Gilmer County resident, Payton Woodring, age 11, swam to a 13th place finish for 11 yr old girls at the The Eastern Section Southern Zone Age Group Championship held at Georgia Tech from 3/12-3/15.
Payton swam the 50 yd butterfly and the 200 yard backstroke, after qualifying for the meet during the 2014-2015 Short Course season with her USA Swimming team, The Carpet Capital Aquatics Club, based in Dalton. Payton has swam with Carpet Capital for the last three years. Carpet Capital sent 10 swimmers to the meet, which included the qualifying swimmers from all over the Southeast region.

Payton put up a personal best time in the 200 yard backstroke finishing with a 2.56 sec drop over her previous time of 2:12.20, set at the Georgia Age Group Championship at Georgia Tech on 2/2/13/15. Payton finished 4th in the State with a 28.44 sec personal best in the 50 yd butterfly at that meet as well.