Catching up with our Alumni...

Sera Hanagan
Fresno State University - Freshman

How did SAC help you prepare for college swimming?

SAC helped prepare me for college in many ways.  First by taking us to many big meets such as Sectionals, Futures, and Juniors.  It prepared me to know how big meets are fun.  I was also prepared for practices because we specialize in events and got used to hard training.  SAC coaches were always so helpful when it came to the college recruiting process.  They were willing to reach out to schools for me and help communicate with college coaches.  They made sure I was on the right track when it came to the recruiting process. 
 

What has been your best memory as a college swimmer?

One of my favorite memories as a collegiate swimmer is competing to beat other teams.  During college, meets are more focused on competing against the other team team and that is different from club swimming.  This helps bring you closer as a team and makes the sport more of a team sport.  One of my favorite memories is beating UC Davis for the first time in program history.  This was our senior day and it just made the meet so special.  
 

What has been your biggest challenge as a collegiate swimmer?  What helped you overcome that challenge?

One of my biggest challenges is learning how to balance school and swimming.  College is a lot harder than high schooll when it comes to academics.  Learning time management was difficult with 20 hours of practices per week and having 6 classes.  This is something that I learned over time.  Everyone is doing the same thing as well so you can lean on your teammates for support.

What advice do you have for swimmers going through the college recruiting process now?  

Some advice I would give swimmers going through the process now is to know what you want.  Research schools and talk to a lot of coaches to find out what is truly important to you.  Something that was important to me was a school that cared a lot for their athletes and athletics was a high priority.  A second priority of mine was an outdoor pool.  These are things you find out during your calls.  I also recommend reaching out to people that are on the team so you can hear directly from them about how they enjoy the school.  

Swimming in college is one of the best decisions I have made.  It has brought me some of my closest friends and I wouldn't change anything.