McKeel’s Bryce Summer time is The Ledger’s Girls swimmer of the yr

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Very few athletes and groups win state titles so ultimately, all an athlete can management is placing within the onerous work and getting probably the most out that work and their capacity. So it’s no marvel that Bryce Palmer sported a broad smile when taking a look at her 2025 season.

“I’m super happy with my times at state,” she mentioned. “I was able to go a personal best for club and high school. So that was pretty awesome.”

That time got here when she swam 1:05.54 to qualify sixth within the 100-yard breaststroke and she went on to finish seventh in 1:06.24 as the best finisher for county ladies on the state meet.

Palmer is The Ledger’s 2025 Girls Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year.

Last yr, Palmer swam 1:06.40 and completed ninth on the state meet. The double enchancment in her time and placement at state made her season all of the sweeter.

“I just knew because of last year placing ninth, I wanted to place top 8,” she mentioned. “So my main goal was placing top eight, but aside from that, I was really happy with my time.”

Palmer additionally improved in her second occasion, the 100 butterfly. She certified for state within the occasion for the primary time and swam 1:02.39 to complete twenty first.

Her state end capped one other sensible season for Palmer, who set the city record in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:06.09, breaking the mark of 1:06.94 set by Lutnya Bogdanova in 2021. She additionally gained the 100 butterfly.

Palmer then gained each the 100 butterfly and 100 the county meet. She went on to win the district title within the 100 breast then completed  second at regionals. In the 100 butterfly, she completed second at districts and seventh at regionals.

With another yr of highschool swimming remaining, Palmer already has had an extended — she simply accomplished her fifth season of varsity swimming — and extra profitable highschool profession than most swimmers.

Palmer was honorable point out as a seventh-grader then was a first-team choice as an eighth-grader and freshman and is now a two-time swimmer of the yr.

Goals stay.

“I would love a 1:04 (in the breaststroke),” she mentioned. “I think my main goal is to beat the boys school record by the time I graduate, which is a 1:04. With the goals I’ve set with myself, my senior year should be a 1:03, and I might have to backtrack a little bit. I don’t know if it’s possible anymore. I want to keep a good mindset. I know it is. I just have to dig a little bit deeper. But beating a 1:04, beating the boys time, that’s the main senior goal.”

Already proudly owning a metropolis document, add one other document past a faculty document is also a purpose.

“I’m point-something off the county record (.3), and if I can snatch that up, it would be awesome,” Palmer mentioned.

Palmer is aware of that at this level enchancment is available in tiny increments however she plans on placing within the work. She mentioned her solely coaching in the mean time is swimming however she’s considering of going to the health club and including just a little weight coaching. More importantly, nevertheless, she’s engaged on her psychological focus.

“I think a lot while I swim,” she mentioned. “I’m just going and I’m going and I’m like, well, that was a bad stroke and that kick didn’t line up and my timing’s off. So something I’ve been working with my coaches is just not thinking while I swim, just trusting myself.”

Palmer, who’s contemplating operating observe or enjoying flag soccer within the spring, needs to swim in faculty, though her faculty plans aren’t finalized. She needs to be a well being science main.

Most of all, Palmer is trying ahead to having fun with her senior yr along with her teammates. Although she has loved swimming ever since she will keep in mind, it’s having teammates round in observe that retains her motivated.

“Practice can definitely be mentally challenging, and if I didn’t have teammates and I didn’t have my swim friends, I would hate swimming,” Palmer mentioned. “Because if I had a hard day or just did bad on a math test, te last thing I want to do is go to practice and be tired and then come home and do homework. But my teammates just being them and being able to splash around or just hanging out, it’s a lot of fun. It makes the practice bearable because I definitely wouldn’t like swimming if, if it wasn’t for my friends.”


This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
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