ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – In four years at the College of Saint Benedict, Fiona Smith built a legacy defined by inspirational leadership and unparalleled success both academically and athletically. Today (Thursday, July 18), Smith, a 16-time All-American and six-time individual national champion as a member of the CSB track and field/cross country program, has been selected as CSB's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year. 

 

Smith is among the student-athletes across the three divisions nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year national honor. Since 1991, the award has recognized graduating female student-athletes excellence in four pillars of academic, athletics, community service and leadership. The NCAA selection committee will choose the Top 30 honorees (10 from each division) to be announced in October, with the top three finalists from each division to be announced in November. 

In a career marked by leadership, success and history-making performances, Smith is the most decorated student-athlete in school history. She recently added another national award to her impressive array of honors. For the second straight year, Smith was named the 2024 USTFCCCA National Scholar Athlete of the Year for NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field on July 17.

Smith becomes the first Saint Ben's student-athlete to earn the USTFCCCA Scholar Athlete of the Year honor in back-to-back years. A year ago she was the first ever at CSB to earn the honor.

On July 9, Smith was also selected by the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Team Member of the Team for Track and Field/Cross Country in NCAA DIII. She is one of four across all NCAA & NAIA divisions honored with the CSC "Member of the Year" honor for track and field/cross country. 

Smith, who compiled a 4.0 grade point average in mathematics and Hispanic Studies, became the fifth CSB student-athletes named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for NCAA DIII. Originally of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Smith also recently earned her third straight CSC Academic All-American honor, a first at Saint Benedict. As such, she is the 31^st Academic All-American at Saint Benedict and the 13^th on first team. Smith has been named first team Academic All-American in 2023-24 and 2022-23 after being named to the second team in 2021-22.  She is among eight Bennies to earn CSC Academic All-American honors at least twice.
 
After yet another record-breaking and amazing season, track and field/cross country Smith was recently named the CSB Athletics "Athlete of the Year" for a third straight time. She is just the second student-athlete in school history to achieve that distinction, joining Marcy Erickson of tennis in 1985-87. 
 
Smith began rewriting the history books at CSB, in the MIAC and across NCAA DIII from nearly the first day (Feb. 21, 2021) she competed as a Bennie. Her high-achieving, high-energy, record-breaking efforts continue to her final competition when won a national title (10K - 1st ever at St. Bens) and earned two more All-American honors at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Championships in humid, and hot conditions in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on May 24-25, 2024.
 
In 2023-24 alone, she won four NCAA DIII individual titles (XC, 3K, 5K, 10K) and seven MIAC titles, unprecedented at St. Bens. Smith earned five All-American honors in 2023-24.

"Fiona has been an incredible ambassador for Saint Ben's cross country and track and field, but also for the College of Saint Benedict, Saint John's University and all of NCAA Division III running," said CSB head coach of track and field/cross country Robin Balder-Lanoue of Smith, who set records at St. Ben's 28 times and also won six national titles.
 
"She has represented them all with such grace," said Balder-Lanoue of Smith, who earned her second MIAC Elite 22 honor for cross country in fall 2023 and on Tuesday, July 16 earned her fourth straight USTFCCCA All-Academic honor. "It's been amazing to watch. She's been an incredible role model for what it takes to be a 4.0 student and among the best as a student-athlete."
 
She graduated from CSB in May and will pursue a graduate degree at North Carolina State while using a final year of eligibility in the fall. Through it all, she leaves a legacy at CSB that includes those six national titles and 17 individual or relay MIAC titles, making her the most decorated student-athlete in St. Ben's history.

 

Smith is one of five in MIAC history to win at least five individual national track and field titles. Add in her cross-country title in the fall of 2023, and she is one of three in MIAC history to capture six or more national DIII individual titles (Julia Kirtland, eight titles, 1984-87; Kelly Copps, six titles, 1993-95).
 
This past track and field season was truly a work of art. During the outdoor season, she set school records in the 5,000-meter (15:53.27 - fourth best in DIII history) and 10,000-meter (32:57.28 – second all-time in DIII) in addition to the 1,500-meter (4:25.51). Indoors, she set the school record in the 3,000-meter (9:23.40 - fourth fastest in DIII) and 5,000-meter (15:50.48 - fastest all-time in DIII history). During this recent outdoor season, Smith was ranked fifth in the 1,500-meters and top-ranked in both the 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters.

The recipient of the USTFCCCA North Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honor, Smith was also named the MIAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year for the first time in CSB program history. She was honored after winning the rare triple of the 1,500-meter, 5,000-meters and 10,000 meters at the MIAC Championship on May 10-11 in St. Paul. In the 1,500 and 5,000-meter runs, she established conference championship records.
 
She earned four USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week honors in cross country and track and field and was named USTFCCCA All-Region in seven events. Smith was also named the Honda NCAA DIII Athlete of the Year finalist for cross country, and the Presidential Award winner at the Bennie Awards banquet due to her success in academics, athletics and community engagement. In addition, she was the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year in Cross Country in on Nov. 21, 2023 and the USTFCCCA National Scholar Athlete of the Year in Cross Country on February 1, 2024.
 
"Fiona Smith is an inspiring example of our mission to produce empowered and principled leaders who work for the betterment of society," said CSB and SJU President Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D. "She beautifully defines what we imagine for all our scholar-athletes at Saint Ben's. She is a champion many times over as an athlete, a sterling honors program scholar, a 4.0 math major and a person of exceptional integrity who steadily contributes to our community and the common good."
 
Smith, who took on summer research projects on campus at CSB and SJU in 2021 and '22 and completed a research internship at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County last year, is a trustee's scholarship recipient, member of Pi Mu Epsilon, Delta Epsilon Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa and is an Honors Scholar.
 
Additionally, Smith earned six USTFCCCA national athlete of the week honors, holds multiple conference and school records, and was named the Chi Alpha Sigma National Scholar Athlete of the Year.

In the community, Fiona has been active in Kids Fighting Hunger and has worked with "Around Cloud Tutors" doing online tutoring for youth. Additionally, she served as a volunteer for Casa San Benito and was an Honors Scholars Program speaker. Smith has worked as a member of the subcommittee for improving facilities and student experience at CSB, as well as being the captain for the cross country and track and field teams. Smith has also been involved in undergraduate research during her time at CSB which has helped her to develop her creativity and critical thinking skills.