March 10, 2003

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Former Stony Brook University cross country standout Jenny Payne was awarded a scholarship from the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, to be used for part-time or full-time postgraduate study at the university of her choice. The NCAA awards only 58 scholarships to 29 men and 29 women who participated in fall sports. Payne was one of only 13 honorees who competed at the Division I level, and she becomes the first Stony Brook athlete to receive the honor since the university joined the ranks of Division I.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.

Payne's athletic accomplishments during her Stony Brook career are second to none. After becoming Stony Brook's first-ever qualifier for the 2002 NCAA Divison I Cross Country Championships, Payne obtained another first by becoming the first-ever All-American in cross country for Stony Brook with her performance at the meet. That honor capped off an outstanding senior season for Payne, who won the America East Conference individual title with the sixth-best time in conference history. As a junior, Payne was named All-Conference in addition to receiving Stony Brook Female Athlete of the Year accolades.