Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
NEWBERRY — Newberry College junior Payton Keeler was honored with the NCAA Division 2 Elite Scholar Athlete Award at the NCAA Field Hockey Championships in Bloomsburg, PA.
The NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite Scholar-Athlete is proudly awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.
Keller has a perfect 4.0 grade point average and is majoring in Physical Education Teacher Certification.
Payton is a 2025 first-team All-South Atlantic Conference selection, MVP of the 2025 SAC Postseason Tournament and was named the SAC Elite 23 Field Hockey Wealth Enhancement Group award winner for a second consecutive year. The Elite 23 Award honors the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average in each of the league’s 23 team championship sports.
She has helped lead Newberry College to the 2025 SAC regular season and postseason tournament titles, a perfect 19-0 record, the #1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and a spot in the national semifinals.
Keeler has 11 goals and 8 assists this season and is part of a defensive group that has registered ten shutouts and has allowed only 13 goals in 19 games. She has started 55 of 56 games in her career with 14 goals, 14 assists and 42 points. Keeler was a 2024 second team All-SAC selection and won the Elite 23 award as a sophomore at the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Postseason Tournament.
The Wolves face West Chester (Pa.) Friday at 11:00 a.m. in the national semifinals.