Stony Brook Athletics is saluting its Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame inductees with feature stories on Fridays through the end of the year. Here's the fifth installment, featuring All-American cross country runner Jenny Payne Simpkins '03.

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Eighteen years ago, Jenny Payne Simpkins became the first NCAA Championship qualifier and first All-American in the Stony Brook cross country program's Division I era.

She also was the university's first America East champion that academic year, winning the 5,000 meters in Boston.

And upon graduating in 2003, she earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. She also had been a Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence recipient, having produced a 3.85 GPA as a biology major.

Now, Payne Simpkins is part of the 2020 induction class of the Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Athletics Hall of Fame. 
 
"I'll never forget the daily workouts, the routine 70-mile weeks, the weekend travel, and the endless quest to find places to stay near Dunkin' Donuts," said Payne Simpkins, who now serves as assistant city manager in Lilburn, Ga., a half-hour northwest of downtown Atlanta. "I remember a teammate and I were doing sit-ups in the warmup room in the sports complex when Coach (Andy) Ronan walked in. In his awesome Irish accent, he said, 'What are you doing?' I responded that we were doing sit-ups for core strength, at which time he responded, 'Why in the world would you do that? All of your energy should go into miles on the road.'

"He's correct, and his masterful training instilled the relentless work ethic in me to qualify as an individual for the Division I NCAA cross country meet in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2002."

VISIT THE RITA & KURT EPPENSTEIN ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

Payne Simpkins, who married her husband Scott Simpkins at age 35, still vividly recalls the NCAA Championship meet of nearly two decades ago. And even some Eminem lyrics that provided inspiration.

"I remember standing on the starting line, looking to my left and to my right, thinking, 'There's UNC and Shalane Flanagan. There's NCSU and Providence. ... I do not belong here.'

"Then, in the same instant, the loud speakers started playing one last song before the gun signaled the start of the race. In my focused mind, I sang along, 'Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?'

"I belonged on that starting line.

"The gun went BANG, and I don't remember anything until falling across the finish line, and the tears in my dad's eyes when he said, 'You did it! You're an All-American!'

"As a person, I am far too blessed. I have the greatest parents, the best sister, the most amazing husband. Thank you to Coach Ronan for bringing out the best that this once 21-year-old runner had to offer. I love and respect you all."

Said Ronan: "When I arrived at Stony Brook, the cupboard was fairly empty, with not too many Division I-level cross country/distance athletes. In the first few weeks I realized that Jenny would be the one that I would need to buy into my coaching philosophy. It wasn't clear how good she could be, but it was obvious she wanted to get the most out of her running. The first year with her was about getting her to trust in the training. At that point she had been through several different running programs that had not produced the results she was looking for. At the end of the year I felt she was in a good place.

"The summer of 2001 was huge for her. She trained hard and returned in fantastic shape. This allowed her to take her racing to a new level, which she did, winning the America East championship, racing to an automatic qualifying spot in the region, and then producing that marvelous performance at the national championship. I still remember the group hug with her and her parents once the results were official. That was, and still is, a big moment for a then-young head coach."

Read about Hall of Fame inductee Tommy Brenton '12/'13

Read about Hall of Fame inductee Mike Crooks '06

Read about Hall of Fame inductee Paul Dudzick '74

Read about Hall of Fame inductee Kathy Koshansky