SCHOLAR ATHLETES: Wink’s Payne set up for success after standout high school career

Wink High School is known for consistently producing stellar student-athletes and Augustus Payne is no exception, becoming an unquestioned leader for the Wildcats in his four years at the school.

Payne stood out as a six-sport athlete, but also made his mark in the classroom and set to graduate fifth in the school’s Class of 2022.

He also laid a foundation for the future by taking dual credit classes at Odessa College to be well-prepared for the workload in college.

“When it came to school, I was always willing to take my grades serious,” Payne said. “I knew that if I kept my grades where they’re supposed to be, I could get into college and not just [off] my athletic ability.”

Payne earned plenty of accolades for his work as an athlete, being a captain of the Wink football and boys basketball teams while earning All-State honors on the gridiron to name a few.

His resume away from sports is equally loaded, being named an academic All-State selection for basketball and football as he became a mainstay on the A-B honor roll list all four years of high school.

The student-athlete also helped start an FFA program on campus and became one of the main figures for a Wildcat baseball program on the rise.

Through all that, he still found spare time to volunteer as a Little League baseball and basketball coach.

“The things that he’s been associated with in getting going here has been the baseball program, the new FFA program, he’s been instrumental in getting both of those things off on the right foot,” Wink athletic director Brian Gibson said. “Just being able to do all those things and still handle the rigorous academic part of it, it’s a true testimony to his work ethic.”

Early in his freshman year, Payne set a goal for himself to finish in the top 10 of his graduating class.

When he got his first transcript back, he was No. 10 and knew that he wanted to strive for a higher placement.

He worked for the highest spot he could achieve and landed in the top five at the end of his first semester this year.

“It was a sense of self completion because I knew that I had reached my goal,” Payne said. “That’s the highest anybody has ever finished in my family, cousins, sister and it was just one of those awards that doesn’t come with a trophy but in your head it’s a great award.”

Payne is planning on continuing his academic career at Tarleton State University, where he’ll major in kinesiology with the hopes of becoming a coach in the future.

He said the coaches he had at Wink High School played a large role in the direction he wants to take his life in.

“I wouldn’t say they’re just coaches, I consider them as longtime friends,” Payne said. “I’ve built relationships with those guys I didn’t think were possible.”

Gibson said Payne doesn’t have to look too far after his collegiate graduation to find a job.

The athletic director described Payne as a kid he’d hire on his staff in a heartbeat, adding that he expects the student-athlete to have a tremendous future.

“He loves helping people and helping kids, you can see him interacting with the elementary kids so he’s going to have a future in that,” Gibson said.

Payne takes time to continue learning from each of his coaches, picking their brains to gain more knowledge about his desired profession.

He said it feels good knowing he has that job security after he finishes his studies.

“I’ll know that I’ll always have a place back home if I want it,” Payne said.

>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya

AUGUSTUS MACK PAYNE

WINK

>> Academic Rank: No. 5 (of 19)

>> Sports: Football; Basketball; Powerlifting; Baseball; Track; Golf

>> Academic bio: 3-time Student of the Month; Regional UIL Academic qualifier; Dual Credit (3.69 GPA at Odessa College); A-B Honor Roll all four years; Academic All-State in Football, Basketball

>> Athletic bio: Football (All-State, Padilla Poll, Texas Sports Writers Association; 3-year captain; 3-time Defensive Lineman of the Year); Basketball (Captain; Impact Player of the Year); Powerlifting (Regional qualifer); Golf (Regional qualifier); Baseball (Captain; Pitcher of the Year)

>> Activities: Hunting, fishing, volunteering, coaching Little League baseball, basketball

>> College and major: Tarleton State University (Kinesiology)

>> Goals for the future: To become a teacher/coach

>> Favorite subject: Science or History

>> Favorite book: Old Yeller

>> Favorite musician: Cody Johnson

>> Role model: My grandpa and my dad