Black Mountain swimmer signs with Davis & Elkins College

Carolina Day School senior Jacob Allen of Black Mountain signed a letter of intent to swim at Davis & Elkins College.

Allen officially pledged to the school on April 30, at a ceremony on the campus of Carolina Day School, signing his national letter of intent with the Senators. Davis & Elkins College is in Elkins, West Virginia, about two hours north of Charleston.

The Senators are in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and compete in the Mountain East Conference.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way,” Allen said. “I’m very excited to get to the next level and keep improving my swimming.”

Allen has been swimming on the Carolina Day School swim team since seventh grade, serving as a team captain his junior and senior years. As a swimmer, he received All-WNC honors in 2019 from the Citizen-Times. He was named an all-state swimmer after finishing second in the 400 freestyle relay at the NCISAA meet.

“We are really proud of what Jacob has accomplished,” said CDS athletic director Steve Henry. “He’s everything you expect from a student-athlete: community-centered, excels in the classroom, and values what the athletic experience has provided to him. We know he will do exceptionally well at Davis and Elkins.”

Since May of last year, Allen has been swimming year-round with Smoky Mountain Aquatic Club (SMAC) under Coach Charlie McCanless. Coach McCanless said, “Jacob works super hard at practice. We’re really happy to have him in the group, and we’re really happy for Jacob that he’s decided to take his swimming on to the next level at college.”

During the summer, Allen serves as a volunteer assistant coach for the Black Mountain Stingrays Summer Swim Team under Head Coach Beth Dalton and works as a lifeguard at the Black Mountain Pool.