Athlete of the week: Josh Powell ’18

Swarthmore men’s tennis have had an excellent season this spring. The team won their first eight conference matches and currently sit at an 8-1 conference record and a 12-11 overall record. Key to the Garnet’s success has been Josh Powell ’18. The senior from Norwich, Conn., added to his career accomplishments by picking up Centennial Conference Player of the Week honors for the week of April 23 after going 4-0 in his matches during that week. The Garnet are currently ranked at 16th nationally as they enter the Centennial Conference tournament. They begin the tournament with a home match against Haverford on Saturday, May 5.
Jack Corkery: What is your major, and what led you to choose it?
Josh Powell: I am an engineering and computer science double major. I started taking engineering classes because I was interested in a technical major that puts a lot of focus on building tangible things. Later on, I took the introductory computer science classes and enjoyed them so continued taking them.
J.C.: How did you decide to attend Swarthmore?
J.P.: I was really interested in a liberal arts school where I could study engineering and play tennis. I also loved how close the tennis team was and the overall team dynamic.
J.C.: How did you begin playing tennis?
J.P.: My dad is a really big tennis fan and a former college player. We started playing tennis when I was very young.
J.C.: What was it like being named Centennial Conference Player of the Week?
JP: The team had two big wins that week against Mary Washington and Franklin and Marshall. I was happy to be a part of that and see the tennis team rise to no.16 in the national rankings as a result.
J.C.: How do you feel about the team’s chances in the Centennial Conference playoffs and the NCAA playoffs?
J.P.: The team is confident because we have had a strong season but we recognize that we will have to win two tough matches in the Centennial Conference playoffs. We are really just focused on the Conference playoffs this weekend right now and if we win, we will start thinking about the NCAA tournament.
J.C.: Do you have any post-graduation plans?
J.P.: I am planning on travelling after graduation and will start working at Uber ATG as a software engineer at the end of July.
J.C.: What is one thing that you would change about Swarthmore?
J.P.: I am lactose-intolerant, and I wish there was non-dairy ice cream in Sharples every night.
J.C.: What is your favorite Swarthmore tennis memory?
J.P.: My favorite memory was the tennis trip to Southern California this past spring break. We had some really good results. However, for me, the highlight was spending time with the team off court, from getting Korean BBQ to just relaxing after a match.