Name: Payton Dorman

School: St. Charles East, junior

Sport: Swimming

Why she was selected: Dorman placed third in the 50-yard freestyle (24.12) and third in the 100 freestyle (51.96) at the St. Charles East hosted sectional swim meet. Chronicle sports reporter Jacob Bartelson caught up with her to discuss her season and more.

Bartelson: What does it mean to you to qualify for state?

Dorman: It means a lot because last year I came close to the state cuts in my individual events but didn’t quite make them. I took that failure and used it as my fuel to motivate me this season and it has really helped me push myself during practice. We also lost a few of our key swimmers last season, so coach [Adam] Musial worked really hard to make workouts and practices that would put us in the best position to make state. Being able to take his hard work and apply it to reach our desired end goal was very satisfying.

Bartelson: What about this particular season to you has been most impactful/meaningful and why?

Dorman: This season has been by far the best season I have had both socially and performance-wise. Over the past few years, I have had some ups and downs with swimming and whether I would continue. This season, I realized that I didn’t want to continue swimming if I wasn’t going to give it my all. Throughout the season, I worked harder in the pool and the weight room than I have in a long time. Putting in this level of effort again helped me to remember how good performing well made me feel. Combined with the amazing family environment that our team has and having my drive back, this season has been one that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life.

Bartelson: What have you learned about yourself as a competitor?

Dorman: Ever since I was younger, I have always been able to swim my best in relays, especially as the anchor. I perform best in high pressure situations and when there are people counting on me. Unfortunately, when it was time to swim individual events, I was never able to find that same energy. This season, I realized that before my races I had to have a different mental strategy, so I focused on the fact that people were counting on me, whether it was a relay or not. That, and the fact that I really wanted to do well for myself, has helped me find that drive and energy before my individual races.

Bartelson: Who is your favorite athlete at any sport or level?

Dorman: My favorite athlete is Caleb Dressel. I got the chance to meet him and listen to him speak about his experiences when I was 12. He had such a positive outlook on training and racing in and out of the pool. After that, I’ve always enjoyed watching him race.