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Iowa native Payten Coates has committed to in-state Simpson College to continue her academic and swimming career, beginning in the fall of 2023.
“I am excited to announce my verbal commitment to Simpson College and that I will be continuing swim career and also continuing my education. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me through every step of my journey so far. Especially my teammates, coaches, and mostly my Mom. Can’t wait to see what the future holds. GO STORM!!!!”
Coates is a current Waukee Senior High School senior and swims year-round for the DSMY Marlins. She is primarily a freestyler, with her 50/100-yard freestyles being her best events.
Coates had a successful 2022 season, setting best times in her 50/100/200 freestyles at the 2022 Iowa Swimming Short Course Championships in February. She made finals in the 50/100-yard free, touching 18th in the 50 (24.86), and 24th in the 100 (55.75) though she hit her best time in prelims (54.63). She touched 28th in prelims of the 200-yard free in a 1:59.07, just missing out on finals.
Best times SCY:
- 50 free — 24.86
- 100 free — 54.63
- 200 free — 1:59.07
- 500 free — 5:22.44
Currently, the Simpson College Storm has a women’s team of only about 8 members. They have had much bigger rosters in the past, and Coates will be a very fast addition to the growing team; Coates’ best times would already break the school records in the 50/200/500 freestyles by significant margins. Current sophomore Kate Minette is Coates’ closest rival, owning the school record in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 54.55, just a tenth faster than Coates’ 54.63.
At the 2022 American Rivers Conference Championship, Coates would have placed first in the 50/200/500 freestyles and second in the 100-yard freestyle to Kate Minette’s school record time. Kate Minette is Simpson’s fastest performer right now in the 50/100/200 freestyle. The fastest performer in the 500 was current sophomore Bre Hinson who swam a 5:40.38 at the 2022 ARC Conference Championships to place 8th in finals.
The Simpson College women were 5th place out of 5 teams at the ARC Conference Championships in 2022, so Coates’ record-breaking times project to be game-changing for the Storm in the 2023-2024 season.
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