​What is Jones Payton Swimming?

The Jones Payton Boys Swimming and Diving team is a competitive no cut COOP between Jones College Prep and Walter Payton College Prep. The team competes in the Chicago Public League and also the IHSA. Our focus is on building well rounded student athletes that compete for City, Sectional, and IHSA championships. ​

The  Jones Payton Swimming and Diving Team is one that builds not only specialists, but well rounded swimmers. The goal at JP Swimming is to focus on mechanics, training, race strategy, nutrition and discipline in order to compete at the highest level.

Throughout the season, swimmers through three distinct phases: Endurance, Power, and Taper. These three phases will allow all athletes to achieve peak conditioning for each individual's taper meet. 

JP Swimming and Diving - Program Goals

As stated above, and in the documents each swimmer received, below are the four primary goals for Jones Payton Swimming and Diving

100% Lifetime Best Swims

Every team member will finish the season with 100% lifetime best swims. This is not an easy feat, but if each athlete commits to the team concept and works to JP Swim Standards this is not only completely doable, but is expected.

Multiple IHSA Qualifiers/Scorers

Every year my goal is to win the IHSA State Championship. This starts with qualifying for the state meet, and then scoring at the state meet. While wining it all is the loftiest of goals, I believe that striving for the impossible is the first step towards achieving. 

Highest Athletic GPA

Both Jones and Payton are two of the finest schools in not only Illinois, but the entire country. I fully expect this team to have the highest GPA of any team at either school. We do keep a grueling schedule but disciplined athletes are also disciplined students. 

We Are 1 Team

While we come from two buildings we are one team. It does not matter which building an athlete comes from, each member of JP Swimming and Diving has a support system that will push them to be the best athlete, teammate, and student possible. 

Head Coach Paul Anderson
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Coach Anderson is entering his first year at the helm of the Jones Payton Boys Swim team​. He brings extensive head coaching experience, He grew up in the sport of swimming and turned a passion for the sport and competition into a career. He spent 9 years coaching both boys and girls swimming at with the Addison Trail/Willowbrook Coop and also with the Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club. He also serves as the Vice President of the Illinois Swimming and Diving Association. Coach Anderson believes in deliberate practice, attention to detail, and getting athletes out of their comfort zone. He has coached numerous IHSA State Qualifiers, IHSA All-State Selections, All-America Selections, and one IHSA State Champion. On the club side, he has worked with numerous Elite Athletes at CWAC and has helped funnel swimmers to AG state, Speedo Sectionals, Junior Nationals, and Futures. More information can be found regarding Coach Anderson's credentials within the "News" tab of this website. ​

 Assistant Coach Lauren Vrettos

Coach Vrettos has spent almost her entire life involved in Illinois swimming. As a high school athlete she was a school record holder and IHSA qualifier at Maine South High School, and later continued her swimming career at Eastern Illinois University. As a Panther, Coach Vrettos (Then Zillmer) was a school record holder, All-Summit League, and a House of Champions finalist. 

Coach Vrettos is also the head girls coach for the Jones-Payton coop, and has rewritten the record board in her two years at the helm. 

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Diving Coach Mike Borge

Coach Borge has worked with the Jones-Payton divers for a number of years. He is not only the head boys diving coach, but is also the head girls diving coach. Coach Borge brings a wealth of experience as not only a diver, but as a gymnast.