By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
ATHENS — Athens senior Evelyn Panek was drawn to Juniata College originally by the coaches, and decided to spend the next four years there on the swim team because of the campus and the people.
Panek recently signed a National Letter-of-Intent to swim at Juniata in a brief ceremony in the high school gymnasium.
"The (Juniata) coaches contacted me, and I went to an open house," said Panek. "I met the coaches and coach Kyle (Russell) and coach Ashley (Derrick) and they were the nicest people I've ever met."
Ultimately, the atmosphere on campus sealed the deal for Panek.
"I chose Junietta because of the campus and the people," she said. "As soon as I got there, the faculty, the students, and the coaches, everyone was so friendly.
"I felt like they all want to see me succeed in athletics, as well as academics," Panek added.
Panek said she was look at other options, but the academics drew her back to Juniata.
"I looked at other schools, but not specifically for swimming," she said. "I was really interested in attending a few bigger schools, but I ended up choosing Juniata because of the POE (Program of Emphasis) system they have, where you basically build your own major.
"I was also impressed with their alumni network," she added.
Athens coach Mark Keister has no doubt Panel will be successful at the next level.
"She already has a good drive and stroke mechanics," he said. "She is going to continue to get stronger, which is an asset to a sprinter."
Keister believes Panek may end up being a versatile swimmer for Juniata.
"Depending on the needs of her new team, she may need to branch out and do additional strokes," he said.
"She has been a good flyer for us, and I've always believed that she could develop her backstroke and breaststroke," said Keister.
"College teams often have their swimmers narrow to specific events, yet having a swimmer that can fill several roles is a benefit," he noted.
"I would not be too surprised to see her in several events that she didn't do regularly at the high school level," added Keister. "Regardless, she will rise to the occasion."
Panek said she'll have a busy summer getting ready to swim at Juniata.
"I'm going to be lifting in my off-season, and trying to get in the pool as much as possible.
"I do track, so I'll kind of give my body a break from it, but still try keep my strength up for it," she said. "And then over the summer, I'll compete and practice."
Panek, who swam on a pair of school-record relays at States last weekend, said her high school success lit a fire in her.
"It made me realize that I wanted to continue, and it wasn't just a sport to me," she said. "It's my lifelong passion, and I've been doing it for so long, I just couldn't imagine not doing it."
Panek will be majoring communications, focusing on Public Relations and Media.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Evelyn Panek. ... PHOTOS PROVIDED.
