In her 27th year, head coach Robin Balder-Lanoue has led the College of Saint Benedict to top-five finishes in the MIAC in 13-of-16 indoor championships and 11 of the 15 past outdoor championships.
In the indoor 2024 season, the Bennies, led by Fiona Smith's two national titles (3K, 5K) indoors finished a program best ninth (20 points) at the NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Bennies finished second at the MIAC Championships with 10 All-MIAC performances including three individual titles (3K, 5K, mile) by Smith. CSB had five overall titles, including a pole vault crown from Jaylyn Ahlberg, had 120 points. CSB finished ranked No. 16 in DIII. At the NCAA DIII Outdoor Meet, Smith won a national title in the 10K and was third in the 5K as the Bennies finished tied for 11th (16 points). With a program-best 13 All-MIAC performances, including five individual titles, the College of Saint Benedict outdoor track and field team recorded a third-place finish with the most points ever (136.33) in program history at the MIAC Outdoor Championship. Smith won three individual titles for a second straight year (setting championship records in the 10K, 1,500M) while Ahlberg claimed the outdoor pole vault title with Sabriya Farquharson winning the long jump crown.
In 2023, the Bennies had a memorable year, earning an USTFCCCA national ranking as high as No. 14, finishing a program-best 11th (20 points) at the NCAA DIII Indoor Championships and a program-best 15th (16th) at the DIII Outdoor Championships. She became the program's first-ever coach to mentor a national champion as Fiona Smith won both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs at the national indoor championship. In addition, Smith, who has a program best nine All-American track and field honors (11 counting cross country) finished first or second in all four events (Indoor - 3K, 1st; 5K, 1st; Outdoor - 5K - 2nd; 10K, second) she competed in at the indoor and outdoor NCAA DIII meets.
Aside from that, Balder-Lanoue's 2023 outdoor team finished third with 127.50 points, which was the second highest total ever at CSB and tied a school mark with five individual titles, including Smith winning the rare 1,500, 5K, 10K triple while Justus Floren earning an individual title in the heptathlon. In total, CSB had a combined 20 All-MIAC performances indoor and outdoor, recording 10 All-MIAC finishes in both league meets. At the MIAC indoor, CSB was fifth with 99 points as Smith repeated in the 3K and 5K and the team had three titles.
The Bennies crowned a program-best five MIAC champions and finished second at the 2022 MIAC Outdoor Championships at Saint Mary’s. That marks the team’s best finish since 2017 and the second runner-up finish at the outdoor meet in program history. CSB’s 117.3 points is the second-most points scored at the outdoor championships in program history.
In 2017, Balder-Lanoue led the team to its best-ever finishes at both the indoor and outdoor meets, finishing runner-up at both. CSB also took second at the indoor meet in 2014 and 2011, and Balder-Lanoue was named the MIAC Indoor Coach of the Year in 2016, 2011 and 2009. Balder-Lanoue also earned coach of the year honors in the 2017 and 2010 outdoor seasons.
Balder-Lanoue has coached 384 All-MIAC Honorable Mention athletes, 208 All-MIAC First Team selections and 72 conference champions. She has coached 24 NCAA Division III All-Americans and 66 national qualifiers. Twenty-three of the current outdoor records and 24 of the school’s indoor records have been set under Balder-Lanoue’s watch.
As well as being successful on the course, CSB’s track and field teams have had plenty of success in the classroom as well. CSB has won 17 straight USTFCCCA All-Academic Team awards, and 60 individuals have been honored in that time.
Balder-Lanoue is a 1991 graduate of the College of Saint Benedict and participated in both track and field and cross country for four years. She still has one of the top-50 5K times in CSB history, and earned All-MIAC in track and field in 1990 and 1991. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and secondary education from CSB in 1991, and graduated with a master’s degree in education from Hamline in 1998.
From 1991-96, Balder-Lanoue taught and was the head Nordic ski coach and assistant cross country and track and field coach at Monticello High School in nearby Monticello, Minn. She came to CSB as the head cross country coach in 1997, and served as an assistant track coach before taking over the program in 1999.
Balder-Lanoue still actively competes in road races. She took 15th at the Twin Cities Marathon in 1996, and competes in various team relays such as Ragnar or the Hood to Coast Relay – which span nearly 200 miles – every year. Her relay team, Baba Yaga, was the first women’s team to cross the finish line at the Ragnar Wasatch Back in Utah in 2019.
Balder-Lanoue and her husband, Bruce, live in St. Cloud with their daughter.
Additional Coaching Experience:
2005: USA Track and Field Level II coaching - throws
1997-1999: Assistant track and field coach at CSB
1991-1996: Assistant cross country and track and field coach at Monticello High School
1991-1996: Head Nordic ski coach at Monticello High School
College Education:
1998: Master's degree in education from Hamline University
1991: Bachelor's degree in mathematics and secondary education from St. Ben's
Athletic Career:
1984-Present: Competes in the Hood to Coast Relay or Ragnar Northwest Passage every August in Oregon
1991-Present: Actively competing in road races
1996: Finished 15th in the Twin Cities Marathon
1987-1991: Competed in cross country and track and field at St. Ben's (All-MIAC)
Coaching Honors:
2017: MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
2016: MIAC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
2011: MIAC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
2010: MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Co-Coach of the Year
2009: MIAC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
