The Colorado Rapids have signed goalkeeper Russell Payne from the Maryland Mania of the A-League for the remainder of the 1999 season. Payne, 24, has trained with the Rapids for the past two weeks and served as the backup for three games. Payne, a four-year starter at the University of Maryland, now takes over as the permanent backup to starter Ian Feuer. Payne spent a portion of the 1999 season with D.C United, backing up goalkeeper Tom Presthus. After graduating from Maryland in 1997, the Maryland native joined the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers of the A-League for one season, where he turned in an impressive 14-5 record en route to a division championship. From there, he joined AZ Alkmaar of the Dutch Second Division for the 1998 season, where he was used mainly as a reserve goalkeeper for the club, which gained promotion. Returning to the U.S. this year, Payne joined the struggling Maryland Mania of the A-League. Payne, however, only played in ten games for the A-League club, as D.C. United called him up to back up starter Tom Presthus.