KELSEYVILLE — It won’t be long before Kelseyville High School star athlete Payton Conrad trades in her orange and black for the red and black of the Simpson University Red Hawks.
Conrad, 17, signed her letter of intent to attend the private college in Redding on Wednesday afternoon during a brief ceremony at the Kelseyville gym. A standout volleyball and basketball player for the Knights, Conrad will concentrate on basketball in college.
The daughter of Scott and Jennifer Conrad, both standout athletes in their own right during their high school playing days at Kelseyville, Payton had a good laugh with her mom about her new color scheme in college, which resembles Kelseyville’s archrival, Clear Lake High School. In fact, Simpson University’s mascot is also a bird, just not a Cardinal.
Simpson University offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees and also hosts a school of nursing and a seminary. Payton has yet to declare a major although she is as accomplished a student at Kelseyville with a 3.95 GPA as she is an athlete. The All-North Central League I co-most valuable player in volleyball this season after helping lead the Knights to a 33-7 record, a fourth straight league championship and a berth in the NorCal playoffs, Conrad is preparing to open her fourth straight season as a starter on the school’s varsity basketball team. She begins the 2018-19 campaign as Lake County’s active career scoring leader with 1,154 points and is on track to become only the sixth county player to reach 1,500 points, joining among others her dad Scott (1,717).
Basketball excellence is something of a tradition in the Conrad family. Payton’s grandfather Mark was recently inducted into the Santa Cruz High School Hall of Fame, dad Scott is Lake County’s career scoring leader among boys, mom Jennifer played on several outstanding Kelseyville girls teams, and brother Trey, a Kelseyville High standout as well, is a freshman playing for the Santa Rosa Junior College men’s team. Payton is a three-time All-League first-team selection who will leave Kelseyville as its all-time leading scoring leader for girls.
“I’m thankful for all the people who helped her,” dad Scott Conrad said of such individuals as Jimmy Hale, Payton’s high school coach, and Kevin Wilkerson, her coach on the Blazin’ Heat club team out of Chico.
“Payton’s lucky to have that many people who care about her,” Conrad said.
Asked if was a hard decision choosing between volleyball or basketball in college, Payton’s response was immediate, “No, definitely basketball.”
With Simpson University currently rebuilding its program, Payton said the opportunity is there to earn a starting job as the Red Hawks’ point guard.
How did she connect with the Redding college?
“Through club ball and my coach (Wilkerson),” she said.
“It’s going to be tough,” Wilkerson said of the transition to college ball, “but she fits well, she’s a leader, she can shoot and she can pass.”
Wilkerson coached Payton for one year and said he was “lucky” to have her and that she’s a quick study. “Simpson recognized the talent in her.”
Simpson offered Conrad a combined academic/athletic scholarship that will cover 90 percent of her tuition, according to mom Jennifer.
“Other (out-of-state) schools were interested in her, but I’m happy to have her play at the next level and still be only 2 ½ hours away,” Scott said. “Payton’s happy about that too.”
