Senior Salute: Payton Watson

Name: Payton Watson
Hometown: Coldwater, Michigan
High School: Coldwater

Athletic accomplishments:

• Earned four varsity letters on the softball team.
  • Played in 109 career games at Olivet.
    • Career stats include .288 batting average, 257 at-bats, 45 runs, 74 hits, 16 doubles, 28 RBI, .358 slugging percentage, .356 on-base percentage.
    • All-time Olivet rankings are tied for seventh in hits, tied for eighth in doubles, eighth in games started, 10th in at-bats.
    • in 2017, tied for the third-most walks in a season with 17 and had the sixth-most stolen bases with 14.

Academic honors/awards:

• 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 MIAA Academic Honor Roll
• Dean's List every semester

Favorite softball memories:

• All the spring break trips to Florida.

Favorite non-athletic memory:

• Spending time with my best friends every day and getting to travel with them.

Major and minor:

• Graphic design major, business administration minor

Who has supported you during your time as a student-athlete?

• My parents, Dave and Tiffany Watson

Quote from head softball coach Darrick Brown:

• "Payton was a four-year starter who quickly established herself as the leader of the outfielders. She showed up daily with a very hard working blue collar mentality.  A steady outfielder, Payton was coming off a solid offensive campaign in 2019 where she hit above .300 and followed that up in the first 14 games this season, hitting .360 until her season was cut short. There is no doubt, Payton was on pace to have her best offensive year. We will miss what she brings to the team on and off the field."

Editor's Note: The COVID-19 pandemic caused the abrubt end to winter and spring sports for the 2019-20 academic year. We are not able to host Senior Day ceremonies to thank these seniors for their dedication to their chosen sport. As a result, we will be posting senior salutes like above for each senior over the coming weeks.