Kaden Sanger (12) is making waves beyond the pool as he prepares to attend Luther College this fall, where he will join the Norse swim team as a collegiate athlete. He is known for his silly and loud personality, but he also always has an incredible work ethic. Sanger has been a driving force in his high school swim career and is excited to study elementary dducation and swim at the NCAA Division III level.
Sanger began swimming competitively at just 7 years old, inspired by his older sister, who encouraged him to give it a try after she started diving due to an injury that didn’t allow her to do gymnastics anymore.
Sanger said, “Once she got to college, I started looking up to her much more. She became a collegiate athlete, and that made me want to push myself even more.” His sister held most of the WHS diving records in 2019, which were only broken during the 2024-25 season.
Coach Trevor Timmons (staff) said, “Kaden has always been the life of the party at practice. He knows when to be serious and he knows when to be silly.”
Of all his high school memories, last year’s conference meet stands out the most. Sanger said, “It was definitely my favorite meet because it was the first time we’ve ever won something like that.” Sanger played a major role in the team’s success, finishing as the top point scorer, earning all-conference honors and proudly donning the “Moose Hat” — a fun team tradition. He also served as captain during his senior season, a role he embraced with pride.
Lucas Penn (11) said, “Having someone like Kaden on the team is great. If he misses a practice, everything is different.”
“Being captain meant a lot to me,” Sanger said. “It wasn’t just about leading cheers or hyping the team up. It was about being someone the younger swimmers could count on, both in practice and at meets.”
Sanger has always considered being a teacher, but it wasn’t until this year that his idea turned into his dream. He said he wants to change lives and be a role model for younger kids. He took Teacher Cadet this school year and spent his gold days at Grandview Elementary as a student teacher.
“Surprisingly, I’m actually very excited about college and the upcoming swim season. I already have many friends on that team, and I’m excited to continue those relationships,” Sanger said.
