(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Times News is running a series of stories on former area athletes and what they have been doing since graduating from high school. The subject of today’s “Catching up With” is former Tamaqua High School track and field standout Noel Powell)

By Rod Heckman

rheckman@tnonline.com

Two years ago, Noel Powell received an email from Bucknell University congratulating him on being inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Powell’s initial reaction was disbelief, thinking he didn’t deserve such an honor.

But to those who competed with him and against him while in high school at Tamaqua, and those who followed his achievements at the collegiate level, the more appropriate thought could have been, ‘What took so long?’

As years slip away and memories become more distant, it becomes easier to forget what Powell did on the track while a member of the Blue Raiders. The 2000 graduate won six individual state medals (no other Times News area male athlete has won more than three), including one gold. He also earned six individual District 11 gold medals.

With the Bison, he captured six Patriot League gold medals, was a three-time NCAA regional qualifier and still holds three school records.

Quite an impressive resume.

“I got an email ... I always get newsletters and stuff from college and when it popped up I was like, wait a minute I can’t skip through this one because I know this person’s name,” said Powell recently. “So I read through it. First of all it said I want to congratulate you, and I said wait, congratulate me for what?

“It took a moment to kind of sink in, and then when it said go to the (Bucknell) Hall of Fame, I was like wait, what? And the thought running through my head was, but why? You kind of know why, but you don’t really think of why. And then I got a call (about it) the next day ... and all the feelings of college and track just came back in my head and I was like, yeah I did that, I remember that.

“It’s crazy because some of the athletes they’re reading off and all the things they accomplished is astonishing if you think about it. And then to be put into that same list of some of these people, it’s kind of surreal. It kind of feels like you accomplished something ... you fit in with a bunch of people who have done amazing things at that level.”

High School Memories

Powell did some amazing things before landing on campus at Lewisburg.

And if it wasn’t for an injury his sophomore year of high school, he might have accomplished even more.

Originally from Jamaica, Powell was always fast. But it took some time for his quickness to translate into success on the track.

“I think in Jamaica, we always ran so that was literally our national sport. As a child growing up, we always played tag at recess. You played in the backyard with your friends or whatever. I was fast then, but you don’t think about it as fast compared to everyone else. You were just fast amongst your friends.

“As a kid you don’t know how to run, but you just run. You just run as fast as you can. Someone said why don’t you run track. So I did that a little bit along with football and soccer ... When I started off (in track), I wasn’t the fastest. I wasn’t quite sure what shoes to wear, what to wear in general. The track here was all cinders, so you had longer spikes and you had to hammer in the blocks. I started off young. A lot of people were ahead of me, juniors and seniors, and they were really good, so I always just had the thought process of trying to catch or beat somebody in front of me.”

As he learned more about the sport and coaches worked with him, he started catching and even passing those people in front of him.

Anticipating a promising sophomore season, Powell instead found himself sidelined with an injury he suffered while jumping.

“It was (a disappointment) because after my freshman year, I kind of felt I knew what I was doing,” he said. “It was kind of a bummer, because I finally figured out that I wanted to be better. I was looking forward to the next season but then the next season didn’t happen.”

Powell, however, rebounded to have an outstanding junior campaign. He won three individual gold medals at both leagues and districts (100, 200, long jump) and earned three medals at states, including second in the long jump. His senior season was even better, once again taking all three events at leagues and districts and gaining a first, second and third at states.

“(States) was super intimidating (my first time there),” said Powell. “It was just chaotic out there. It was exciting and intense, but also nervewracking ... I had less nerves my senior year. I obviously was more confident since you knew what you were doing. You understood what it was all about ... I knew what events were happening next and where I should be. You can actually focus on you as the athlete as opposed to all the stuff going on around you.

“I was second (in the long jump) the year before, so absolutely I wanted to get first the next year. You want to get better. You want to represent your school, your family and friends as best as possible.”

To this day, Powell still holds the Tamaqua school records in the 100 (10.7), the 200 (21.7) the 400 (50.7) and the long jump (22-5 1/2).

