Sera Hanagan '21 Recruiting Profile

    Being a part of a sport that is both physically and mentally challenging has allowed me to pursue so much over the years. I started swimming on a Rec team at the age of 5 and remained on that team until I was 13 when I realized that swimming is something I wanted to do at a more competitive level. So at the age of 13 I joined club swimming with Scottsdale Aquatic Club (SAC). I started off in the Pre-Senior group and within 16 months I qualified to be a member of SAC's highest group, National, after securing my Sectional cut.  Since joining SAC, I competed at Age Group States three times, finishing top 16 multiple times. and two of my relays even finished first.  I have also competed at Sectionals three times; twice in Phoenix, Arizona and one in Gresham, Oregon and was set to complete most recently in Tulsa in March 2020 before the meet was canceled . I also made it to the Arizona High School State Championships my freshman, sophomore and Junior years, and most recently finished  3rd in the 200IM and 7th in the 500 Free, and secured my first Futures cut and shortly thereafter I secured two additional Futures cut.  I was also named the MVP of the Cactus Shadows Swim and Dive team as a freshman and selected by my high school coaches my junior year to represent our team as a member of the Captain's Counsel.  Throughout these past four years of swimming club with SAC, I have learned to appreciate the importance of hard work, focus and dedication.  Being a distance swimmer has provided me the opportunity to swim the most yardage of all groups at practice, and I know for that yardage to benefit me, I must put in all my effort at each and every practice.   When I show up to practice or to a meet, I am ready to give 110 percent.

    I am also used to hard work and busy days. Practicing in the highest group at SAC, participating in high school swim, taking all Honors and AP classes, and participating in my school's Student Council, I have learned how to manage my time. One of my goals is to be a part of my school's Spanish Honors Society. I have been a part of the district's Spanish immersion program for the past nine years and Spanish Honors Society is something that would be very interesting. I am also working towards my dual literacy diploma, which means I have to get a 3 or higher on the Spanish AP test, pass the AAPPL standard test, and pass Spanish 5-8,  AP Spanish and Capstone.  Another one of my goals is to participate in the Superintendent's Challenge. If I can give 200 community service hours by the end of high school it would allow me to have a rope, signifying the achievement when I graduate. 

    Swimming is something that I love and want to continue to do for a really long time and certainly at the collegiate level. I'm going to continue to put in work, both in the water and out, to improve my times. My near term goal is to get a Junior National cut my sophomore or junior year.