BATON ROUGE – LSU junior Kymber Payne was honored by the Southeastern Conference office Tuesday afternoon as the SEC Women’s Runner of the Week after opening her outdoor season with an NCAA-leading personal best of 56.12 seconds to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.
Payne picked up her first career SEC weekly award while becoming the first Lady Tiger selected as the SEC Women’s Runner of the Week in 2017 after taking the top spot in a loaded final on Friday night.
After qualifying third overall with a season-opening time of 57.77 in Thursday’s preliminary round, Payne slashed nearly three tenths of a second off her previous best of 56.38 from last season with her winning time of 56.12 in the final to beat Purdue’s Symone Black for the title. Black followed with the NCAA’s No. 2-ranked time this season at 56.18 for second place.
Watch as #LSU‘s @kyymmy (lane 4) runs an NCAA-leading PR of 56.12 to win the women’s 400 hurdles! She now ranks #7 in school history! pic.twitter.com/HLLygTgfdn
— LSUTrackField (@LSUTrackField) April 1, 2017
The final of the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the Texas Relays actually produced four of the top seven times in the NCAA this season as Baylor’s Kiana Hawn trailed in third place with the No. 4-ranked time nationally at 57.16 and LSU’s Ka’Lynn Jupiter followed in fourth place with the No. 7-ranked time nationally at 57.38 in her season debut.
Payne became the first LSU hurdler since former NCAA Champion Nickiesha Wilson in 2007 to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the Texas Relays while also moving to No. 7 on LSU’s all-time outdoor performance list in the event.
LSU’S SEC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK FOR 2017
SEC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Jan. 24 – Johnnie Jackson
SEC Women’s Runner of the Week
April 4 – Kymber Payne
SEC Women’s Freshman of the Week
Jan. 17 – Ruby Stauber
Feb. 14 – Ruby Stauber
Feb. 21 – Nickolette Dunbar
March 21 – Tonea Marshall