as well as a master's in public administration from Syracuse's Maxwell School in 2004.
After Syracuse, Rachel attended and graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2007, where she was a member of the Tennessee Law Review and Moot Court - Constitutional. She distinguished herself as an Articles Editor for the Tennessee Law Review, a member of multiple journals and moot court teams, and a recipient of awards for excellence in legal writing and Supreme Court decision-making.
Her legal career started with a clerkship for Justice Cornelia A. Clark of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Rachel entered private practice, where she is a highly skilled litigator focusing on insurance defense, medical malpractice, healthcare liability, and regulatory law. She has secured more than 20 favorable appellate decisions along with numerous pre-trial dismissals in both state and federal courts.
Over the years Rachel has been honored with countless professional recognitions and honors including but not limited to, "Best Lawyers – Women in Law" in 2020 and 2022, "Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year (Health Care – Knoxville) every year since 2022, and Donald F. Paine Lawyer of the Year Award in 2012, and more.
Syracuse Athletics is honored to call Rachel one of our own. As a Syracuse alumna and a member of the softball team, her legacy lives on today, paving the way for this program's continued success on and off the field. Rachel is an inspiration to student athletes everywhere that adversity and setbacks don't have to define you; it can uplift you and push you to reach new heights.
Archived Alumni Spotlights:
March 2026
December 2025
September 2025
July 2025
