FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Kadence Shaner, Greencastle

Kadence is a senior at and participates in two sports, golf and tennis.

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Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?

Kadence Shaner: “I feel they’re important to me because I’ve been playing them for a while. Obviously academics top that as I want to go to school for archeology but they play a huge role in my life. Golf has really impacted me because my grandpa got me into it and I’ve gradually gotten into it and gotten better at it.”

BG: Talk about each of your sports.

KS: “I have been playing golf since before middle school and I’m hoping I can go to college for it. My low score is a 39 and I hope to beat that and the school record. I got into tennis freshman year and will be playing varsity on the team this year.”

BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?

KS: “A couple of times, I’ve hit someone with a golf ball while they were in their cart. I’ve also hit a port-a-potty with a golf ball but thankfully no one was in there.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

KS: “First, I want to go to the driving range as I want to hit as many ball as I can within the time frame. I start with my sand wedge as it’s smaller and I can work my way up to my driver. I love to use my driver on the course. Typically I’ll go over to the green, do a lot of chipping, do four-foot putts and go out as far as I can on the green.

BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?

KS: “Not particularly. Golf is more fun to play than to watch but I do like to watch the LPGA.”

BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?

KS: “I do FCCLA, a family community volunteer thing where we do things like gather supplies in baskets for the homeless and things like that. I was in Art Club for a while, though we didn’t have a whole lot of meetings for that. I did jazz band for three years and was in a group called ACORN, which worked on parks and stuff around Danville and Hendricks County.”

BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?

KS: “I like to read a lot of mystery books, taking pictures and traveling, which we do all the time outside of school.”

BG: What are your favorites in movies, TV and music?

KS: “My mom are really into ‘Twilight.’ I love the show ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and we watch a lot of mystery crime shows. My favorite music is rock. I’m really into Greta van Vleet right now. I really like Led Zepplin and things like that are right up my alley.”

BG: Are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies or stream something from YouTube, Twitch etc.?

KS: “I like watching TV and watch a lot of TV shows. I don’t typically watch the news, though dad tells me stuff that’s happening.”

BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?

KS: “I don’t know if I would ever go through with it but I’d like to go skydiving.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

KS: “I’m very claustrophobic. I don’t like being in or put in tight spaces. It freaks me out.”

BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?

KS: “Probably seafood. I really like salmon and shrimp. Broccoli, mashed potatoes, corn, stuff like that, and sweet tea. I can make most of those and I’ll figure it out.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

KS: “I have two boxers, a white boxer, Duke, and a brindle and white boxer, Titan.”

BG: If your house were on fire, all living things were already out and you have your keys, cell phone, wallet/purse etc., what is one thing you would go back and get?

KS: “I have this box that has a lot of personal items in it. I would save that, definitely.”

BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?

KS: “I would consider myself an optimist. I’m really confident in things and hope for the best. I don’t like to look on the downside of things. Even when I’m out on the course and doing awful, I still try to stay positive. You don’t want your opponent to see that you’re irritated. You want to hide that.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

KS: “I love going to the Smokies (Mountains), seeing the black bear, staying in Pigeon Forge, staying in a cabin, going to Gatlinburg, where there is this think called the Anakeesta that takes you to the top of the mountain where you can see everything. It’s beautiful.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

KS: “We went to Holiday World one time in eighth grade. That was nice. We haven’t done a lot of school field trips lately.”

BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?

KS: “I have some friends that have supported me, but I’m mostly self-reliant. It’s always been my parents’ support over anyone else’s.”

BG: Describe your overall school experience, both academically and athletically.

KS: “It’s been interesting. I think it’s been pretty good. My high school experience has been way better than the middle school experience. I’ve gotten to do things I wouldn’t have done in middle school but there are some downfalls to high school.”

BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?

KS: “Archeology. Just because that’s what I want to do. To be completely honest, and I did a paper on this, we should definitely have a sex education class. People don’t know anything going into high school and the health class doesn’t teach much. Some people would enjoy taking the class, even if it sounds silly.”

BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?

KS: “I plan on getting a bachelors degree in archeology and would like to become a curator in a museum or go out traveling, digging up tombs and stuff like that.”

BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?

KS: “Sometimes. My junior was the most difficult because I was taking AP and dual-credit classes. It was hard to keep up when you had sports that started right after school and we got home at 8 p.m. For the most part, it hasn’t been too bad, especially golf. Tennis has been a little worse with that.”

BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?

KS: “Mr. Hankee is a math teacher and is really considerate. He’s been on of the greatest influences on my high school years.”

BG: After college, if you had your choice, would you want to live in the mountains, on the beach or in the neighborhood?

KS: “Mountains, definitely. I’m not a people person, so I would like to be up in the mountains, away in a cabin where it’d be pretty peaceful.”

BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?

KS: “Is has definitely gone fast and once it’s over I’m definitely going to miss it, but as of right now, I’m just ready to get started with my career.”