Paxton Smith Leading The Way Among Fellow Student-Athletes

BOULDER - Paxton Smith is a key piece to Colorado's historic cross country and track program, but limiting his credentials to just that would be selling him short.

Not only is Smith an elite runner and has proved so throughout his time in Boulder, but he brings the same effort he gives on the course and track to both the classroom and in his leadership role in the athletic department as Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). What he is accomplishing both on and off the track is what makes Smith the definition of a student-athlete.

In the athletic department, Smith has become a leader in the Champions Center and a face of representation for CU student-athletes. SAAC is a committee that serves as a voice for student-athletes focusing on assisting their fellow Buffs in areas such as academics, community service, university relations, student-athlete welfare and career development. They have set up service activities such as Buffalo Hugs, Read with the Buffs, Healthy Kids Day, and National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Smith is also the Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) rep for the cross-country team where he represents the team at Pac-12 events.

"As a student athlete, we have a lot more say than most would think," said Smith about his leadership position in the athletic department. "I think it's important to inform my peers of the power we have."

His time working with SAAC and SALT has made him consider different careers in leadership. As a minor in education he thinks about becoming a teacher. His time in college athletics has also made him examine the idea of becoming an athletic director at a school one day. Smith has opened the door for many different career paths thanks to the time and service he has put in while a Buff.

"The biggest skill I have learned is being able to work with a wide variety of different people," said Smith. "I think that will be the biggest cross over from class and my leadership within the athletic department into the real world."

Smith grew up in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, with his parents Steven and Karen Smith and younger brother Alex. He fell in the love with the football and basketball programs and although he watched and rooted for Buff student-athletes, he didn't realize that one day he would be one himself. That all changed after his freshman year of high school when his coach lent him the book, 'Running with the Buffaloes'. Smith now had a dream to run at CU. Chris Lear's book told the story of the 1998 Colorado men's cross-country team, head coach Mark Wetmore and star runner Adam Goucher's path to the NCAA National Championships. The message Lear tried to convey hit with a young Smith.

"It was the most inspiring book and it made my life goal to run as a CU Buff," said Smith.

Smith earned four letters in both cross-country and track at Mountain Vista High School where as a senior on the cross country course he won the 2015 5A Region Championship and finished fifth in the state race. He went on to finish 23^rd at the Nike Cross Southwest Regionals and 71^st at the Nike Cross Nationals. On the track, he had a pair of top-five finishes in the State Championships in both the 3,200 meters and 1,600 meter races. Smith had built himself a resume as a runner worthy for an opportunity to achieve his dream.

"CU has one of the best programs in the country," said Smith. "One of the biggest dynasties in cross country history. I am an extremely competitive person and I want to be the best I can be and win. CU was the team I wanted to be a part of."

Once he got to Boulder, Smith made sure to make the most of his opportunity. As a redshirt freshman in 2017, he ran in four cross country meets where he finished 23^rd in his first career race and ended the year at the Pac-12 Championships finishing 69^th overall. As a sophomore in 2018, he finished eighth at the Potts Invitational with a time of 8:49.88. In this year's Husky Classic in Seattle, Smith set a personal best in the 5,000-meter run with a mark of 14:27.88.

When Smith crosses the finish line of a race he is just getting started. On top of the top-10 finishes and personal best times, he has excelled in the classroom every semester since becoming a Buff. He has made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester at CU and holds a GPA North of 3.6. In 2018, he was on the Academic All-MPSF team and the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team. He is in the Leeds School of Business where he is double-majoring in marketing and operations management and hoping to combine what he has learned in the classroom with his passion for running. He recently completed his third round of interviews for a marketing internship at the running department for Nike. Most college students have enough on their plate with just academics. Throw in being a division one athlete in three sports and you need to have time management skills to find success. This is something Smith has figured out.

"Every second is valuable and you have to spend it wisely," said Smith. "I always make sure I get eight or nine hours of sleep so I have to take advantage of time between classes to study and get stuff down. It is also important for me to allow some downtime here and there to keep my mind fresh."

Smith is an elite runner at an elite college program, but limiting him to just that would be a disservice to everything else he has accomplished at CU. He has excelled in the classroom and has become a leader amongst his peers. Like many his age, his career path is still up in the air. One thing that is certain is whatever he chooses, he will use what he has learned as a Buff to be successful. Smith is the quintessential student-athlete, using athletics to open the door to a future full of great possibilities.

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Paxton Smith Leading The Way Among Fellow Student-Athletes

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