Local Westerville native Payton Kaufman delivered a standout four-year career as a defender, starting all 64 matches (in which she was active) while helping the Cardinals go a combined 48-11-7 with her on the roster.

A 2x Ohio Athletic Conference Defender of the Year (2021, 2023), Kaufman helped the program win a pair of OAC titles along the way – 2020 tournament and 2021 regular season. She was a 4x all-league selection in the process, with three of those coming on the first team.

Kaufman’s defenses posted a collective 0.61 goals-against average during her time in a college uniform, posting 38 shutouts during the span and routinely finishing among the top units in the league. She also came up as a dangerous contributor on free kicks, ultimately registering 17 points by way of six goals and five assists.

Along the way, Kaufman also corralled multiple soccer awards for All-Ohio and All-Region while maintaining stellar production in the classroom. She graduated with a 3.89 cumulative GPA as a double major in health communication and public relations.

In addition to becoming a 3x Academic All-OAC and 2x Academic All-District, Kaufman saved her boldest punctuation mark for last by earning prestigious CSC Academic All-America honors as a senior. She was one of just 34 standouts (in NCAA Division III) to make the national list that fall.