ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – In a career marked by leadership, success and history-making performances,
Fiona Smith of the College of Saint Benedict Track and Field/Cross Country Team, has added another national award to her impressive array of honors.
Fiona Smith
In recognition of her remarkable athletic and academic accomplishments, which has included six individual national titles and various national academic awards, Smith has received a significant and prestigious academic honor by being named the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Team Member of the Team for Track and Field/Cross Country in NCAA DIII on Tuesday, July 9. 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, is the fifth CSB student-athletes named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for DIII. Originally of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Smith joins Hunter Weiss of volleyball in 2021; Jacque Dahle of softball in 1992; Chris Muehlbauer of volleyball in 1991 and Marcy Erickson of tennis, who was honored in both 1987-88 and 1988-89. In addition, Smith earned her third straight CSC Academic All-American honor, a first at Saint Benedict.
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 joins Weiss (volleyball, 2019, 2020-21), Muehlbauer (volleyball, 1990, 1991) and Erickson (1987-88, 1988-89, tennis) as two-time first team honorees. She is among eight Bennies to earn CSC Academic All-American honors at least twice.
Seventeen of the 49 members of the Academic All-America® Division III women's track and field/cross country teams hold a perfect 4.00 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 16 first team members have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.89. The entire women's team holds a collective average undergraduate GPA of 3.88.
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 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. "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)
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 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, was named the Chi Alpha Sigma National Scholar Athlete of the Year and the USTFCCCA National Scholar Athlete of the Year last summer (2023).
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.
