Scholar Athlete: Payton Bryant, T.M.I. Episcopal

SAN ANTONIO – Meet Instant Replay’s newest Scholar Athlete of the Week, Payton Bryant of T.M.I. Episcopal.

Payton is a three year member of both the varsity volleyball and tennis teams. She was named Academic All-State last year and placed third in the women’s doubles at the state tournament as a junior. Payton was also a member of the TAPPS State Championship tennis team earlier this year. She’s a member of the NHS, the Interact Club and performs community service through the San Antonio Food Bank and Uplifted Performance Training Facility. Payton maintains a 101 GPA and is ranked in the top 6% of her class. Payton plans to attend the University of Texas in Austin and major in Biology and Marine Science.

WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU TAKE AWAY WITH YOU AS YOU LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL?

“My fondest memory has to be last year’s tennis season. We did really well, both boys and girls teams won state and I played third in doubles so that was a lot of fun, it was a big season.”

WHAT HAS THE SENIOR YEAR BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

“I was so excited to come back especially after we were online for a majority of last year and have full fans for volleyball season. It’s been busy but a lot of fun. This year is definitely a lot of fun. There’s a lot more energy. I think everyone, even those who don’t play sports, are excited we have a good football team and have a good fan base. It’s been fun having people come out and support.”

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS?

“It’s difficult, you’re busy all the time but its really about knowing what you want and committing to that. You do have to make sacrifices to be good at both sports and school but making the sacrifices I think are worth it.”

Daniel P. Villanueva has worked with KSAT 12 for over 18 years and is an award-winning producer. To submit story ideas, email dvillanueva@ksat.com