Haddonfield. N.J. - The Atlantic East Conference announced the league's Woman of the Year on Thursday afternoon, naming Payton So of both the Marymount Women’s Swimming and Flag Football programs as this year’s recipient of the award.
The Woman of the Year award is presented to one female student-athlete who combined superior academic and athletic achievement during their career thus far. The successful candidate(s) must have competed in an Atlantic East-sponsored championship sport from a full-member institution. For full award criteria, see here.
So was this year’s Elite Scholar Athlete Award winner at the Atlantic East Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, becoming a back-to-back recipient of the award after winning the formerly named Elite 20 Award in 2025. The last two seasons, So also helped the Saints garner consecutive runner-up finishes at the Championships. During the 2024 season, she was a Second Team All-Conference selection in the 200-yard freestyle relay, following up in the 2025 season as a Second Team All-Conference selection in both the 200-yard and 800-yard freestyle relay.
On the field, So played two seasons of Flag Football during the 2024 and 2025 season, the latter of which she appeared in 14 games. During the 2025 season, the Saints were crowned Atlantic East Champions, going 15-0 on the season.
Her swimming career was highlighted by several strong performances, such as a 28.96 in the 50-yard fly, 26.21 in the 50-yard freestyle, 1:02.81 in the 100-yard fly, 2:28.86 in the 200-yard fly, and a 1:01.53 in the 100-yard freestyle. Throughout her time at Marymount, the Sterling, Va., native tore her ACL on two occasions, having to step away from the pool during her freshman season, and the field before her final flag football season, respectively. “My ACL recovery ignited my passion for physical therapy, and I will be attending Duke Physical Therapy school in the fall of 2026. As a future clinician, I hope to help many athletes like myself return to their sport,” said So.
Off the field, So became an honors scholar, posting a 3.994 GPA, graduating Summa Cum Laude, all while conducting, defending, and publishing her own research and serving as Vice President of the honors college. She was an Academic All-State selection, AEC All-Academic Team selection, and a Phi Kappa Phi Member. Additionally, So achieved the College of Reading and Learning Association Certification in 2023, 2024, and 2025. So garnered Honors Program Scholar recognition all four years as well.
In the community, So became a peer tutor, President of the Health Sciences Club and a Health and Human Performance student ambassador. She ran the Phi Kappa Phi Sector at Marymount as a student Vice President, was a Team Captain for the Marymount Women’s Swimming Program during the 2025-26 season. Continuing her leadership excellence, So was also the Vice President and Board Member of the Marymount Honors Program and a Student Course Content Tutor. Off campus, So lead students to senior living facilities to conduct manual blood pressure screenings and work on their soft skills as a Senior Living Blood Pressure Screener, worked as a volunteer for Remote Area Medical Services, providing free health screenings, dental, physical therapy, and vision services to underserved communities, and assisted with fall-prevention screenings at the Lubber Run Community Center in Arlington. I educated older adults on how to prevent falls as a Falls Prevention Specialist.
A Reflection From Payton:
"When I decided to continue my athletic career at Marymount University, all I could think of was all the future personal bests, top three finishes, and relay anchors I would be for the Marymount swim team. I pictured myself as the best athlete on the team. My whole life, I not only defined success through my athletic performance, but also my self-worth. This mindset came to a screeching halt when I tore my ACL one month before I moved into Marymount for my freshman year. My debilitating ACL reconstruction surgery took away everything I valued, my ability to be an athlete.
However, I could never be more wrong. Although I had to redshirt my freshman year, my athletic nature evolved. My athlete’s nature became more than just an athletic performance; it became a mindset. I became competitive in the classroom, aiming for the highest score on every test, just like in a race. The stress of competing changed and became channeled towards beginning my honors scholar career at Marymount’s honors college.
When I came to Marymount, all I was focused on was sports; my major hadn’t been decided. My recovery ignited my passion for physical therapy, so I declared the Pre-PT track in Health Science as my major. The medical hardship waiver allowed me to divert my focus from my own performance to that of my teammates. I was able to become a selfless and supportive teammate and witness Marymount's first AEC Championship win for swimming. My injury redefined success for me. I became more than an athlete, but instead an individual who can succeed multidimensionally.
I won another AEC title and became captain of the Women’s Swimming team. I became passionate about Women’s Flag Football and joined the initiative of making flag a collegiate sport for women. I was able to speak at the Women in Flag conference at the Eagles Stadium in 2025 and go on to win two AEC titles in flag football.
So yes, I am more than an athlete, but my athlete mindset never left me. It transformed me to give back to my community and have self-worth in more ways than one. As an athlete, scholar, leader, and tutor. My accomplishments at Marymount still do not define me, but rather motivate me into my future self to see how else I can help others."
ABOUT ATLANTIC EAST
The Atlantic East Conference is a member of NCAA Division III comprising six institutions in a four-state area - Gwynedd Mercy and Immaculata Universities in Pennsylvania; Centenary and Saint Elizabeth Universities in New Jersey, Marymount University in Virginia, and Pratt Institute in New York.
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