In addition to seeking second career California Division 1 crown, Smith is motivated to lead Bears to program’s first team championship since 1994, halt Great Oak’s bid for record eighth consecutive title

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Corie Smith knows her cross country legacy is secure.

For the Buchanan High senior, her place among the elite runners not only in program history, but all-time in the Central Section as well as all of California isn’t going to be determined by the outcome of the CIF Division 1 state final Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

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The victories, records and championships, especially the 2017 Division 1 state individual title, already validate Smith’s career consistency and ability to excel when the stakes are the highest.

But there remains one missing piece to her career resume, one item of unfinished business Smith wishes to complete and one crowning achievement she hopes to provide for Buchanan coach Brian Weaver – a Division 1 team championship.

Those aspirations were placed on hold last year when Smith woke up the morning of the state final feeling ill.

Instead of running the 5-kilometer course again at Woodward Park, she was running a high fever. And her immune system couldn’t fight off the sickness in time for Smith to defend the individual state crown and help Buchanan battle for another podium finish after placing second to Great Oak in 2017.

Although best friend and teammate Meagen Lowe, now a freshman at Oregon State, placed second behind Great Oak’s Tori Gaitan, the absence of Smith resulted in Buchanan placing sixth.

“I was perfectly fine the whole week leading up to it, but it hit me Saturday morning when I woke up,” Smith said. “Weaver took one look at me and made the decision that I would not be racing.”

Smith has returned this season not only with increased motivation and determination to lead Buchanan to its first state team title since capturing the Division 2 crown in 1994, but also a greater appreciation for how significant championship opportunities are and how important it is to cherish every one of them.

“Obviously for me, it’s a huge deal. You want to come out here all four years and I think we kind of take that for granted that our team makes it every single year,” Smith said. “For me, that was a huge wake-up call that I can’t take all of these meets and us going for granted. I could show up and I might not even get to run. You never know what’s going to happen.

“I’m really competitive, and me and Tori had been going back and forth all year, so I really wanted to go out there and compete.”

After helping Buchanan capture its first girls state track and field team championship in May by placing second in the 3,200-meter final, Smith has elevated her performance to an even more impressive level this fall, winning all nine races, including a third career Central Section Division 1 individual title Nov. 21.

Smith also won for the second time in her career in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race Sept. 21 at the Woodbridge Classic, in addition to leading Buchanan to the team title on a sixth-runner tiebreaker over Texas 6A champion Southlake Carroll.

She also held off Division 2 title contender Alexandra Klos of Vista del Lago, Division 5 favorite Harper McClain of St. Helena, Division 3 challenger Savannah Scriven of Palos Verdes and Division 1 rival Carlie Dorostkar of Canyon Crest Academy to win the girls championship race Oct. 12 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational.

“Those races are super important because you have to learn how to race people,” Smith said. “Without Meagen being here, I don’t have competition for most of the season, but having those couple of big meets in the season really helps me when it comes to racing at state.”

Smith not only eclipsed the Central Section record at the ASICS Clovis Invitational by clocking 16:53.9 at Woodward Park, but she also elevated to the No. 4 all-time performer on the 5-kilometer layout, trailing only Malibu’s Claudia Lane, Simi Valley’s Sarah Baxter and Santa Rosa’s Julia Stamps, who have combined to win nine individual state titles.

“I felt like most people and programs knew I was always going to be a competitor even though I missed that big race (last season),” said Smith, who has placed in the top four in 13 of her 14 career 5-kilometer races at Woodward Park, including seven victories.

“I just had one bad race and not a bad season to where I felt people could count me out.”

Although Smith has found herself without a female training partner for the first time in her career following Lowe’s graduation, she has challenged herself even more this season by working out daily with Buchanan’s boys team, also a state qualifier after placing second Nov. 21 in the Central Section Division 1 final.

“I can definitely say that I am really good at motivating myself, but the guys give me a little extra,” Smith said. “It’s always nice walking away from a workout I did really good on and being like, ‘I just kicked their butts.’ That’s rare most of the time because they kick my butt more often than not, but those moments are extra incentive. But I love the guys team. They are so funny and hard working, so they’re great training partners.”

In addition to his team leader becoming physically stronger, Weaver has also seen Smith develop greater resolve and mental toughness, both in workouts and races.

“She has her days where she misses her best friend, but the guys that are with her are great guys and it was something they’ve been excited about having somebody at her level to be around,” Weaver said. “There’s a lot of mutual respect there and that goes a long way. Those are her boys, and she thrives on them being around her. It’s not that, ‘Well, it’s OK for a boy to beat me,’ she knows that if they’re pulling away, that she needs to find something else and dig down deep.”

Smith knows the amount of tenacity, will and desire required to win not just one, but both championships in her final high school race at Woodward Park.

With a group of individual contenders that includes Dorostkar, Gaitan and San Clemente senior Hana Catsimanes, in addition to trying to prevent Great Oak from winning a record eighth consecutive team title, the challenges facing both Smith and a young supporting cast will be difficult.

But just having the ability to be back on the starting line with teammates Kaylee Elliott, Grace Hutchison, Morgan Hutchison, Mia Jauregui, Caroline Mendyk and Sydney Sundgren is a reward in itself for Smith, who hopes to survive the competition and the weather to deliver the biggest prize in program history Saturday.

“Seeing the team do well, that’s our main goal right now. Everyone knows what I can do, and obviously I do too, so my main thing is to show up and provide encouragement and remain calm and collected for them,” Smith said. “For me, just to go out there and try my best and give it my all is just a huge opportunity, not only for myself, but for these girls, so I’m super excited.”