Westminster University Athletics

Personal: She has many nicknames, but launching her Griffin career on the Dean’s List, with eight top-5 Griffin marks including a school record 3K, 5-foot-5 sophomore Payton Schiff is known universally as fast. “The Paytonator” could literally walk from high school to college in less time than she can run a mile, as she dominated the XC and lacrosse fields for Westminster’s neighbor, Judge Memorial High School. In addition to fielding time on the High Honor Roll at Judge, “Knobster” captained the XC and Lacrosse teams and garnered every lax award available, including Rookie MVP, Defensive MVP, Offensive MVP and Team MVP. For good measure, “Jaws” added XC Team MVP and won Judge’s Outstanding Female Athlete award to cap her senior campaign. Payton elected to watch the excellent Westminster Women’s Lacrosse team and concentrate on running for the Griffins. In addition to her school record 11:20 – 3K, the Exercise Science major will attempt to better her PR’s including a 5:32 – mile, 12:12 – 2-mile, and 19:28 – 5K.

For relaxation, Payton enjoys the movies Secondhand Lions and The Lorax, baking goodies, and enjoying the great outdoors in a myriad of ways; as the former Snowbird instructor includes alpine and telemark skiing as faves. Father Alan, mother Karen Thorsen, and Utah Ute sister Hailey are all local and can be seen whooping it up on the Westminster sideline.