“I was absolutely not expecting any of them to come. And so, I think just over the mile mark, I heard they're distinct cheering and saw them on the side and I don't really smile during races, but they got me to smile.”

It’s been a wild 2.5 weeks for Fiona Smith. On November 18th, she won the D3 XC Nationals. Two weeks later, she broke the D3 Indoor 5k record running 15:50. Two days after setting the new record, Smith announced she will be attending NC State as a Grad Transfer next season.

She takes us through what the D1 recruiting process was like and why she ended up choosing NC State. She said coach Laurie Henes said, “So that was one of her big points about making sure that I continue to love the sport, and continue to develop me and give me all the opportunities I need to run fast and compete well, especially when it comes to indoor and outdoor track.”

After winning the national title, she had her sights set on the record. She did a great job of not focusing on it as a record but another opportunity to compete. This was the first time she was in a pack in a while so that kept her engaged and competing throughout. She’s a student of the sport and is amazed that she has overtaken the top spot in D3 especially with those who came before her.

We finish the conversation talking about the national meet. While she was the clear favorite, she explains why she still got nervous and lacked a bit of confidence the night before the meet. However, she let us know tactics she uses to keep her nerves at ease.

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