Payden is entering her second season working with the Bengal throwers. Prior to joining the ISU coaching staff, Payden competed in the throwing events at Penn State University as well as The University of Oklahoma where she was a 3 Time All-American, 2 Time Big XII Champion, and a competitor at the 2021 Olympic Trials. 

In her first year at ISU, she coached the ISU throwers to 3 school records and 23 Top-10 performances. Her athletes earned two Big Sky Titles and 5 All-Conference honors. She also had two athletes qualify for the 2026 NCAA West Regional Preliminary Round. In addition, she coached Axel Tirado-Sanchez to a Second Team All-American finish at the 2026 NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon.