Payne Awarded USATF Athlete of the Week
1/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
USATF Release
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The national accolades keep rolling in for Stephen F. Austin's Demi Payne. The senior pole vaulter has been named the USA Track and Field National Athlete of the Week, the organization announced on Thursday morning.
On Saturday, Jan. 17 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. Her winning vault on Saturday places her at No. 8 on the all-time U.S. indoor list.
"There were so many emotions running through my mind after clearing that bar," Payne said after securing the top spot in the NCAA. "All I can really remember is being overwhelmed with thankfulness for all of the support I've gotten from my family, coaches, and friends. I've had to overcome some tough obstacles so it's pretty surreal to kind of see the big picture coming together."
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.
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.
Payne will next take to the runway on Saturday when the SFA pole vault crew heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Lobo Collegiate Invitational.
"I've heard the Albuquerque Convention Center is great place to jump so I'm ready to raise the bar and try and set another record," said Payne. "I just need to stay focused and keep working hard because the moment I become comfortable is the moment someone's going to pass me up."
-SFA-
