SAN ANTONIO – Payton Adams of the University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer team was awarded the Southland Conference F.L. McDonald Scholarship, announced the league office on Friday, June 14.
The F.L. McDonald Scholarship is the league's ultimate academic honor for graduating student-athletes. The award is presented annually to one female and one male student-athlete and is selected by the Southland Conference Faculty Athletic Representative Committee. The $5,000 scholarship must be applied to graduate study at an institution of the recipient's choice.
"I would like to thank the Southland Conference Faculty Athletic Representative Committee for selecting me to be this year's female recipient of the F.L. McDonald Scholarship," said Adams. "I would also like to thank my friends, family, coaches, teammates, and the UIW staff who have helped me get to where I am today. I have been so blessed these past five years with an incredible team and coaching staff to help me grow and learn along the way. I will forever be grateful for my experience and the unwavering support I received during my time at UIW."
In her five years at UIW, Adams started 82 of the 83 games she appeared in, racking up 7,185 minutes played. As a defender, Adams scored twice and recorded two assists in her career. In 2021 and 2022, Adams was named to the all-academic second team and the preseason all-conference second team. During her final season as a Cardinal, Adams was named co-captain of the women's soccer team. She was also a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member during her time at UIW.
"Payton is a perfect recipient for this award," Head Coach Jake Plant explained. "Her example of how to be a top-level student-athlete, leader and human being cannot be stated enough. She is a fierce competitor that only wanted to do her best for her team and teammates whilst pushing herself to be excellent on and off the pitch. Payton's high moral standards allowed her to be looked up to by all her peers. We love Payton and she will be a huge miss from our program, but somebody else is enjoying her qualities. Congratulations, captain!"
Adams will be putting this scholarship towards her postgraduate studies at the UT Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
The award was established in 1996 in memory of Dr. F.L. McDonald, former president of Lamar University. McDonald served as Lamar's president in 1963 when the Southland Conference was established. He is considered one of the league's founders and was inducted into the 1999 Southland Hall of Honor.
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