On November 8, Payton Boteler signed her National Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at the University of Tampa in Florida. 

Throughout her lacrosse career at Linganore High School, Boteler demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to her team.

Boteler has “always put school first but does a great job with balancing sports, school and work,” said Boteler’s sister.

She has been playing lacrosse since preschool and has always loved the sport. Boteler started playing competitively at the age of 9.

Boteler has always been a leader, committed to her teammates and the game. Her coach describes her as “fearless, competitive and hardworking, with strong character.” 

“My leadership skills stuck out to my coaches, and they told me I brought something else to the table that a lot of their other goalies didn’t have,” Boteler said. 

Boteler said she has won many awards over the years. In her freshman year at Linganore, she receieved an honorable mention in the 3A-4A schools category. Last season, she earned the first team all-county reward, and the season before that she earned second team all-county. 

The girls’ varsity lacrosse coach, Dean Cocia, shared a story exemplifying Botelers commitment to her sport and team.

After Boteler missed a sprinting and conditioning session due to an injury, “She immediately came up to me and said, ‘coach, you need to be here early. I’m doing exactly what they did yesterday, and I want to make sure that I accomplish that goal, because I am part of this team,'” Coccia said. 

Boteler tells newcomers to Lingnore’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team to “Just stay positive because there’s a lot in sports that kinda can get you down, but just keeping a good attitude and lifting up your teammates is my biggest piece of advice.”

She selected Tampa for their outstanding academics. She plans to pursue marketing and the school’s 4 + 1 program, so she can get her master’s degree in five years.