Hawai'i's Smith places 15th at NCAA meet
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i senior Cheryl Smith thought yesterday's NCAA Division I women's cross country championship meet in Greenville, S.C., might be a sad experience. It was, after all, the final race of an illustrious college career which started three years ago in Cortland, N.Y.
Advertiser library photo • Oct. 27, 2001
But joy, not sadness, was the prevailing emotion following the 6-kilometer meet at Furman University's golf course. Smith finished 15th out of a field of 255 runners with a season-best time of 21 minutes, three seconds.
Cheryl Smith is UH's first All-American runner.
Tara Chaplin of Arizona won the race in 20:24.
The top 15 finish also officially makes Smith an All-American, the first time a UH runner has been recognized with that status.
"I'm happy," Smith said in telephone interview. "I knew the course was going to be tough. But I got off to a really good start and got into good race position."
Smith was among the pack of top eight runners for the first four kilometers, running at a blistering 5:15/mile pace. She dropped off significantly in the next kilometer, but made the time back in the race's final stage.
Yesterday's meet was only the second 6K race for Smith this season; all but one of UH's races this year were at 5K.
"It was a gutsy run on her part," UH associate coach Andy McInnis said. "She ran a brave race and took a big risk, and that took a tremendous toll (in the fifth kilometer). But it paid off in the end."
McInnis said Smith's strong showing will go a long way toward improving Wahine cross country, as well as UH track and field.
"She's setting the trend for our new program, which we are trying to take into the next level," McInnis said. "She is showing what it takes to get there. I wasn't surprised by how well she did; Cheryl is a tremendous runner. She just needed the opportunity to present herself to the rest of the nation."
Smith said she drew inspiration from the presence of her family, which flew in from her hometown of Kirkwood, N.Y. The group included her parents, two sisters, a brother, an aunt, two cousins and her boyfriend.
It was the first time her parents had seen her run in a Hawai'i uniform, a span of two years.
"They were cheering for me all over the course," Smith said of her family. "That was great."
Smith won the Western Athletic Conference championship on Oct. 27 at Kane'ohe Klipper Golf Course. At the West Region meet last week in Tucson, Ariz., she became the first Wahine to qualify for the NCAA championships by running 6K in 21:36.9 to finish eighth overall among 165 runners. Smith was one of four individuals not on qualifying teams to advance.
Three UH runners qualified for the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women meet in 1977 and two more in 1978. The first NCAA meet was held in 1982.
Smith began her career at State University of New York-Cortland, becoming the first freshman to win an NCAA Division III championship. She ends it as a Division I All-American for Hawai'i.
After yesterday's race, Smith and her family headed back to Kirkwood — about 90 minutes south of Syracuse — to begin their Thanksgiving celebration.
"This makes it even better," Smith said. "Instead of feeling sad that this was my last meet, I'm feeling happy."
