Stumbaugh Chooses Oklahoma For Track And Field Career

SPRINGDALE - Hello, Oklahoma. Goodbye, Arkansas.

That’s the future for track and field standout Payton Stumbaugh, who chose the Sooners over both the Razorbacks and Texas Longhorns. Stumbaugh said Arkansas wanted her primarily as a pole vaulter while Oklahoma offered more opportunities on the track.

“I wasn’t even considering Oklahoma until a few weeks ago,” Stumbaughsaid during a signing ceremony Friday at Springdale Har-Ber. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could do all the events and not just a couple. They really wanted me and they were open about me doing the multis (events).”

Stumbaugh is already one of the most decorated high school athletes in Arkansas before the start of her senior season in outdoor track. She is the two-time winner of the Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year for Arkansas and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Track Athlete of theYear for 2012. She holds 13 individual state titles and 10 school records in track at Har-Ber.

Stumbaugh begins the outdoor season ranked nationally in the both the 60-meter hurdles and indoor 200-meter runs.

“I think Payton is the most decorated athlete to come through the city of Springdale, and arguably statewide,” Har-Ber track coach Brett Unger said. “She put herself in this position and I’m happy she found a fi t at OU. She’s capable of helping out a team in a lot of ways.”

As a junior, Stumbaugh won the 200-meters at the Meet of Champions in a meet record of 24.70 seconds. She also broke her own Meet of Champs record by nearly two-tenths of second in winning the 300-meter hurdles in 43.37.

Stumbaugh is focused on winning more state championships and perhaps making a splash on the national level as well.

“I definitely want to place high at a national meet,” Stumbaugh said. “Either at a national indoor meet or at the outdoor nationals in June.”