Basketball: SUU's Payne will continue career at Westminster
Geoff Payne, the former Alta High, Snow College and Southern Utah University standout, isn't done playing college basketball just yet.
He will transfer to Westminster College, an NAIA program in Salt Lake City, for his senior season.
Payne's appeal to the NCAA to return to SUU for another year was denied last month, thereby ending his eligibility at Southern Utah.
However, NAIA rules are different, and Payne is eligible to play at that level and head coach Tommy Connor has accepted the Summit League newcomer of the year in 2007-08 into his program.
After an all-state prep career at Alta, Payne began his college career by walking on at the University of Utah.
According to NCAA rules, once a student has enrolled full time, he has five years to complete his eligibility and his "clock" begins. LDS Church missions turn off the clock, but only if the athlete stays out at least one year.
Payne returned early from his mission, so his year spent assisting at Alta High was counted by the NCAA as year two.
He then played for Snow College for two years before transferring to SUU.
Because Payne has only used eight semesters of nine or more hours of classwork, he is eligible to play at the NAIA level because NAIA rules don't require consecutive years as NCAA rules do.
Payne averaged 20.8 points a game for SUU last season in coach Roger Reid's first year. Southern Utah went 11-19.
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Mandi Divino, a member of Alta High's 5A state championship girls tennis team, has signed to play tennis for Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo.
He will transfer to Westminster College, an NAIA program in Salt Lake City, for his senior season.
Payne's appeal to the NCAA to return to SUU for another year was denied last month, thereby ending his eligibility at Southern Utah.
However, NAIA rules are different, and Payne is eligible to play at that level and head coach Tommy Connor has accepted the Summit League newcomer of the year in 2007-08 into his program.
After an all-state prep career at Alta, Payne began his college career by walking on at the University of Utah.
According to NCAA rules, once a student has enrolled full time, he has five years to complete his eligibility and his "clock" begins. LDS Church missions turn off the clock, but only if the athlete stays out at least one year.
Payne returned early from his mission, so his year spent assisting at Alta High was counted by the NCAA as year two.
He then played for Snow College for two years before transferring to SUU.
Because Payne has only used eight semesters of nine or more hours of classwork, he is eligible to play at the NAIA level because NAIA rules don't require consecutive years as NCAA rules do.
Payne averaged 20.8 points a game for SUU last season in coach Roger Reid's first year. Southern Utah went 11-19.
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Mandi Divino, a member of Alta High's 5A state championship girls tennis team, has signed to play tennis for Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo.
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