The College of New Jersey Athletics

Robin Payne was a team leader for Lions softball. During her career the Lions appeared in three NCAA Division III playoffs and compiled a record of 102 wins and 28 losses. Her dedication to the game lead her to be named Most Valuable Player in 1982. 

In 1983, Payne pitched a two hit shut-out in the championship game against Buena Vista College. In that series she lead the Lions to a 7-0 victory in the 12.1 innings played. Also that year she was ranked second in the country with a 0.52 ERA and third in the country in wins with a 17-2 record. Her efforts were a driving force behind the success of the Lions softball team. 

Payne's dedication and leadership as a team player has followed through to her coaching career. Upon graduation in 1983, she was named assistant softball coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she served for ten years. Currently, she is the head softball coach at Plymouth State College, NH. Outside of coaching, Payne is a member of the NCAA All-American Committee for the northeast, and is President-elect for the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association. She also volunteers at softball clinics and camps in that region. 

As an active alumna, Payne has participated in every alumni softball game since graduation and for the last three years served as coach for the team's softball camp. In 1995, she and other softball alumnae drove 22 hours to Iowa to watch the Lions at the National Championships. In addition to her volunteer efforts, she is a contributor to the college's annual fund.