We spoke with Payton as he entered his Grad Season with Virginia Men's Lacrosse. Already he has become Virginia's All Time Leading goal scorer and is going into the season ranked as a top 50 player to watch.

How would you describe yourself as a player?

I believe I’m a player that loves to compete. I’m going to do whatever I can to help my team be successful. I pride myself on helping my teammates become successful and doing whatever it takes to put them and myself in those positions is important to me.

What was your mindset going into your graduate season?

Being one of the oldest players did your mindset change at all from past years? 100% you have just learned so much from so many great players and coaches that you feel like your now in a situation to help younger guys on your team learn. We have a great group of underclassmen that want to soak up as much as they can from the older guys and that’s kind of the mindset of leaving this place better than you found it.

What expectations do you have for your team and personal expectations this year?

I think the expectations at a place like UVA stay the same almost every year and that’s the special part about coming to a school like this. I also believe that all personal expectations go out the door when you’re here at the end of your career, that goes for everyone on our team and we really just want to focus on how well we can be playing as a team especially later in the year.

What piece of your game are you most proud of?

I think the piece of my game that I’m most proud of would be helping others succeed once again. Freeing teammates up or making sure the young guys know how important they are in the whole process of what we are trying to accomplish.

Any advice for balancing being a student-athlete?

It’s tough, specially early in your career. For Canadians you’ve never really been around anything like this so there is a ton of pressure when you walk in. It gets easier, talk it through with people. There’s so many people that you can reach out to for support it really is pretty special.

Top tips for kids that aspire to play at the NCAA D1 level?

Focus on the little things. I play with one hand, being really damn good with that one hand. Catching tough passes and making good feeds goes a long way in the NCAA. Communication and being able to read the field are others that stand out.

What did you learn from playing with Edge that helped you transition from high school to college lacrosse?

The biggest thing I took away from edge is the coaches that want to help u succeed. Most of my coaches had a chance to play in college or are close with someone who played in college so they know the route you have to go down. And then don’t be nervous. If you’re doing all the right things and helping teammates you’re going to get noticed.

What is your favourite memory with Edge?

My favourite memory with edge would be going to Naptown with a short squad and making it to the championship. Playing against my current teammate Connor Shellenberger and just enjoying the moment with edge because it doesn’t last forever.

Colin Hunt Alumni Spotlight

We caught up with Edge Alumni Colin Hunt this week. He reflected on his experience playing with Edge and how Edge has impacted his life in lacrosse and beyond. Colin played for Edge during his high school years from 2013-2016. He played minor lacrosse for the Burlington Chiefs for both box and field lacrosse. Then he played junior lacrosse for Oakville Buzz and Burlington Chiefs again. For his college career, Colin was a student-athlete at Villanova University where he played for 4 years and was given a 5th year of eligibility due to COVID. In his 5th year, he chose to play D2 at Lindenwood University. 

Looking back at his experience with Edge, Colin reminisced on winning the 2014 NSCLA Championship, which at the time was the premier summer club tournament. He recognized how being a part of the Edge community has given him opportunities to play in premiere tournaments, meet lots of friends and be a part of a strong lacrosse community. He added that being a part of the Edge community means more than just playing for Edge. He had the opportunity to work summer camps and stay connected to the lacrosse community once he had graduated from college. 

We asked Colin to reflect on how the Edge coaches supported his athletic development and recruiting journey while he was playing. He said, “The Edge coaches I had along the way, whether it be Jason Donville, Stu Brown, or Adam Lukanchoff, always did an excellent job of letting us play like Canadians. They never tried to force the American style of play on us. They recognized that a lot of coaches were looking for that unique skill set that a Canadian lacrosse player can bring to a college team.” We loved this answer because our players bring a unique competitiveness and style of play to the lax field as many of our players are combining box and field lacrosse techniques and skills. He was complimentary on the coaching staff we have built up at Edge but he also mentioned that a key skill he’s taken from lacrosse into his life after college was to, “Be a sponge. Never be too proud to do the little things. Learn as much as you can at all times.” With this insight, Colin has continued to succeed in his professional life after college lacrosse where he has worked as a public accountant in Phoenix, Arizona.

It’s no surprise to anyone that Colin has had success on and off the field so we ended our conversation by asking him what piece of advice he’d leave for current Edge players. He said the following, “It would be to enjoy lacrosse for what it is while not getting caught up in the stress that can come from the recruiting process. It always works itself out in the end and you will end up where you should be.”

We’re lucky to have Colin as a great representation of the Edge community and look forward to following his post grad professional career and success! Huge thanks to him for sharing his experience with us and the current Edge players!