WENDELL - Macon Crowder used to be a baseball player who enjoyed summer league swimming. Today he is a fulltime swimmer, who still enjoys baseball, now from the bleachers.

On Nov. 9, he sealed his swimming future by signing a National Letter of Intent to swim for the East Carolina University Pirates.

“Since I was 12, I wanted a swimming scholarship,” he said. “My aunt went to ECU, and she’s happy that I am going there. I’m happy too.”

Crowder, 17, started swimming in the summer leagues when he was a little kid, and began swimming year round to stay in shape to play baseball. Eventually swimming took over.

Today he swims for YMCA of the Triangle and East Wake High School.

“Even though YOTA offers bigger events, I wanted to swim for East Wake to contribute to my high school team,” he said.

It is hard to participate on both teams, but he makes it work by training with his YOTA team, and participating in swim meets with his Warriors teammates.

A sprinter who is training for longer distance events, Crowder focuses his training efforts on both endurance and speed.

“When I train for sprinting, I practice my breathing and turns,” he said. “I focus on endurance and learning to go the distance for the longer events.”

Les Turner, head swimming coach at East Wake High School said Crowder is training for 500-meter racing.

Despite working hard to conquer distance, Crowder’s favorite event is the 200-freestyle.

“It’s a longer race, but I can still sprint,” he said.

It’s also a mental challenge.

“I like to always stay out in front,” he said. “In shorter distances, if I get behind, it’s a lot harder to catch up. In longer races, I have more time if I get behind.”

Crowder’s best finishes so far are 4:39.60 in the 500 free and 1:42.20 in the 200.

“I love racing, competing, and making friends, even on other teams,” he said.

On the YOTA swim team website, head coach Chad Onken posted comments about Crowder and three teammates who have signed letters of intent to swim for college teams.

“These swimmers are wonderful examples of student athletes,” he wrote. “They’ve performed well in the pool and in the classroom.”

Crowder, who has a 3.75 grade point average, credits swimming with giving him good time management skills.

“I have to focus on both school and swimming, and I know I have to make good grades,” he said.

Going to college is bittersweet for Crowder. On Nov. 9, he signed alongside his longtime friend Jonathan Waszak, who signed to play baseball for Western Carolina. They’ll be going their separate ways after high school graduation.

“We’ve been friends since the sixth grade,” Crowder said. “It meant a lot for us to sign together.”

Crowder plans to major in exercise physiology at ECU, and he has goals for the Pirates when he joins the team.

“I want our team to place in our conference and make it to the NCAA playoffs,” he said.

But he’s taking things one step at a time, and tries to follow the advice he offers others.

“Keep working at it. Hard work really does pay off in the end,” he said.

Crowder would know. It is paying off for him.