Overall Career Honors
- Second Team/Honorable Mention CSCAA All-American (400 Medley Relay)
- School Record-Holder (400 Medley Relay - 3:43.88)
- 2021 RMAC Champion - 400 IM
- 6x All-RMAC
- 2x First Team All-RMAC
- 4x Second Team All-RMAC
- 2018 - 200 Medley & 400 Medley Relay
- 2019 - 100 Back & 400 Medley Relay
- 2021 RMAC Academic Athlete of the Year
- 4x CSCAA Scholar All-American
- First Team - 2019
- Honorable Mention - 2018, 2020 & 2021
- 3x RMAC All-Academic
2019-20 (Junior): Competed in ten meets, including the RMAC Championships during a versatile season… Scored in all four of her individual and six total events at the conference meet… Reached the championship final in three of them… Scored 44 points in her four individual events… Placed fifth in the 200 IM, sixth in the 200 back and seventh in the 400 IM… Also placed 12
th in the 500 free… Was on the Mavs’ “B” relay teams in both the 200 and 800 free… Helped the Mavs win their heat of the 800 and finish second in the secondary heat of the 200 free relay… Set a personal-best time of 2:06.51 (altitude-adjusted) in the 200 IM to rank fifth in program history… Also had a personal-best time of 5:07.78 in the 500 free at the RMAC meet… Had season-best marks of 57.89 (100 Back), 2:03.77 (200 Back) and 4:29.34 (400 IM) at the A3 Performance Invitational… The 400 IM time was a NCAA “B” cut… Won the 200 IM at the Adams State dual on Oct. 25 and the 400 IM at the Dixie State/Mines triangular on Jan. 11… Named to the RMAC All-Academic Team Honor Roll... Named as an Honorable Mention CSCAA Scholar All-American.
2018-19 (Sophomore): Competed in nine meets, including the RMAC and NCAA Division II National Championships... Qualified for two individual events at the NCAA Championships... Also swam the opening backstroke leg on CMU's school-record setting 400 medley relay team, which placed tenth in 3:43.88... Earned Second Team/Honorable Mention CSCAA All-America honors for that effort... Posted a personal-best split of 56.35 to rank fourth (tie) in program history for the 100 back... Also took 19th in the 200 back and 28th in the 400 IM... Qualified for the championship final in all four of her individual events at the RMAC Championships... Finished third in the 100 back to earn Second Team All-RMAC honors... Was sixth in both the 200 back and 200 IM and eighth in the 400 IM... Had a season-best time of 2:07.72 in the 200 IM... Accounted for 53 team points... Also earned Second Team All-RMAC honors in the 400 medley relay to help the Mavs place second... Was also the backstroke leg on CMU's third place 200 medley relay team... Won both the 200 back and 400 IM at the A3 Performance Invitational setting NCAA qualifying times (altitude-adjusted) of 2:01.28 and 4:28.94... Ranks fifth in school-history with those marks... Won the 100 back at the Adams State dual on Oct. 26 before taking both the 200 back and 400 IM a day later at Western Colorado... Won three events (100 back, 200 back, 400 IM) in the Jan. 11-12 dual at Mines before closing out the dual season with 200 back and 400 IM wins at home against Western... Won eight total dual events... Named to the RMAC All-Academic First Team and CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team.
2017-18 (Freshman): Competed in ten meets... Scored in all four of her individual and seven overall events while earning a pair of Second Team All-RMAC certificates in relays at the RMAC Championships... Was the opening backstroke leg on CMU's third place 200 medley (1:44.61) and 400 medley (3:50.10) medley relay teams... Finished sixth in the 100 back (56.95) and seventh in the 200 back (2:05.07) at the conference meet... Also took ninth in the 200 IM with a personal-best time of 2:06.75 and tenth in the 400 IM (4:32.29)... Also placed tenth in the 800 free relay team as a member of the Mavericks' "B" squad... Set other season-bests of 56.70 (100 back), 2:03.00 (200 back) and 4:29.79 (400 IM), all of which led the team, to win each event at the A3 Performance Invite... Won the 200 back four times throughout the season... Claimed a dual meet win in the 400 IM at Adams State and in the 100 back at home against Mines... Honorable Mention CSCAA Scholar All-American.
Prep: Graduated from Loveland High School in 2017 as the school-record holder in the 200 medley relay… Took ninth in both the 100 and 200 freestyle at the 4A Colorado High School State Championships helping lead the team to the title... Was a 4-year state placer.
Club: Was a 10-plus year member of the Loveland Swim Club, coached by Jim Nickell… Set best times of 1:55.36 (200 free), 53.60 (100 free), 2:05.13 (200 back), 57.61 (100 Back), 2:09.19 (200 IM) and 5:09.47 (500 Free)… Received awards for Coach’s Honorable Mention, Most Improved and Most Outstanding in her time with the team.
Personal: Is majoring in sports management with a minor in business... Daughter of Steven and Nancy Payton... Siblings are Hannah, a former Maverick lacrosse player and Micah, a member of the Mavs' current men's team... Aspires to work with a sports organization such as Speedo, USA Swimming or at the Olympic Training Center... Wants to help people find their love for their sport as I have done with finding my love for swimming... Interned in the CMU Sports Information Office during the spring of 2020.
Why I Chose CMU: "I chose CMU because of the community and team support with how everyone helps and cheers for each other. The campus is so pretty and the facilities are all growing. The coaching staff for the swim team is great and played a huge role in me coming here. I am blessed to have such great surroundings around me at CMU."
