Payne Named National Athlete of the Week
1/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin's Demi Payne has been named the Division I Women's National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as announced on Tuesday morning.
On Saturday at the Texas A&M Team Invitational, Payne broke the NCAA women's pole vault record with a jump of 4.63 meters (15-2.25), just one day after Arkansas' Sandi Morris set a national mark of 4.61 meters. Payne, who blew by the field in College Station, nearly added to her NCAA record-setting flight, narrowly missing at 4.65 meters (15-3) on her three allotted attempts.
Payne is the first college woman to ever clear 4.63 meters (15-2.25) under any conditions - indoor or outdoor.
In just her second meet as a Ladyjack after transferring from Kansas, Payne has experienced a great amount of success early in the 2015 indoor season. On Jan. 10 at the Akron Pole Vault Convention, Payne broke the program's indoor pole vault record, surpassing 4.30 meters (14-1.25). The height shattered the previous women's mark of 4.09m (13-5.25) - a record that stood for nearly 14 years.
"It's a very exciting time for our program to see somebody at the level that Demi's at right now," said SFA head track and field coach Phil Olson. "She had a great fall and winter of training. To be able to get back after taking a year off from competition is very special for her.
"Demi and her coach Jeff Erickson are on point. She's just doing everything right, staying very focused, working extremely hard and just wants to excel every week. We couldn't be more happy for her."
Payne's father Bill competed at the 1995 world championships in the vault and was also an All-American at Baylor. With Demi's NCAA record set on Saturday, the father-daughter combination of Bill and Demi now holds a world record in the pole vault. Combined the pair has cleared 10.49 meters (34-5), passing the Russian duo of Alex and Liz Parnov for the world's top spot (research credit: Troy James).
Payne will next head to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Lobo Collegiate Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 24 with her pole-vaulting teammates.
-SFA-
