What a last two weeks it has been for Kacy Smith! The sophomore from Estero entered the season on the outside looking in and now... well Stephanie Schappert is going to have her work cut out for her if she wants to repeat for that 2A title!
Smith won the muddy race at the FACA Classic last weekend with a time of 18:51 over some really great competitors. This time around facing an arguably tougher field, she attacked the University of Florida Golf Course, hills and all, and came out on top by over 20 seconds and dipping into the 17s for the first time. Her time of 17:59.03 betters her previous best time by almost 50 seconds--an 18:48 that she ran last year at Foot Locker South.
You've also gotta be thinking that she suddenly should be considered as a potential Foot Locker Nationals qualifier along with the Fluehrs and Schappert--and if not this year, she's got two more years to try!
In Saturday's race at the UF Mountain Dew Invitational, Sarah Spann of Ft. Myers pulled the lead pack out hard. Spann took them through a quick first half mile before surrendering the lead to Smith.
"It was so fast... dead springing to the first turn," Smith said in an interview with Bob Cooke after the race, "Sarah Spann beasted it out!"
Smith never again sacraficed the lead, taking a chase pack lead by Shelby Davidson of Cocoa Beach (another new star this year) through the mile under 5:30 pace. From there Smith did nothing but work to extend the gap.
Never content with her lead, she said "I kept staring at the (cart)... and thinking... not good enough." Though she is trying to learn to race "smarter" Smith says she enjoys racing fron the front telling Bob, "I like being up front, I don't like people around me. Even though you're by yourself, you gotta keep pushing and can't let them come up behind you."
Driven perhaps by a fear of having to rely on her kick--something she feels is "not the greatest", despite having run a quick 5:03 1600m in track--she leans on her toughness and attacking the course and forcing others to try to run her race. Kacy's phobia of someone sneaking up from behind and stealing the victory may propel her forward to some amazing performances this year.
"I don't think when I run... I just go."
Well keep on going, Kacy! We're already pumped up to see what exciting races you have in store for us this season!
