By Ed Piper
From all appearances, Payton Smith--the California state champ in the 400 meters in 2024 from La Jolla High School--is progressing well in her college career at the University of Michigan.
Records show that Smith, who also served as ASB president during her senior year for the Vikings a year ago, competed well in both the indoor winter season, and the outdoor spring season for the nationally-recognized Wolverines in the last few months.
Smith, whose younger sister Olivia also ran sprints for LJHS, was named an Honorable Mention All-American as a college freshman this spring for her performance on the UM 4x400 relay team. (The team placed 19th in 3:33.75 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 11-14.) If she continues on this upward path, her relay participation this season will end up being a minor footnote in her career.
Payton also ran in the 400-meter, 200-meter, 4x400-meter relay, 4x100-meter relay in the spring.
In the indoor season, she won the 400 at the Michigan Invitational Feb. 8, the fourth-best mark in program history. Similarly, outdoors, the elder Smith ran a career-best 52.94 in the 400, the number-four mark in UM's history, for 17th place at the Tiger Paw Invitational Feb. 14-15.
Olivia Smith, who served in ASB government under her sister, was then elected ASB president for 2024-2025 at La Jolla High. The two are the first and only African-Americans to serve as student body presidents at the seaside public-school campus. The school was founded in 1922.
On meet days, at meets, Olivia was the much more outgoing of the two sisters with this reporter. She smiled and greeted me, as warmups on the infield at Edwards Stadium began. I think Payton had a little more media attention her senior year, and probably dealt with that by being a little more reserved.
By the way, Payton was named to the All-Academic League all four years of her high school career for the Vikings.
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