Congratulations Kale Halfacre
Every year, we honor Colorado water polo players who embody the optimistic and competitive spirit of Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Big Waves is proud to announce Kale Halfacre as one of the recipients of the 2025 Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Water Polo Scholarship!
Pictured from left to right: Danny Hruby (2022), Joshua Warren (2024), Kale Halfacre, and Jack Klein (2023).
In the Pool
Kale, a 2025 Eaglecrest High School graduate, has been playing water polo since the age of 9. He’s grown into a fierce competitor and leader in the water.
And he’s making quite the waves. His team claimed first place at the 2022 Junior Olympics (Session 3 Gold Division) and finished second the following year. At Eaglecrest, his team earned two state championships (2022 and 2024) and was runner-up in 2023. Individually, Kale was honored as Defensive MVP three years in a row.
Off Deck
Off the deck, Kale’s interests go beyond water polo. He served as the manager for the girls’ swim team, participated in Mock Trial, and is a proud member of the National Japanese Honor Society. He also has a passion for playing in the orchestra.
This fall, he plans to attend Connecticut College, where he will join the water polo team and play in the orchestra. He plans to major in government and psychology and is an aspiring lawyer.
Finding His Flow
Like many high school students, he found it challenging to balance sports, life, and school. Kale’s schedule swelled with AP and concurrent enrollment classes, his off-deck interests, and water polo.
But he found his flow in his sophomore year. He explains, “My sophomore year science teacher helped me in a lot of ways. He noticed I struggled with getting my homework in on time. He scheduled a conference with me to see what the problem was. We talked it through, and he helped me make a plan that worked for me. I started keeping an agenda of all the things I had to do for the next class and for all the upcoming deadlines. I kept a strict schedule at home to make sure I could get through everything. Soon, I used this method for all my classes. It helped me to stay on top of my studies while still being able to participate in all the activities I enjoyed most, like water polo and Mock Trial.”
A Mentor in the Making
Kale’s making big waves, lifting others up, too. As a team captain, he has guided freshmen in fundamental skills such as treading, passing, and shooting. You’ll often see him jumping into the water with younger athletes during Saturday scrimmages, teaching them positioning and strategy firsthand.
His leadership style is approachable, supportive, and grounded in the values of respect, honesty, and integrity—principles instilled in him by his coaches and family.
Coach Kyle Davenport remarked, “He is consistently positive and helpful, always willing to lend a hand with whatever we need. He supports his teammates and is happy to provide guidance to younger athletes. We can count on Kale to help his teammates refocus and bring practice back to a positive and productive space. He also sets an excellent example by not allowing outside distractions to interfere with practice.”
For Kale, water polo is more than just a sport; it is a gateway to confidence, community, and priceless lessons in integrity and perseverance. As he heads to Connecticut College, the Big Waves team is excited to cheer him on in the pool, in the classroom, and eventually, in the courtroom.
Congratulations, Kale!