Bucknell Bound

While many know Powell ended up at Bucknell, few know that his primary sport was supposed to be football. And hardly anyone knows that Powell wasn’t even aware of the Pennsylvania university.

The speedster, who was a wide receiver and defensive back at Tamaqua, received offers from prominent schools like Boston College, Wisconsin and West Virginia. But in the end, the financial package at Bucknell was too good to pass up.

“Most of what I was offered was for football, because football was the main sport they recruited me for,” said Powell. “You didn’t get too much track recruitment, maybe you do now, but back then it was mostly football.

“The bigger schools were offering around 20% and we couldn’t afford the rest. When Bucknell showed up, I didn’t know much about them. They came to my house and offered something like 97 percent of my schooling. I said I don’t know where you are but I’m coming. I know you have football and track there, and we’ll figure it out. The school was amazing. I couldn’t have prayed for anything better than that.”

Powell had a rocky freshman season on the Bison football team. First, they had him playing in the secondary before realizing that he was better on offense as a receiver. The switch in position midway through the season left him behind in learning routes and he didn’t receive much playing time.

In track, however, Powell had an impressive first year and it quickly became apparent which sport he should continue to pursue.

“Eventually the question came up whether I wanted to do football or track,” said Powell. “Track and field was the natural way to go. They kind of slid my scholarship from one place to the next. That obviously made it a lot easier choice and it was probably one of the better decisions I’ve made.”

Powell verified that the decision was the right one by having an outstanding sophomore campaign. He ended up winning three individual events at the outdoor Patriot League meet, setting a meet record in the 100, and was also on a winning relay team. That performance earned him the Track Athlete of the Meet. He captured two more individual titles in his junior year, and was named the Christy Mathewson Award winner as the top athlete in the Class of 2004.

“Honestly, you don’t think you’re going to go there and have (all that success),” said Powell, who still holds the Bucknell record in the 100 (10.52), outdoor long jump (24-10 1/2) and indoor long jump (25-0). “I just thought, I’m here now and I’m competing. I just want to do the best I can. Our coaches were brilliant. They taught you to be faster than you thought you could be.”

Life after college

After graduating from Bucknell, Powell started his first job at Kidspeace. He was there for six years, working as a counselor, a crisis worker and an assistant supervisor. He then moved on to Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit, and worked as an emotional support interventionist at Lehigh Learning Achievement School. Six years later, it was time to move on again.

“After 12 years of being in the mental health field, it can be a little draining, so I wanted to do something different,” he said.

The former track star is now employed at ADP (a payroll company in the Lehigh Valley) and works in the insurance field dealing with workers compensation for different companies. He enjoys his job and lives near Walnutport. He has two children and is engaged to be married.

As for sports, the Tamaqua grad participated in flag football and basketball and also played on his church softball team. He’s also done a little coaching and works out when he can.

“Life is great,” he said. “I can’t complain too much. I take it one day at a time.”

One of those days was more special than most others - when he entered the Bucknell Hall of Fame. Amazingly, he got to share the moment with a fellow Blue Raider track standout.

Tricia Plasko Rocchino, a 1992 Tamaqua graduate who also won state gold in high school and captured 10 conference gold medals at Bucknell, was also inducted in 2018.

“We sat down and talked a little bit (at the induction ceremony), and it was actually pretty awesome,” said Powell. “We’re both from Tamaqua, that’s just nuts. We’re from a small town, and to both end up at Bucknell and then to both be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the same time ... You can’t even write stuff like that.”

Powell admits he tries to follow both Tamaqua and Bucknell sports as best as he can, and has been impressed with the recent success of the Raider football team. He also likes the new track and wishes he would have had the chance to run on the all-weather surface.

“Standing (outside the Tamaqua Stadium) and having a conversation about my time here from 20 years ago is something else,” said Powell, who spoke highly about his track coaches Phil Houm and Dave Keich. “It’s been a crazy ride.”