College of St. Benedict Cross Country Runner Nominated For Division III Athlete of the Year

(KNSI) – A College of St. Benedict runner is up for Division III Honda Athlete of the Year.

Fiona Smith won the national championship cross country meet last month and is now one of 11 finalists for the award across all sports. It won’t be determined until the end of the academic year.

It will be voted on by the 1,000 member institutions that make up The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program. Smith is the only female in Division III history to run a sub-20 minute race at the NCAA Championships. She was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Smith says she has relied on help from others to reach the top of her sport at the collegiate level. “My coach, teammates, family, and my whole support system make it possible for me to keep the balance in my life that I need to achieve things such as this recognition, and I have them to thank for being where I am!”

Smith’s coach, Robin Balder-Lanoue, says Smith is more than just a great athlete and student. “It is easy to look at Fiona and say, ‘Wow, what a great runner!’ More so, it is easy to look at her grades and say, ‘Wow, she’s a 4.0 mathematics major!’ but none of this compares to the amazing human she is every single day.”

Smith broke the College of St. Benedict school record three times this year alone. She will find out if she is the 2024 Honda Athlete of the Year on Monday, June 24th, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. The ceremony is held in New York City.

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