Texas girls’ track and field: Carnegie Vanguard High School’s Laila Payne balances state title hunt with 4.7 GPA [Video]

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Carnegie Vanguard High School is a Houston Independent School District magnet campus for gifted and talented students, including junior Laila Payne, who’s taking it to a whole other level.

“This year, I decided to do the (100-meter dash) and (300-meter) hurdles and (200-meter dash),” Laila said.

Those are just the events she runs on the track, all on their own difficult.

Laila also excels in the classroom, maintaining a 4.7 GPA at one of the most challenging schools in the U.S.

“I try to keep a positive attitude in everything I do,” she said. “I try to take everything one piece at a time – each race, each warmup, each assignment I need to do.”

Laila is very active in clubs on campus, serving as president of the Black Student Union and Foster Care System Awareness clubs. She’s also a member of the nationally recognized competitive dance team.

“We have …