ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Saturday’s region meet was just one race, but Fiona Smith accomplished so much in that 21-minute time span.
Not only did she win the race, she became the first region champion in program history, set another school record and qualified for nationals – all while helping the College of Saint Benedict cross country team to its best team finish since 2014. For her impressive race, Smith is this week’s CSB Athlete of the Week.
Heading into Saturday’s race in Colfax, Wis., Smith had already won once on that same course. She took first at the Blugold Invite in early October in a field of more than 350 runners, including several ranked teams. Saturday at the NCAA North Region Championships, she used her knowledge of the course to help her win again – this time with higher stakes.
Smith’s win Saturday guaranteed her one of a handful of individual at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship on Nov. 20 in Louisville, Ky. She is the 11
th national qualifier in program history and the first since 2018. She is also the first region champion in CSB cross country history.
Smith made a convincing case for herself in her pursuit for a spot at the national championships. She won the race in 20:57.6 – a new school record, and 27 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. She is the first athlete in CSB cross country history to break 21 minutes in a 6K. Smith’s win helped the Bennies finish in seventh as a team – the Bennies’ best team finish since 2014.
The women’s race at the national meet starts at 11 a.m. CST on Saturday, Nov. 20, from E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky. Smith looks to become the cross country team’s first All-American since 2005.
