2026-27 Track & Field Roster
Biography
- PERSONAL RECORDS & RESULTS
- AWARDS & HONORS
- 2026 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Discus Champion
- Earned individual 2026 USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors
- 2025 MVC Scholar Athlete
- 2026 Outdoor
- Placed second in shot put with a mark of 17.61m and first in discus with a personal-best toss of 56.57m at the Joyce Morton-Kief Invite (March 27-28), ranking fourth all-time in program history… Gathered a pair of sixth-place finishes with marks of 17.63m in shot put and 52.34m in discus at the 2026 Pepsi Florida Relays (April 3-4)… Took sixth in shot put with a mark of 16.94m and second in discus with a throw of 51.62m at the Illini Deca-Jam (April 9-11)… Finished with a couple of sixth-place throws of 17.00m in shot put and 55.28m in discus at the Badger Challenge (May 1)… Collected a fifth-consecutive, sixth-place finish in shot put with a toss of 16.99m, and a victory in discus with a throw of 55.82m at the Illini Tune-Up (May 8)… Earned a second-straight victory in discus with a throw of 55.48m, along with a personal-best toss of 18.33m in shot put for fourth at the 2026 MVC Outdoor Championships (May 16-17), ranking fourth all-time in program history… Competed in shot put and discus throws at the NCAA DI West First Round (May 27-30)… Recognized with individual USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors with a 3.25 GPA.
- 2025Â Indoor
- Finished fifth in shot put with a mark of 16.13m at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup (Jan. 17)… Took ninth in shot put with a throw of 17.34m at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational (Jan. 23-24)… Collected a mark of 16.86m for eighth place in shot put at the 5th Annual Badgers Windy City Invite (Feb. 6-7)… Registered a shot-put toss of 17.03m for 10th at 2026 Blue Demon Alumni Classic (Feb. 13)… Notched a sixth-place mark of 16.80m at the Illini Last Chance (Feb. 20)… Recorded a toss of 15.41m for 10th place at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship (March 1-2).
- 2025 Outdoor
- Collected a second-place toss of 16.22m in shot put, and a victory in discus with a throw of 55.21m at the Redbird Challenge (March 28-29)… Finished sixth in shot put with a mark of 17.04m and third in discus with a throw of 53.76m at the Joe Walker Invite 2025 (April 4-5)… Earned a pair of victories with throws of 16.32m in shot put and 54.74m in discus at the Normal Invite (April 11-12)… Took fifth in shot put at 16.32m and second in discus with a toss of 52.26m at the Fighting Illini Twilight (April 26)… Gathered a couple of victories with marks of 16.68m in shot put and 51.50m in discus at the Senior Spotlight (May 2)… Notched marks of 16.40m in shot put for fifth place and 52.42m in discus for sixth place at the Sycamore Open (May 9)… Concluded the season with a ninth-place toss of 17.42m in shot put, and a fourth-place throw of 51.07m in discus at the MVC Track and Field Championships (May 17-18)... Named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
- 2024Â Indoor
- Opened the season with a victory in shot put with a mark of 16.99m at the John Coughlan Invite (Dec. 6-7)… Collected a fourth-place toss of 16.52m in shot put at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup (Jan. 17)… Tossed a shot-put throw of 16.92m for fifth place at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational (Jan. 24-25)… Took 13th in shot put with a mark of 16.47m at the Rick McGuire Invitational (Jan. 31-Feb. 1)… Recorded a shot-put toss of 16.82m for second at the Keck Select (Feb. 7-8)… Placed third with a throw of 17.34m at the Redbird Tune-Up (Feb. 21)… Finished fifth in shot put with a mark of 18.05m at the 2025 MVC Indoor Track & Field Championship (March 2-3).
- 2024 Outdoor
- Accumulated marks of 16.65m in shot put for third, 47.35m in discus for second, and 44.62m in hammer throws for ninth at the Redbird Challenge (March 29-30)… Took sixth in shot put with a mark of 16.89m and fifth in discus with a toss of 49.75m at the Joe Walker Invitational (April 5-6)… Collected a mark of 51.58m in discus for sixth place at the Gary Wieneke Memorial (April 13)… Gathered marks of 15.79m in shot put for eighth place and 47.96m in discus for 13th place at the LSU Alumni Gold (April 20)… Finished third in shot put with a toss of 17.03m and 10th in discus with a mark of 51.05m at the 114th Drake Relays (April 24-27)… Placed 10th in shot put at 16.40m and seventh in discus with a toss of 49.67m at the Badger Challenge (May 3)… Ended his season with a sixth-place, shot-put toss of 16.56m, and a third-place throw of 49.88m in discus at the 2024 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship (May 10-12).
- 2023Â Indoor
- Began his collegiate career with a shot-put mark of 14.00m for seventh place, and a weight toss of 13.53m for eighth at the John Coughlan Invite (Dec. 1-2)… Finished sixth in shot put with a mark of 15.41m at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup (Jan. 12)… Took 10th in shot put with a throw 16.01m at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational (Jan. 19-20)… Collected a shot-put toss of 15.97m for ninth place at the Illini Challenge (Jan. 26-27)… Recorded a throw of 16.22m for fourth at the IWU Keck Select Indoor Invitational (Feb. 2-3)… Notched a mark of 16.12m for third place at the Redbird Tune-Up (Feb. 16)… Placed 14th in shot put with a mark of 15.21m at the MVC Indoor Track & Field Championship (Feb. 25-26).
- HIGH SCHOOL
- Three-time ISHA Class 1A State Champion in Discus... ISHA State Champion in Shot Put... First Team All-State in Football and Basketball. Class Salutatorian
- PERSONAL
- Born on March 2, 2005... Son to Tonya and Ryan... Brother to Payton and Bo... Payton competed in track and field for Illinois State.
Historical Player Information
