Student Athlete of the Week: Braden Saunders

Niwot High School senior Braden Saunders has always felt at home in the water. From the time he was five years old, slipping and sliding across his backyard on store-bought splash mats, he knew swimming was something he loved.

The early connection blossomed into a full high school career with the Silver Creek boys swim and dive team, a district program made up of athletes from Silver Creek, Niwot, Erie, Dawson, and Frederick High Schools. But it was not until his final season that Saunders decided to try something entirely new.

That was diving.

The decision came from necessity as much as curiosity. When Silver Creek's only returning diver suffered an injury just before the season began, Saunders volunteered to step up. "I knew that points for diving could really add up," he said. "So I decided to give it a shot. That way, at least the team had one diver going into the start of the season."

What started as a stopgap turned into a legitimate accomplishment. Saunders not only learned a new skill, he also qualified for the State Championship Meet and finished 16th in the 1-meter diving event at Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton on May 10.

"State is a lot higher of expectations than at a normal dual meet, so any sort of mistake I made could be a lot more of a deduction," Saunders said. "I was feeling the pressure for sure."

While his nerves were high, he leaned on support from someone close to home, his younger sister, Genevieve Saunders, a sophomore on NHS's gymnastics team and the 4A All-Around State Champion this year.

"She knows a thing or two about what I was going through," Saunders said. "Whenever I would get stuck on a dive, I would go to her for advice. She turned out to be a great mentor for me."

Saunders's debut season in diving was one of several contributions he made to Silver Creek's postseason finish. At state, he also swam in the 100-yard butterfly and was part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team, which placed tenth overall. Although he did not make it out of preliminaries in his individual event, the meet still meant a lot to him.

"Swimming felt awesome," he said. "Getting to compete with all my peers who I've been swimming with since freshman year, one final time, was a real treat and a great way to end the season."

Silver Creek ultimately finished sixth overall at the 4A state meet. Despite being a district team made up of athletes from a handful of schools, Saunders said the program always felt unified.

"In my opinion, it hasn't been any different than being on a full school team," he said. "All of us boys are just so passionate about swimming, and that connection really brings a bond between all of us. We all care for each other, no matter what school we go to."

As a freshman, Saunders did not think he would ever hit a qualifying time. But by the time he wrapped up his final high school season, he had five state cuts in swimming and one in diving. Qualifying for state in diving, especially after low expectations from both coaches and himself, stands out as his favorite moment.

"They told me at the beginning of the season that their goal was to get me to have a total of 11 different dives by the end of the season," he shared. "But I was shooting bigger. I wanted to qualify for state, for fun," He continued, "It felt good to prove to everyone that my determination paid off."

Outside of competing, Saunders shares his love of swimming with younger athletes as the coach for the Longmont CARA swim team. He also makes time to unwind with his friend group, many of whom attend other schools, by rock climbing together on Sundays.

At school, Saunders's favorite subject is math. "With math, if you get the problem wrong, you can always go back and try again using a different way," he said. "And that makes it super interesting to me."

Saunders plans to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder to study aerospace engineering. He hopes to continue swimming and diving at the club level.

Reflecting on his journey through high school, Saunders is most proud of "how much I've grown," he said. "My freshman year, I didn't think I would ever make any of the qualifying cuts to be able to participate, let alone place on the podium. But now I am finishing off my senior year with six state cuts and a top-ten finish."

For those just beginning their high school journeys, Saunders offers a reminder to "Cherish the memories you make in high school, because those moments don't last forever."