Six Conemaugh Township athletes make college declarations

DAVIDSVILLE ― Six Conemaugh Township student-athletes announced their intentions to continue their playing careers at the collegiate level during a ceremony on Tuesday in Davidsville.

Ethan Black will play football at Penn State University. Jack Ankeny will golf at Division III Penn State Altoona while Emilee Roman will compete on the women's soccer team at Penn State Altoona. Hannah Swank is set to join the women's volleyball team at Division II Bloomsburg University. Tyler Weber will play baseball at Division III Mount Aloysius College, and Brook McDermott will swim at Division III St. Vincent College.

Jack Ankeny

Ankeny only started playing golf prior to his freshman year of high school. He quickly picked up the game and became a 3-year letterman and 2-time WestPAC individual champion. He also won the Heritage Conference championship as a senior and qualified for the PIAA Championships.

Ankeny helped Conemaugh Township capture three straight WestPAC team titles, along with a District 5 Class 2A team championship in 2021.

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He is looking forward to the opportunity challenge himself against top competition for the next four years while playing for coach Tom Koehle.

"Obviously, I wasn't always at this level," said Ankeny. "It's been a long journey, but I'm happy with where my game is and I'm excited for the next step."

Ankeny worked hard to better himself after picking up the game later than most golfers. It has paid off immensely.

"I was not good freshman year, but put the work in and we got here," he said. "I got cut from my freshman team and didn't ever want to feel that again so lots of hours on the range and lots of holes being played."

Ankeny, the son of Jason and Gretchen Ankeny, plans to major in kinesiology. He has a 3.6 GPA and is a member of National Honor Society, Grill Team, Yearbook staff, and is Journalism News Editor.

Ethan Black

Black is the one of the fastest athletes in the state of Pennsylvania. He won PIAA Class 2A gold in both the 100- and 200-meter dash in 2022. However, Black's true love is on the gridiron. A talented wide receiver, Black will be able to showcase his talents for coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions as a preferred walk-on.

"I grew up supporting Penn State and it's always been my dream to go play football there," said Black. "Once the opportunity came along, I just had a feeling that I wanted to follow my dream and chase that."

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A 4-year starter and letterman on the football team, Black finished his career with 106 catches for 1,810 yards and 25 touchdowns. He hauled in 56 passes for 884 yards and 12 TDs a season ago. He also played basketball at Conemaugh Township.

Black will likely be a slot receiver in Happy Valley as well as a special-teams member. No matter where he is lined up, Black is eager for what lies ahead.

"I really just want to play," he said. "I can't wait to get out there every Saturday, play at Penn State and be part of that team."

Black, the son of Gary and Leisha Black, boasts a 3.98 GPA and plans to major in pre-medicine. He is a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Serving Our Neighbors, Grill Team, Ski Club and Computer Club.

Brook McDermott

McDermott began swimming when she was 11 years old. However, she learned fast and became a 4-time district qualifier and placed third in 2021. St. Vincent was a part of McDermott's swimming growth and development. Now, she gets to call it home for the next four years.

"When I was younger, I went to a bunch of swim camps there, so I got to interact with the coach a lot and how he did practices," said McDermott of what she liked about St. Vincent. "It's similar to how my coach did everything. I really liked it and enjoyed it there. The school, in general, has a lot of focus on getting their students to be involved with everything, so I know I'll have the security of still being able to succeed."

Swimming at the YMCA, McDermott qualified for states in the mile this past season. A distance swimmer by nature, McDermott will likely compete in the 500 freestyle, 1,000 and the mile for coach Josh Gurekovich.

"The moment I got in the water, I had a connection with it," McDermott said. "I wasn't terrible when I started. The coaches just pushed me to get better and better as the years went on."

