Ladyjacks Sweep SLC Weekly Honors
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin track and field members Demi Payne and DeJernel Jordan have each been named Southland Conference Athletes of the Week, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. Payne picks up her third weekly SLC field athlete of the week honor while Jordan claims her first weekly track award of the 2015 indoor season.
Payne is coming off a huge performance at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic on Saturday afternoon in Albuquerque. In the most anticipated women’s pole-vaulting showdowns in recent NCAA history, the senior outlasted two previous NCAA record holders, including the 2014 indoor champion, and a strong 41-woman field to win her fourth straight individual title.
Payne won the event with a leap of 15-3.50 (4.66m) – the second best vault in NCAA history behind her 15-7 (4.75m) mark set on Jan. 24 at the same venue. The New Braunfels, Texas native now owns five of the top six jumps in collegiate history.
Jordan was one of the big highlights for the Ladyjacks on Friday night in the Albuquerque Convention Center. The senior grabbed her first individual crown of the season in the women’s 600-meter run, clocking in at 1:31.95 to best a 19-woman field.
On Saturday evening, Jordan helped SFA’s 4x400 meter relay team take sixth place out of 18 teams with a group effort of 3:44.26.
Next up for Payne, Jordan and the rest of the SFA track and field program will be the 2015 Southland Conference Indoor Championships on Monday, Feb. 16 through Tuesday, Feb. 17. This year’s meet will be held in Birmingham, Alabama.
-SFA-
SFA has already received seven SLC Athlete of the Week honors in five voting periods this year, five more than the next closest school:
Jan. 14 – Cass Brown-Stewart (men’s track)
Jan. 21 – Cass Brown-Stewart (men’s track)
Jan. 21 – Demi Payne (women’s field)
Jan. 28 – Colton Ross (men’s field)
Jan. 28 – Demi Payne (women’s field)
Feb. 9 – DeJernel Jordan (women’s track)
Feb. 9 – Demi Payne (women’s field)
