NEWVILLE, Pa. – Simply the best. 

In another dominating, history-making performance, senior Fiona Smith of the College of Saint Benedict captured the first NCAA DIII cross country individual title in school history and just the eighth in MIAC history.

And, she did it in record-breaking fashion. With a clocking of 19:54.1 in the six-kilometer race at the 2023 NCAA DIII national championship at Big Spring High School, Smith set a championship record and became the first-ever in DIII history to clock sub-20 minutes.
 
But, it isn't the first time that Smith, a senior mathematics and computer science major from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, has cracked the sub-20 mark. In fact, this is the third time this season – another NCAA DIII first – that she has accomplished that task.
 

Smith became the first three-time cross country All-American in school history and sixth in MIAC history. Overall, it marks her third NCAA DIII individual title as she won both the 5,000-meter and 3,000-meters at the 2023 NCAA DIII Indoor Championships. All three titles were a first-ever at CSB.

Including track and field, she now has 12 All-American honors and finished first or second six times in cross country and track and field combined. 

CSB head coach Robin Balder-Lanoue said she was exceptionally proud of both Fiona Smith and Annie Kiolbasa for performing at a high level. Kiolbasa, a senior from Stillwater, Minn., was 144th of 292 runners with a time of 22:49.3. 

"I am proud of the way Fiona handled the pressure of the expectations that have been put on her," said Balder-Lanoue. "She had a race plan and executed it beautifully."

"I am proud of the way Annie handled the big race and crowd. She finished the last kilometer strong and ran a strong race in a great field," Balder Lanoune said. 

The duo are the 13th and 14th student-athletes in school history to compete at the DIII cross country championship.

As for Smith, Saturday marked her final race in cross country at Saint Benedict. She said it was special and she was really pleased with how she competed.

"It feels good. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed from it all. But it's really exciting. It's a great feeling and I'm really happy," said Smith, who was unbeaten in seven races this year and has 17 career cross country individual race wins.

"Coming off of last year when it was like nine-degree windchill and snowy, the weather today was absolutely perfect. It was a little windy, but 45 to 50 and sunny so super gorgeous. The course was pretty hilly, but the atmosphere with all the spectators (was great). The environment really helped get me through all those hills."

Smith said, she was deeply appreciative of all those who came to support her and Kiolbasa.

"It was just a lot of fun out there. We had a lot of fun today. A lot of great fans coming out to watch," she said.

 
Smith, who became the first-ever in MIAC history to win three straight NCAA DIII North Region titles, and Kiolbasa, who finished 18^th at the regional, became the first duo from CSB to qualify for nationals in the same year since Morgan Pierce and Abby Goff in 2018. On Nov. 11, Smith earned her third straight All-Region honor and Kiolbasa has two straight All-Region honors.

 

She is the second Saint Benedict student-athlete to earn three trips to DIII nationals, joining Missy Peterson in 1992-94. Smith was named the NCAA DIII North Region Athlete of the Year for the third time this week, unprecedented in MIAC history. For the second time, Smith was also named the MIAC Elite 22 Award recipient on Thursday. 

This year, Smith has won four MIAC Athlete of the Week honors and two USTFCCA National Athlete of the Week honors. She has set course records at nearly every competition, established MIAC bests, and broken school records three times.

At the Connecticut College Invite on Oct. 14, Smith set a course and school record with a 19:51.1 and then she set the MIAC championship record with a 19:55.1 in winning her third straight 6K individual title at the MIAC Championship on Oct. 28. Smith and Kiolbasa helped lead CSB to a third place team finish at the 2023 MIAC Championship. Kiolbasa recorded her PR and the third best 6K time in program history of 22:09 at the Connecticut College Invite on Oct. 14.