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As the oldest of four girls, Payton Tomichek (WTN 19.6) is the first athlete in her immediate family to go through the college recruiting process. She sought advice from others, and many told her to reach out to a lot of coaches.

Four-Star Payton Tomichek Signed with SIUE
© Contributed Photo

Tomichek emailed as many schools as she could that matched her interest. She received a response from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville head coach Adam Albertsen and they scheduled a phone call.

“I remember immediately as I got off the call telling my mom, ‘I love this coach. He has a really nice personality.’ We just got along really well,” Tomichek said. “He stayed in touch with me and made sure to check in with me. That was a big difference. Some other coaches disappeared and others stuck with you. He was one who stuck with me.”

The first impression was a lasting one as the four-star senior from Brentwood, Tennessee signed with SIUE when the signing period opened last week.

“The atmosphere is great at SIUE,” Tomichek said. “I was so nervous going on my visit because it was my first and I didn’t know what would happen. But they made me feel really comfortable and really part of the team when I was there.”