SWAMPSCOTT — High school senior, Cole Hamernick, received the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Athlete of the Year for the State of Massachusetts award, as well as a $1,500 Harry Agganis student scholarship associated with the award. Hamernick is not only an outstanding athlete, but he also excels in his academic subjects with a solid 3.8 GPA, and will study Civil Engineering in college next year.
As a captain and a two-way starter in football as receiver and cornerback, Hamernick has proven to be one of the most technically-sound defensive cornerbacks in the league. He was the key contributor to his team’s undefeated 2021 regular season. Hamernick was also selected as a League All-Star in football.
“He is one of the hardest working students and players that I’ve had in my long career, and not just in one season or in one sport, but through years of helping with youth and lacrosse, and football,” said Geoff Benett, Hamernick’s coach.
Benett said that Hamernick had always been the last one to leave at the end of practices, and the first one to show up and help. Benett was the one who suggested that Hamernick participate in the competition.
“My coach came to me during the football season,” said Hamernick. “He was like, you know, I think I’ll put you in the running for this state competition.”
Hamernick said that Benett then wrote him a recommendation letter and sent it to the MIAA along with the application, and Hamernick waited to see if he “had won or not.”
“I was in complete surprise for the month, and then the year was an even bigger surprise, I did not think I could go that far,” said Hamernick.
Associate Director of the MIAA, Peter Smith, said that every year the association selects two MIAA Student Athletes of the Month, for each month of the school year, from September through April, and Hamernick was an Athlete of the Month for February. Two Harry Agganis Student Athlete of the Year recipients are selected from those 16 students.
“The committee that selected the award recipients thought that Cole showed a great balance of excellence, in terms of academics, athletics, and giving back to the community,” said Smith.
Irene Hamernick, Cole’s mother, said that her son volunteered at a youth sports clinic and coached aspiring athletes in football and lacrosse. He also helped to coach the kids with intellectual and physical special needs at North Shore Rovers and assisted with the Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that tours the country.
Despite spending a lot of time volunteering, sports remain the focus of her son’s life. Hamernick said that he usually practices for two hours after school, six days a week. He plays football in the fall, runs winter track, and in the summer he is doing lacrosse. He said he has been involved in sports since he was a child.
“My parents have always encouraged sports since a young age, so I’ve kind of stuck with it, and I’ve always played sports for all three seasons,” said Hamernick.
Hamernick said that at first he did sports because of his parents, but then he started to fall in love with them, because they brought him “a ton of fun in his life,” and also taught him “a ton of lessons.”
Harry Agganis’ $1,500 scholarship is associated with the award, and Hamernick said that he is going to use it for college. In the fall he will attend the Colorado School of Mines to study Civil Engineering, as science is another thing he excels in.
He serves as a teacher’s assistant in Beckett’s Algebra 2 Honors course. Hamernick’s Physics Teacher, Christopher Crocker, said that Hamernick is an extremely bright and hardworking student who can learn and apply material at a very fast pace.
Hamernick’s mother said that she and her husband, Scott Hamernick, were eternally grateful to everyone who has helped turn their son into the man he has become.
“As parents we are extremely proud of how far he has come from being an energetic elementary school student to a high school scholar who balanced a tough school schedule, athletics, working, and volunteerism,” said Irene Hamernick.
Athletic Director at Swampscott High School, Kelly Wolff, said that Hamernick is a hard-working and determined student-athlete, and he is a role model and a positive influence for his teammates both on the field and in the classroom.
Hamernick’s Track and Field Coach Brian Kirkland said that it was Hamernick’s unmatched work ethic and ability to unite his peers, that set him apart from the rest.
“Very few people can positively transform a team’s demeanor in the manner he did,” said Kirkland.
Oksana Kotkina can be reached at [email protected].
