Savannah Schwartz, Guest Writer
Carlos Belosta Manchon is about to graduate from Newman University, but his soccer career will long be remembered.
Belosta Manchon, who has been captain of the Newman soccer team for the past two years, scored 10 goals and 23 points during his senior season, which tied Newman's school record. Two of his goals were game-winning goals, also the most on the team, and he also achieved two hat-tricks in which a player scored three goals in the same match.
Velosta Manchon said it will be difficult to leave football, but he is looking forward to the next chapter in his life.
“I thought not having football in my life would be even worse than it is now, but at the moment
“I'm more relaxed and have more time for myself,” he said.
Belista Manchon was born in Barcelona and raised in Madrid. She moved to Miami at the age of 13 and lived there until she was 15. She then returned to her hometown in Spain, after which she attended college in Newman. He was scheduled to play four years, but ended up playing five years because his second season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The year before I turned five wasn't very good,” he says. “I thought, 'I have another one, so I might as well play it.'”
Velosta Manchon played in all 17 games during his senior season, starting 15 of them. He won his GAC/MIAA Offensive Player of the Week title twice and was named to the conference's second team. He said one of the most important roles he played was that of team captain, which was voted on by coaches and players.
“I think being a captain is a pretty special accomplishment and it's nice to be recognized as a captain,” said Velosta Manchon. “It's an honor, but it doesn't really matter who the captain is. Even if I wasn't the captain, I probably would have been one of the leaders.”
Belosta Manchon, who works on campus as a graduate assistant in sports information and communication, said he is pursuing a master's degree in data science and hopes to pursue a career in sports data analysis for soccer or baseball after graduation.
In my free time, I like to play pickleball, tennis, and watch TV. If you want to beat him at pickleball, you can catch him at Wichita State University, Chicken and Pickles, or his Sedgwick County park.
Velosta Manchon said he enjoyed playing alongside his younger brother, Miguel Velosta Manchon, who is also a sophomore on the team.
But he also grew closer to his teammates, who made him feel at home even though his English wasn't perfect.
“It's easy to adapt because being here on the team makes you feel like family,” he said.
PHOTO: Photo courtesy of Newman Athletics
