Tallin Kunz, a Senior at Payson High School, took first at the Utah State 5A Championship Swim Meet in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 56.69. This is the first state title that the Payson High School swim team has ever claimed, adding extra sweetness to the victory.
Tallin began swimming competitively at age 10, following in his older brother’s footsteps. When his brother moved up from the Payson City Summer Swim Team to swim on the UV Aquatics club team, Tallin followed and soon began to pick up speed. Now, seven years later, Tallin holds all of the individual records for boys swimming at Payson High School. Being such a fast and versatile swimmer has opened up many opportunities for him and he has committed to swim for Brigham Young University.
“I like how (swimming) kind of just brings people together,” Tallin said. “Swimming is a little bit more of a niche sport and your teammates and competitors are not just temporary; they’re friendships that last a while. It’s really cool that I can make good relationships not just with my teammates but my competitors as well.”
Tallin is a 4.0 student, and says that he is working hard to balance his academics and athletics. He said he hopes to be involved in the sport for a long time to come. His mother, Kimberly Kunz said that her son has goals of swimming in the Olympics.
“I want to stay involved with something that keeps me active and involved with sports and people,” Tallin said. “I really enjoy teaching and coaching. I want to give back to the sport.”
Outside of the pool, Tallin likes to spend time with his friends and family. He enjoys watching sports, especially swimming, whenever he can. He is looking forward to the future both in and out of the pool.
