Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week: Kyle Algrim, St. Charles East, swimming, senior

Name: Kyle Algrim

Sport: Swimming

Why he was selected: Algrim placed sixth at state in the 500-yard freestyle and broke the school record in the 200 individual medley at the IHSA state swimming meet.

He was chosen Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week by voters in an online vote. Here is his Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Medaling in the 500, how did you feel about how you swam and what does getting sixth mean to you?

Algrim: I was very happy with my swim. The field was very competitive and I moved up two places from the prelims. Getting sixth to me means that I found a way to improve from the day before, beating out two competitors to score more points for my team. Only three more hundredths of a second separate sixth and seventh. Swimming in such a close race is very enjoyable.

You broke the record in the 200 IM. Was that a mark you had your eye on and what’s the feeling about doing that?

Algrim: I’ve had my eyes set on that record for a long time. I knew that I was capable of breaking it, so I set my mark faster than the record. My goal was to place top eight, which required going about 1.5 seconds faster than the record. When I finished my prelims swim and saw my time I was happy that I broke the record, but I still wanted to be faster.

How did the season go otherwise?

Algrim: The season went really well. We had a great season and I had lots of fun with my teammates. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season. We beat our rival St. Charles North in our dual meet, which was very exciting. I enjoyed working with my coaches and celebrating our team accomplishments. I look forward to continuing my swimming career at Virginia Tech next fall.

How did you get started swimming and what about it do you love?

Algrim: I got started with swimming when I was 6 years old on our neighborhood swim team. One of my older brothers was on the team and I always loved playing at the pool. After finding success there, I joined a competitive club, SCST. I love the competition and community within swimming. It is an individual and a team sport. You train with your teammates and you score points for your team, but in the water it’s you against everyone else. The competition is what drives me to want to be better. And the community is amazing. Everyone across the state is friends with one another and are happy for each other’s accomplishments.

Have you done any other sports?

Algrim: I played water polo my freshman year. And before that I played soccer and football in elementary and middle school. I loved all of the sports that I played, but swimming was where I was the most talented and I never wanted to give up the water, so that’s where I stayed.

What’s your favorite movie and/or TV show?

Algrim: My favorite movie is “Cars 2.” My favorite TV show is “Peaky Blinders.”

What’s your favorite subject in school?

Algrim: My favorite subject in school is math.