McDermott, the daughter of Dann McDermott and Melissa Fisher, has a 3.99 GPA and plans to major in psychology with a minor in forensics. She is a member of the Conemaugh Township track and field team, National Honor Society, Rotary Interact Club, Student Council, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Spanish Club, Serving Our Neighbors, Tribe Time, Scholastic Quiz Team, and Technology Student Association.

Emilee Roman

Roman is a versatile and skilled soccer player. Despite suffering a knee injury during basketball, Roman was able to compete on her club soccer team for half of the season as well as run during track and field.

She had aspirations of playing collegiately in Florida before the knee injury. She's battled through adversity and will vie for a starting spot in Altoona.

"Going off the injury, I didn't decide on a college," said Roman. "I play for a national soccer team, so going from playing all the time to showcases, I wasn't as exposed in the spring. I knew Penn State Altoona was always there. I decided to go with that with my injury to get back into it and then from there, either transfer, or if I do like it there and excel, then stay there for the rest of my career."

Roman lettered all four years in soccer, basketball and track and field, where she qualified for districts three times at Conemaugh Township. She earned all-county honors as a midfielder from 2020-22 in soccer and was also a Santa Fund All-Star as a senior.

She is hoping to make a name for herself at Penn State Altoona under coach Pam Snyder Etters.

"It will be fun to play in the conference and be a star freshman, come in with high hopes of getting to be where I want to be and playing a lot," Roman said of what she is gearing up for. "Being a starting freshman ... that's pretty good."

Roman is the daughter of Eric and Michele Roman. She carries a 3.9 GPA and plans to major in kinesiology and communications. She is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Technology Student Association, Rotary Interact Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, band, choir, Grill Team, National Honor Society, President of Student Council, Serving Our Neighbors, Spanish Club, Scholastic Quiz Team and Photojournalism Editor.

Hannah Swank

Swank missed her entire junior campaign due to a knee injury. She came back with a vengeance and helped Conemaugh Township capture its first WestPAC Championship. The squad also won a District 5 Class 1A championship and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals.

A 6-tool player, Swank finished with her career with 669 kills, 237 service points, 133 total blocks and 112 assists. She paced Conemaugh Township in kills with 390 in her senior season. Swank was hooked instantly with what Bloomsburg had to offer.

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"From the second I walked on to Bloomsburg's campus, I knew that is exactly where I could see myself," said Swank of her decision. "I stepped on the campus ... I knew. It felt like home, and the team was so welcoming. I love the coach. The coach reminds me a lot like my mom."

Swank's mother Laura has coached her throughout her high school career. Swank is a 2-time Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association selection as well as a 3-time all-county and all-district honoree. The 5-foot-9 middle hitter is hoping to continue to make an impact at the next level.

"I'm really looking forward to the competition," she said. "I have some friends that I know from other travel teams that I will be competing against. I'm super excited to be able to compete."

Swank is the daughter of Mike and Laura Swank. She boasts a 3.8 GPA and will major in exercise science. She is a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, Grill Team and National Honor Society.

Tyler Weber

A lefty with power is any college baseball coach's dream. Mount Aloysius head coach Kevin Kime got himself a good one in Weber, who finished with a .428 batting average, 71 hits, 79 RBIs, 49 runs scored and a .571 on-base percentage for his career.

"It's a successful program, so I'm just looking forward to getting to play baseball while getting a good education," said Weber. "I really like Coach Kime and coach (Pat) Gully. They were both really welcoming. I'm just looking forward for the next four years."

Weber, a two-time first-team all-county selection as well as an all-conference selection, will likely play first base and be a designated hitter in college. There is also the potential for him to throw some innings. Ultimately, the Mount was the right fit for Weber.

"I like how it's far enough from home, but not crazy far," he said of the college. "I like their field. It's a nice field and they have nice facilities, also."

Weber is the son of Jason Weber and Danyelle Baxter. Weber has a 3.7 GPA and plans to major in physical therapy. He is a member of Serving Our Neighbors, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Computer Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on Twitter @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: 6 Conemaugh Township athletes to continue careers at collegiate level