Alden Ehrhardt '21 Recruiting Profile

Over the course of my senior year, I became aware that swimming is something that I need in my world to maintain balance and to reach my life goals. This became known to me amid the COVID-19 pandemic when training opportunities were rare and when the notion of having a senior year of swimming seemed unlikely.  Swimming has been my favorite activity in high school, but it was not until it seemed gone that I came to understand how important it is to me. I spent last summer leading swimming friends in open water training sessions on local ponds and quarries and maintained a dedicated weight training effort all the time. Working on our family farm also helped keep me focused and in shape and I was able to pursue training with other local dedicated swimmers for a few weeks in an outdoor pool. I started to break my PRs easily in those sessions which made me excited for my senior year.  I then had a successful and fun, short season of varsity high school soccer where I was a captain, but then unfortunately the public health outlook became so bleak that swimming was put on hold.  This period put me in a mode of soul searching in which I discovered the importance of swimming in my life. 

My goal in college is to prepare myself for a career in dentistry. I want to take classes what will also challenge me in improving my critical thinking skills and to gain awareness and confidence.  I know that swimming needs to be an integral part of this journey to help maintain balance, focus and self-discipline. I feel I have a lot to achieve yet in swimming as I started in the 9^th grade and am from a small program.  I feel I have the physical and mental tools to excel in this sport and I enjoy the journey of getting there through hard training.    

Another aspect of swimming that I love is the team culture.  I have really enjoyed receiving and providing challenge and support for my teammates. My best friends in high school are on the team and I know these are going to be lifelong friendships. Swimming is an awesome sport because it allows you to exceed individually while also developing a strong team bond. I am a team captain this year and I feel that we have developed an amazing bond this year in particular as we work together to achieve team and individual goals for all members regardless of ability or experience.

In summary, I feel I can make a solid contribution to a college swimming program with my drive, hard work and focus. I know that I can also contribute positively to team culture and am excited at the prospect of moving to the next level in college.