Payne Named Regional Field Athlete of the Year
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Complete List - Regional Awards
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Stephen F. Austin senior pole vaulter Demi Payne has been named the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Field Athlete of the Year for the South Central Region, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Friday.
Each of the nine regions across the country honored both genders' top track athletes and field athletes along with the top men's and women's head coaches and assistant coaches. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.
Payne has had a breakout indoor season for SFA after transferring from Kansas at the beginning of the academic year. The New Braunfels native broke the NCAA pole vault record three times in 2015, currently owning the best collegiate mark of 15-7 (4.75m) set on Jan. 24 at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Open.
In the past week alone, Payne has been selected to The Bowerman Pre-NCAA Indoor Championships Watch List, remaining in the conversation to bring home track and field's most prestigious individual collegiate award. The announcement came days after Payne won the women's pole vault competition in her first USA Track and Field Indoor Championships in Boston on March 1.
Overall on the year, Payne has won six individual titles and set five meet records in eight competitions, while receiving numerous accolades and media attention along the way. She owns the top U.S. mark this year and five of the top six marks in NCAA history heading into the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14.
Payne will try to cap a historic indoor season with a NCAA title next Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The championship meet will be streamed live online at NCAA.org, and more information can be found at the USTFCCCA's National Championships Central page.
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