Graduate student sprinter Daniel Harrold lives in the Bobcat track and field record books. Already owning the Texas State and Sun Belt Conference records in the 60-meter hurdle with a time of 7.63 seconds, Harrold set a new record of 7.62 seconds at the 2024 Sun Belt Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.
According to Harrold, his love and passion for track came from opportunity. After competing, though, he started noticing how much more complete the sport made him.
“I’d say fate really led me [to] an opportunity to run track and I fell in love with it from there,” Harrold said. “I love the fact that it’s about bettering yourself and creating opportunities when they present themselves.”
Although Harrold’s records are extensive, only his coaches and teammates understand what dedication it takes to be a successful student as well as a track star.
According to Texas State Assistant Track and Field Coach Trent Edgerton, Harrold has a great character and work ethic and pays close attention to detail.
“Daniel is a great person off the track,” Edgerton said. “Truly a leader, very well-spoken, and is somebody who really wants it. He works hard on and off the track, he takes care of himself and his body, and does all the little things right.”
Edgerton said Harrold’s competitive spirit sets him apart from others, and it’s something that certain people naturally have.
“That’s exactly what he is, a true competitor,” Edgerton said. “That’s something you can’t make in somebody… it’s something you either have or you don’t and Daniel has it.”
Harrold said his relationship with Edgerton started shaky at best, but over time its grown to a successful and healthy relationship.
“There was definitely a clash of opinion to start… that’s something I think over the last couple of years has grown stronger,” Harrold said. “Our relationship has flourished and thrived since I’ve been at Texas State.”
According to graduate student and fellow track star Dominick Yancy, Harrold is a great competitor and friend who pushes his teammates to be better.
“Daniel is a competitor… We’re always bumping heads and trash talking each other, but in a friendly and [motivating] way,” Yancy said. “At the same time, he is very supportive and a genuine dude.”
Yancy said Harrold trains in ways others cannot see, putting in the extra work while also taking care of his body.
“He’s a hard worker, doing stuff behind the scenes that you won’t normally see. Everyone else just comes for practice, but sometimes he’ll stay after and get on the bike,” Yancy said. “He takes his recovery very seriously. He eats well and clean.”
Harrold described his friendship with Yancy as a close bond as they make each other better overall.
“My relationship with [Yancy], he’s like my brother,” Harrold said. “We’re really close on the track, always messing around. There’s always a friendly competition and I think that passion to be a better person and athlete is something we both feed off of.”
Harrold said he stays motivated through his relationship with God, as their relationship continues to push him through the grueling track seasons.
“It’s all God, man,” Harrold said. “Honestly, I focus a lot on my spirituality and my connection with God throughout the entirety of the season. I take it one day at a time, one meet at a time and one rep at a time. I let my faith and spirit guide me every day through every race.”
After graduating college, Harrold said he has no plans on leaving the world of track and field either as a competitor or exploring a coaching or mentorship role in the future.
“Later down the road I do plan to get into some type of coaching or mentorship. Leadership is something i’ve always been naturally drawn into… for now, track is the thing, and track will allow me to reach people in ways I’d love. I’ve always been someone who wants to inspire global change,” Harrold said.
