Buchanan state champ Corie Smith is ready to compete at defending national champion Arkansas

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Action News continues to highlight our senior athletes who had their high school seasons cut short. This episode focuses on Buchanan's cross country and track star Corie Smith.

Corie Smith was one of the runners to watch every year at the state meet.

Her handful of first-place medals shows just how much she accomplished as a Buchanan Bear.

"My sophomore cross country season really set me up for the rest of my three years here. That was just the point where I knew that I was a competitor and helped boost my confidence a lot."

Smith won the individual state title her sophomore year and in 2019 she helped lead Buchanan to back-to-back team titles in track and cross country.

"We have a very strong young distance team this year, for me to see not just what I could do but what the other girls could do. It's disappointing, but we're looking forward to our next chapter."

Corie was expected to run the two-mile this track season and she was looking forward to lowering her time in the one-mile.

"It's super weird not training for a specific thing, but I couldn't 't imagine not doing anything so I'm super grateful that I can still go outside and run and work out. "

The Bear took official college visits to Penn State, Wisconsin and Arkansas. In February she made her decision to become a Razorback.

Just like Buchanan in 2019, Arkansas completed a three-season sweep winning national titles in indoor track and field, outdoor, and cross country.

"I know we're going to be really good program, they have a really good group of girls coming in and I just had this feeling. I'm confident in my decision and I'm super happy to be going there," she said.

Corie said you could see her running a new event in college - the steeple chase. One thing she is sure to get used to is the woo pig sooie chant.

"I definitely learned it and you'll probably see me saying it a lot next year," she said.

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