Kyle Sorensen is all about the team. In an individual sport like swimming, the team is rarely the focus. But the junior on the Wisconsin swim team takes a different approach.
?Much of my improvement has been due to my teammates,? Sorensen said. ?The people I train with day in and day out have made me improve immensely.?
Since winning the Illinois state championships in the 50- and 100-meter freestyles for Palatine High School, Sorensen has steadily improved his personal times to become one of the Badgers? top swimmers.
Earlier in the season, he won several meets against in-state opponents UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee, as well as Arizona. He has cut over a second off of his 50-yard time, and this past week at the Big Ten Swimming Championships in Minneapolis he helped the Badgers finish fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Sorensen will be looking to follow up on his success in the Big Ten Championships at the NCAA Championships in late March.
?Our relays have a very good chance? of making it to finals, Sorensen said. ?We’re looking to final in the 200 and 400 free relays.?
On a team with just one senior (swimmer Nick Bennett), Sorensen will have some of his younger teammates looking up to him in the big meet. That won’t be a problem, however, according to his fellow swimmers.
?He’s a really cool guy,? freshman Fraser Roberts said. ?He’s definitely one of the guys you look to when you’re having a bad day, whether it’s in the pool or out of the pool.?
While Sorensen may be looked up to by his teammates, he admits they?re his biggest inspiration as he continues to train for the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer.
“We have a good group competing in the trials, so we’ll be training in Madison,? Sorensen said. ?It’s the biggest meet I’ve ever competed in, so I’ll be busy.?
Without any expectations, Sorensen says he is just looking to do his best and have fun. With all the accomplishments he has received, having fun and being a good teammate remain his biggest concerns.
In a sport where individual improvement is stressed, Sorensen leads his team by example.
?I like to think I’m a leader,? Sorensen said. ?That comes naturally with being one of the oldest on the team.?
Sorensen and other members of the Badger swimming and diving team will be competing in the NCAA Championships March 27-29 at the University of Washington in Seattle.