Girls sports can often be overshadowed by boys sports at Jones College Prep, but when you look closer, they are thriving. With the girls’ varsity swim and dive team being one of the many highlights, they are taking their fall season by storm and are still moving forward.
The Jones-Payton Varsity Swim team got second in their conference and third in cities. They’re now preparing for sectionals where they will compete against better teams than the ones they’ve gone against previously.
The girls team’s progress is not just a reflection of their previous work, but a motivator for the next season for them to do just as well, if not better, than they’re doing this year.
Nicole Riegert has been the head coach of the team for the past four seasons. After losing a large group of outstanding seniors last season, the team worried about rebuilding.
“We lost a pretty large group of seniors last year, and they were really strong, both in and out of the pool,” said Riegert.
Even with the loss of these seniors, the girls still managed to thrive, building upon itself from the start of the season to now by players on the team who stood up as leaders and uplifted their teammates.
We were excited to see the upperclassmen kind of rise to the occasion and be leaders… and we rebuilt a new team culture,” said Riegert.
The girls are setting high expectations for next season by breaking school records and planning to get many state qualifiers this year.
“So we are trying to get our first relay team ever to state and we’re also trying to get our first athlete ever from Payton to state,” said Riegert.
With the team’s optimistic environment, the players feel motivated and supported by coaches and teammates both in and out of the pool.
“We have a positive mentality, and we support each other in every single way through the like, the good and the bad.” said Jones varsity swimmer Felicja Sadkowski ‘28.
Our coaches keep us motivated through positive self-talk and letting us know when we’re doing a good job and also where we can improve.”
This attitude doesn’t just stay within their community but they try to do the same for the teams they compete against by showing good sportsmanship to form relationships while still being fierce competitors.
“No matter what team we’re going against, we always show good sportmanship. We high five the other team, we smile, we tell them good luck. And even though in the water, we’re obviously opponents and trying to be each other the second we touch the wall, we are best friends, and we always support each other no matter what,” said Sadkowski.
This season has gotten the girls excited for the next, from the meets to the sense of community, and want to keep this headstrong attitude for the rest of their time in high school.
“I think this season has really helped me build up a good foundation to have a strong senior season. I’m really excited to finish off on a strong note,” said Payton varsity diver Madeline Masel ’27.
With sectionals coming up the Jones-Payton girls are sure to do well and make it to state this year with the support of their families and other supporters holding their team together.
“I just have immense gratitude for everybody who’s shown support for our team this year,” said Riegert.
