Only a handful of Northeastern track athletes have entered their senior season with a history of success like Idris Payne.

Take his junior season, for example: Eight wins in 10 individual races, NU record of 46.71 in the 400 at the New Balance Armory Invitational,and Most Outstanding Track Performer at the America East Championships.

Or his sophomore campaign: NU record of 21.70 in the 200 and a time of 47.36 in the 400, placing seventh at the IC4A’s.

This weekend at the AE championships, Payne ensured his senior season would join the ranks of his previous two years. He broke his NU record and meet in the 200 at 21.38, while also winning the 400 (46.76), a new meet record as well and anchoring the 4×400 relay (3:21.16) that clinched the AE crown for the Huskies’.

Payne has been named The Northeastern News Player of the Week.

“Idris has been up and down all season, but really was on for us in this meet,” said NU coach Sherman Hart.

Payne won both the 200 and 400 sprinting events despite close competition from the AE’s best. Travis Parker, of the University of New Hampshire, and Chris Spivey of the University of Hartford were close behind at 21.81 and 21.96, respectively.

“Parker surprised me,” Payne said of the Wildcat. “I knew I couldn’t take the 400 easy. He pushed me further in the 200 and 400.”

Parker was even closer to stripping Payne of the 400 crown, as he placed just six- tenths of a second behind the senior, 47.84. to 47.90.

In the 4×400, the Huskies needed to place ahead of the University of Albany to win the league. They did just that, despite dropping the baton on the third leg of the relay. Payne received the handoff from Charles Cameron and ran the Huskies home to victory with a fourth-place time of 3:21.16. Albany clocked in at 3:21.94, sixth overall.

For his efforts, Payne was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Track Performer for the second straight year.

“This was really good for the team,” Payne said. “We came in all amped up and coach really had us ready. We knew we had to do well in our last AE meet ever.”

Payne, a native of New York City, had an impact even in his rookie season for the Huskies. As a freshman, Payne won the 400 (48.47) at the America East Championships. Then, in the New England Champoinships Payne made sure he would be someone for opposing coaches to watch in the next three years when he placed third in the same event (48.86).

Also, as a member of the 4×400 relay team, he qualified with his teammates for the finals at the IC4A championships.

– Staff writer Jeff Powalisz