Signing Day: Blue Mountain’s Powers, Swick sign Division I letters
Blue Mountain senior Cole Swick, center, poses with his parents, Jason and Jessica, after signing an NCAA Division I letter of intent to compete at Lehigh University in track and field during a ceremony Wednesday morning at Blue Mountain High School (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
ORWIGSBURG — Blue Mountain seniors Noah Powers and Cole Swick know what it’s like to compete among the state’s best in their respective sports.
Next season, they’ll do it among the country’s best.
Powers and Swick signed NCAA Division I letters of intent during a morning ceremony Wednesday at Blue Mountain High School. Wednesday marked the opening day of the NCAA’s national letter of intent signing period for non-football and basketball Division I and II sports and the early period for Division I basketball.
Powers, a two-time state champion swimmer, signed to attend the University of Virginia. Swick, who qualified for the PIAA Track and Field Championships in three events last spring, will continue his track and field career at Lehigh University.
“In the summer I went on 10 unofficial visits and I narrowed it down to three official visits,” Swick said of his college recruitment. “Really, Lehigh ended up being the place I felt most at home after those three official visits.”
The son of Jason and Jessica Swick of Orwigsburg, Cole is the Blue Mountain school record-holder in the 200 meters and 400-meter relay.
Last season, Swick earned silver medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters at both the Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships and District 11 Class 3A Track and Field Championships. He was clocked in 11.14 and 22.15 seconds, respectively, at leagues and 11.02 and 21.80 seconds at districts.
Swick teamed with Ty Blankenhorn, Chase Guers and Gaige Guers to place second at leagues (43.22) and capture gold at districts (42.13) in the 400-meter relay.
At states, Swick was 24th in the 100 in 11.00, 18th in the 200 in 22.24 and teamed with Blankenhorn, Chase Guers and Gaige Guers to take 16th in the 400 relay in 42.90. Their time qualified them for the New Balance Nationals.
“I’m going for the (district) golds and I want to place at states,” Swick said of his goals for the 2025 season. He said the fastest he’s been clocked in the 100 meters is 10.89 seconds and 21.8 seconds in the 200 meters.
“We’re in one of hardest sprinting times in Pennsylvania history. It’s hard to get there and it’s hard to do that, but that’s my goal. I want to get gold and place at states.”
Swick was a wide receiver/defensive back on the Blue Mountain football team, hauling in eight passes for 148 yards and a touchdown on offense while making 27 tackles and picking off two passes on defense. He is a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Physics Club and Varsity Club.
He plans to major in business analytics at Lehigh.
“It was close to home, that’s a big one,” the 18-year-old Swick said of Lehigh. “Really, when I was there, it was mainly the people. I really connected with the team. All of the places I was at had great facilities. I came down to where I felt most at home, and that was Lehigh.”
Powers is among the most decorated male swimmers in Schuylkill League history.
The 17-year-old North Manheim Township has accumulated nine Schuylkill League, a dozen District 11 and two PIAA gold medals in three years, winning the state Class AA 50-yard freestyle as a freshman and the 100-yard freestyle last March.
A three-time Schuylkill League Male Swimmer of the Year, he’s a two-time winner of the Dennis A. McGinley Class AA Male Swimmer of the Meet Award. In his three years at the PIAA Swimming Championships, he’s earned two gold, two silver and two fourth-place medals in individual events and two silvers, an eighth, a ninth and two 10th-place finishes in relay races.
Powers holds the District 11 AA record in the 50 freestyle (20.72); Schuylkill League records in the 50 freestyle (20.84), 100 freestyle (45.63) and 100 backstroke (52.13); Schuylkill League meet records in the 50 freestyle (21.56) and 100 backstroke (52.13); area records in the 50 freestyle (19.82) and 100 freestyle (43.82); and a bevy of Blue Mountain school and pool records. He was a member of three Blue Mountain relay teams that hold Schuylkill League and/or area records.
Powers committed to the University of Virginia in the late summer of 2023 and didn’t waiver. He’s excited about joining the Cavaliers’ program. He’s undecided on an official major but wants to pursue something in the medical field.
“Last year, right before swim season started, I did my verbal commitment,” Powers said. “I was excited. That was my No. 1 school overall. After I got the call of them offering me, I knew it was going to be where I wanted to go.
“I was happy because they had a great team already built. The kids I’m going to school with are amazing and I think we’ll have a good team the next four years.”
Unlike last summer, when he competed in national-level events, Powers took it easy this summer, competing in several YMCA competitions and long-course events with the Wilkes-Barre YMCA.
The son of Michael and Amie Powers, Noah is excited about the upcoming season, as the Blue Mountain boys look to win their seventh straight Schuylkill League dual-meet title and seventh straight District 11 Class AA team championship.
“This summer was kind of easier, mainly focused on my training,” Powers said. “I went to Wilkes-Barre and practiced with the (Wilkes-Barre Y) … did a long-course meet to help me get some better times. Mainly just looking for Olympic Trial times to make sure I have those secure and get ready for that.
“(My goals) are definitely a lot higher than every other year,” he continued. “This year I don’t want to walk away with just one (state) gold … I want to win both golds. Possibly thinking about changing my events, not sure about that yet. Definitely want to get the state records in whatever events I do and hopefully the (Bucknell) pool record. That’s been a goal since my freshman year. Big goals, but I’m excited to get back to training and back to swimming.”
