Area roundup: EWU’s Ashli Payne signs with Australian professional league

Former Eastern Washington forward Ashli Payne has signed a contract to play basketball professionally for the Gold Coast Rollers of the Queensland Basketball League in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Payne started all 63 games she appeared in for Eastern after transferring from Umpqua Community College.

Payne earned an All-Big Sky honorable mention following the 2016-17 season. She led the team with 7.0 rebounds, seventh in the Big Sky. Payne also led the team in free throws, making 79 of 100, and shot .434 from three-point range to rank fourth in the Big Sky.

Payne earned co-Big Sky Player of the Week honors on Jan. 2 following a 21-point, 14-rebound performance against Idaho on Dec. 31.

Payne ended her EWU career with 742 points, averaging 11.8 per game and started all 63 games she appeared in. She averaged 7.8 rebounds.

Track and Field

Oregon’s Tanner Anderson (North Central) finished 13th in men’s 10,000-meter run in 29:21.67 at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene on Wednesday.

Marc Scott of Tulsa won the event in 29:01.54.

The four-day event continues on Friday with Gonzaga’s Troy Fraley in men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final and Colorado’s John Dressel (Mt. Spokane) in men’s 5,000-meter final.