Emery Smith

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Minot State junior Emery Smith had a race to remember last week in Wisconsin.

Part of a small group of Minot State distance runners – just three – competing in the Phil Esten Challenge hosted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Smith ran to a new NCAA Division II school record in the grueling 10,000 meters, and the second-fastest time ever by a MSU woman.

Finishing 5th on the day in the event, Smith clocked a time of 37 minutes, 8.53 seconds that broke the former NCAA D-II record by nearly a minute. That is the second fastest in the NSIC this season, and is only about 30 seconds off the all-time record at Minot State.

Smith broke the 10-year-old NCAA school record of 38:05.31 run by Allison Windish during the 2015 season, and her time is second all-time only to Genevieve Binsfeld’s time of 36:25.34 run in 2006.

While Smith wrote her name into the record books, her teammates competing in Wisconsin also excelled as Grayson Bonilla had a lifetime best in the men’s 10,000-meters, finishing 52nd in 33:56.96, which is a top-5 time this season in the NSIC and eighth fastest all-time at Minot State.

Rounding out the day for the Beavers competing in Wisconsin, Camden Jasmin added a strong performance in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase finishing 26th in 10:34.79.