Ready… Set… Boom.  The starting gun pierces the air. Payton Stumbaugh is pouncing off of the starting line.  She knows this is her race, one of the four events she competes in.  All she can see is the finish line, and the gold metal waiting for her at the end.  She crosses the finish line, .87 seconds before everyone else.

Stumbaugh is a sophomore and is not a newcomer to the track team.  As a freshman at Central Junior High, she ran indoor track for the high school and set six new records.

“When I broke those I was amazed because I was only a freshman,” she said.

Stumbaugh trains almost every day with the help of her father, Lance. They work together to prepare for this year’s track season.  They work out in the “barn,” which is the runner’s homemade gym. She does pull ups, crunches and many other exercises to stay in shape.

“Resista-Bands are the hardest. But I need to keep myself in shape so I can compete at the next level.  High school track is much more competitive than junior high track. There are more girls to compete with.”

Unlike other girls, she has limited herself to only one sport, track. Although she competes in six or seven events. Her events are (indoor) 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash, 200, 400 by 4, pole vault, and long jump.

“Other girls tend to do way too many sports in high school, which is more of a chance to get injured.  To be the best in all of my events, I need to focus on my events,” she said.

Stumbaugh specializes in pole vault and goes to camps to improve her pole vaulting abilities.  At the four-day camp she and her fellow pole vaulters practiced new techniques and perfected their form.

“The camp helped a lot, I added little bit to my over all height, but now my height is 10 feet,” she said. “I plan to go even higher.”

She thanks her coaches for her success and for helping her improve her times on her events. Girls track coach Jodi Unger trains works with the sophomore every day, concentrating on speed, agility, form, mobility, and strength.

“I trust my coaches and respect them. It’s nice to have someone down on the field with you. Coach Unger will help me get to the next level and hopefully get a track scholarship for college.”