Soren Stanton '22 Recruiting Profile

I grew up playing many sports. My grandfather was a football and wrestling coach and my mom played basketball and swam in high school.  When I was 3 I learned to ice skate and joined a competitive “mini-mite” hockey team when I was around 5. From ages 6 to 13 I played Travel A ice hockey.  When I was 5 years old I  joined a summer rec swim team and  during my elementary years I played youth league soccer and baseball. When I was 13 I decided to focus on swimming and devote my energy to the sport I loved the most—I am drawn to the fact it is both a team and individual sport.

When I started high school (at age 13, yes I am young for my grade but that means I will have my best years during college swimming) I joined my first club team, Walnut Creek Aquabears. I had done Fall swimming with Mike Heaney at Aquabears for years but decided to go year round when I started high school. Joining that club team was the best decision I ever made. My freshman year in high school I made Varsity,  one of maybe three freshman to Varsity letter. I earned the Most Improved Award that year—the only freshman on my team to make an NCS Consideration time (100 Breast SCY). Sophomore and Junior year swimming were cancelled but I am looking forward to senior year. 

Since going year round I have realized I want to swim in college and am focused on that goal.  I am undecided on my future studies but I want sports to be in my life somehow. That may be sports management or sports broadcasting  and I am currently very into photography and thinking that might be a good career goal for me. I am deciding between a  Journalism or Art/Photography degree.-

During the current COVID-19 pandemic I focused on  my mental health. I realized how much swimming means to me and will make it part of my adult life as well.   I realize I need to get my times down but I believe I can. I have added a training program (Aquabred with Piankhi Gibson) to my swimming regime and I have already gotten stronger. My times are finally starting to come down again. I have never been the big voice in the room, or the chatty teammate, but I lead quietly and by example. I am the observer who takes everything my coach tells me to heart. I have a lot of potential and can’t wait to swim in college. I am not ready to be done with swimming and can't wait to swim for your team.