She had a breakout freshman season. Now Boise’s Smith is Idaho’s top track athlete.
Sammy Smith wrapped up her freshman season at Boise High with a bang, winning four state track championships. She received one last honor Friday as the Gatorade Idaho Girls Track and Field Player of the Year — her second Gatorade award of the school year.
Smith won the 1,600 (4 minutes, 50.6 seconds) and the 3,200 (10:33.71) individual titles at the 5A state track meet in May. She also ran a leg of Boise’s championship 4x400 (3:58.76) and 4x800 (9:09.65) relay teams.
The 4x800 relay team set an overall state meet record, and Smith’s performance helped Boise cruise to the team title.
“I don’t know anything about Sammy other than she’s crazy fast,” Eagle coach Greg Harm said in a news release. “I’m very impressed with her athletic performance.”
The Gatorade award is given annually to the state’s top track and field athlete regardless of classification. Smith is the third girl from Boise to win the award since it started in the 1985-86 school year, joining Maggie Liebich (2017-18) and Emily Hamlin (2013-14, 2014-15).
Smith also won the state’s Gatorade cross country runner of the year award in the fall after winning an individual state championship and leading Boise to the team title.
But for all of her impressive running performances, they remain a secondary passion for Smith, who’s also a national champion skier and one of the top soccer players in the country in her age group.
She was named a first-team all-state soccer selection last fall after helping lead the Brave to a district title and a runner-up finish at the 5A state tournament. She also led her U-16 Boise Thorns team to the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional finals last week.
Gatorade will name Idaho’s boys track athlete of the week Thursday.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 11:49 AM.
