FROM THE NEST | SPRING 2023 | 33 hockey semi-professionally, and he has a lot of injuries and scars. He got me into tennis and I ended up liking the social aspect when I would go and play with friends. I got started from a young age, around 5 or 6. I didn't take it seriously until I was around 14 or 15 when one of my coaches that I was working with was like, ‘You know you have an opportunity to play college tennis if you really wanted?’ How much does Lehigh’s new head coach impact you? There’s a lot of question marks at the start of the season whenever you have a new coach. But the first couple weeks I knew that Coach [Craig Schwartz] and I already had a great relationship, and we clicked together really well off the court. And … I’m able to talk to him a lot on the court, even when I’m laser focused. I know he has great advice. He has a lot of professional experience himself, and it’s always nice to have that in your corner whenever there’s tough situations. You briefly quit tennis? I did. I was like 13. I played soccer in eighth grade when I didn't want to play tennis. At that time I was really struggling when I was playing tournaments. I just didn’t like the losing aspect of it, which was very tough on me mentally. My confidence would go down. I'd put it all on myself instead of just treating it like a game. I was still young, and I was putting way too much pressure on myself. … After a year I got back into tennis. That time helped me a lot and remembering that it is just a sport and I’m supposed to have fun no matter what. Did you play sports other than soccer and tennis? I was always a fan of basketball. I loved watching the Bulls. I'm from Chicago. So going downtown to the United Center, that was fun. But it's just soccer and tennis. —Stephen Gross As a first-year player at Lehigh, Marc Blekhman ’25 notched eight singles wins and a team-high 13 doubles victories, finishing the season with six straight doubles wins in league play with partner Jeremy Learner. Blekhman’s performance earned the Illinois native Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the first Mountain Hawk to ever win the award. He was also named Second Team All-Patriot League and received Patriot League Academic Honor Roll honors. Major: Finance, but I’m looking to double major in finance and business information systems. What would be your dream job? A world-class chef. I started cooking lately so I might have to put my tennis on the back burner. What else are you involved in on campus? I’m a member of [the student- athlete group] T.I.D.E. (Tackling Inclusion, Diversity and Equity). We meet once a week on Thursdays and it’s nice to be part of something on campus with other student athletes who aren't in my sport. What got you started in tennis? My dad wanted me to play a sport that wasn’t as injury prone as the one he played—he played The conversation with Marc continues at: go.lehigh.edu/blekhman From Quitting Tennis to Rookie of the Year, Marc Blekhman Excels on the Court STUDENT ATHLETE PROFILE STEPHANIE VETO
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