Sevastopol senior Caitlyn Hasenjager (center) signs a National Letter of Intent to compete in women’s swimming next season at Southwest Minnesota State University, while her mother Tanya (left) and father Trevor Hasenjager look on during a signing ceremony Jan. 8 in the Pioneer Room. Photo by Kevin Boneske.
Caitlyn Hasenjager will keep on swimming next year at Division II Southwest Minnesota State University. The Sevastopol High School senior signed her National Letter of Intent Jan. 8 to join the school’s swim team and pursue a degree in exercise science with an emphasis in athletic training.
“I just love the team there,” Hasenjager said. “They’re just a family, and I just loved everything about the campus and everyone there.”
Hasenjager is a four-year varsity letter winner on the Door County United (DCU) cooperative high school girls swimming team and has also been a part of the Door County YMCA (DCY) club swim team since the second grade.
Sevastopol Athletic Director Brooke Tanck said Hasenjager is a “great example for all student-athletes at Sevastopol – at such a small school where these opportunities are out there for every athlete, if they have the right mindset and work ethic.”
Hasenjager’s accolades include All-Bay Conference honors the past three seasons and two trips to state. Last fall, she was part of all three of DCU’s state-qualifying relays and a state qualifier in the 100-yard breaststroke.
DCU coach Kelly Oram-Rankin said Hasenjager has a “drive and motivation that is difficult to find in any athlete anywhere.”
“Caitlyn leads her team to be the best that they can be,” Oram-Rankin said. “She never wavers in her dedication, and always remains focused on what her ultimate goal is.”
Hasenjager plans to swim the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley in college, and hopes to be in the team’s relays.
Hasenjager is now swimming three to four days a week and will continue to swim with DCY until March, before taking a break from swimming this spring when she will be part of Sevastopol’s girls track and field team.
Hasenjager will be among the 7% of high school athletes in the nation to participate in college sports and part of the 2% of student-athletes who are awarded some form of athletic scholarship each year.
The scholarship she will receive at Southwest Minnesota State University will depend on her club swimming times this spring, said her mother, Tanya Hasenjager.
