Payne Picks Up Fifth SLC Weekly Award
4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
FRISCO, Texas -- One day after being named a USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for the third time this year, Stephen F. Austin's Demi Payne has been selected as the Southland Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Week, the league office announced on Wednesday afternoon. The conference weekly award is the fifth for Payne in 2015.
Payne's most recent accolade comes on the heels of a breakout week in beautiful Des Moines, Iowa at the Drake Relays. In a three-day span, Payne broke the collegiate outdoor women's pole vault record, soared her way to a ninth individual title this year and ascended to the number two spot in the world in the 2015 outdoor season.
On Friday evening, Payne set the new outdoor standard in the Beijing World Championship Preview Pole Vault competition with a jump of 15-3.5 (4.66m). After taking two jumps to go over 14-9.5 and 15-1.5, she needed just one attempt to conquer 15-3.5.
Payne took the record from Arkansas' Sandi Morris after the Razorback held the nation's top mark of 15-1.75 (4.62m) for just three weeks. Payne, who also broke Morris' indoor national record in January, now owns the top collegiate marks in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
To start the week, the junior took first place in the women's professional street vault competition as the only collegiate competitor. She knocked out another good bar, going up and over 15-1.5 (4.61m) to secure her ninth individual title of 2015. The event was held on Court Avenue in downtown Des Moines on Wednesday evening.
Payne now owns three of the four best outdoor vaults in collegiate history and is one of just five women to ever jump a 15-foot bar, doing so three times last week.
A native of New Braunfels, Texas, Payne will look to raise the bar even higher this Saturday at the Longhorn Invitational at the University of Texas. The women's pole vault competition will begin at 12:30 p.m.
Payne's Athlete of the Week Awards in 2015
January 20 -- USTFCCCA
January 21 -- Southland Conference
January 22 -- USA Track and Field
January 27 -- USTFCCCA
January 28 -- Southland Conference
February 9 -- Southland Conference
April 8 -- Southland Conference
April 28 -- USTFCCCA
April 29 -- Southland Conference
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