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Mike Smith

Mike Smith

November 18, 2023

2023 NCAA XC Breakdown: Tuohy's Heroics, Valby's Historic Season, OSU Dethrones NAU, & More

Tuohy did not get the repeat individual title but today's gutsy run may have been her finest hour in what may have been her final race for NC State. Our Jonathan Gault breaks it down in 3,000+ words.
June 14, 2023

From Norway to Flagstaff: How Double Threshold Training Is Taking Over the World

What links Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the NAU cross country team, and Sebastian Coe? Double threshold training, which is having a moment in 2023. Note, this article is behind our SC paywall for 72 hours (until Saturday).
November 19, 2022

Dynasty: NAU Wins on Tiebreaker over Oklahoma State, as Charles Hicks Gets Individual Title #1 for Stanford

NAU edged Oklahoma State on the tie breaker as Charles Hicks outlasted Nico Young.
November 18, 2022

Happy NCAA Eve! Katelyn Tuohy Says Hamstring Is 100%, Solinsky Says Valby Can Handle Hills, & More

Katelyn Tuohy said NCAAs is "gonna be a dogfight, but I'm excited for it." Plus hear from Mike SmithDave SmithNatalie Cook, and more.
September 21, 2022

Top Recruit Colin Sahlman May Not Race for NAU This Fall

"It's probably on the more unlikely side that we are putting him out there [this fall]," says NAU coach Mike Smith. *MB: Colin Sahlman may not race for NAU in 2022 - "It's probably on the more unlikely side that we are putting him out there."
March 11, 2021

NCAA XC Men's Preview: NAU Seeks Revenge as BYU Tries to Repeat; Can Anyone Stop Wesley Kiptoo?

At last, the 2020 NCAA xc championships are almost here (in 2021). Will BYU repeat or will NAU win it's 4th title in 5 seasons? And can anyone stop Wesley Kiptoo?
November 17, 2020

Why Are NCAA Indoors and NCAA XC Scheduled For the Same Weekend? And Will They Happen at All?

The NCAA XC champs will be held on March 15, just two days after NCAA Indoors. Jonathan Gault spoke to several top NCAA coaches to figure out why the schedule turned out that way -- and how they're adjusting. Many coaches indicated they are likely to blow off one of the championships entirely.
March 19, 2020

Mike Smith Q&A Part II: On Choosing to Coach Galen Rupp, "Defending the Process," & Rupp's Human Side

Smith said that he was careful not to let preconceived notions cloud his judgment when deciding whether to work with Rupp. "The second we abandon our critical thinking or our process with this stuff...I worry about that." *MB: Mike Smith Part II: Smith explains why he agreed to work with Galen Rupp
March 18, 2020

Mike Smith Q&A, Part I: On Galen Rupp's Commitment, Restructuring His Training & That 24x400 Workout

Smith goes deep on Rupp's commitment to excellence (including setting his house to an altitude of 10,000 feet), his resilience, and the changes he's made to Rupp's training, including the introduction of fartleks for the first time. *MB: Mike Smith lifts the veil on Galen Rupp's training and talks about what makes him great
November 22, 2019

NAU's Starting Lineup Revealed; Coach Mike Smith Praises Lumberjacks' Team-Focused Attitude

NAU is so good that coach Mike Smith had a tough choice to make in figuring out what 7 runners should run NCAAs. We exclusively tell you who made the cut here. "They don't just have four or five very good runners. They seem to have 10," said Mark Wetmore,
November 20, 2019

2019 NCAA XC Men's Team Preview: New Faces, Same Old NAU; Can Colorado Channel the Spirit of '04 and Pull the Upset?

#1 NAU seems poised to become just the third men's team to win 4-straight NCAA XC titles but #2 Colorado has a good team and #4 Stanford has 5 sub-13:50 guys. Can someone pull off a big upset?
March 15, 2018

How Andy Trouard Went From Northern Arizona's #4 Man In Cross Country To A National Champion On The Track

A couple of years ago, the odds were pretty high that Andy Trouard wouldn't even be a runner right now -- he was planning on becoming a triathlete. Now he's the NCAA 3,000-meter champion. Here's how it happened.