Freedom standout runner Smith commits to Augusta State

Posted Jan 24, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Jan 24, 2012 at 11:54 PM

Freedom senior distance runner Ashley Smith, a state qualifier last year in both track and cross country, has accepted a scholarship offer and verbally committed to Augusta (Ga.) State University on Tuesday, her father and coach, Dwight Smith announced.

Smith, who will be competing in both sports for Augusta, was also considering Shorter University in Rome, Ga., as well as the University of South Carolina.

Last spring, Smith led her Patriots 4x800-meter relay team to a fourth-place regional finish and 16th at state. Following her best summer of training ever, Smith had her best cross country season ever.

Smith captured 16th place at the Hillsborough County Championships in a personal best 5-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 28 seconds, took eighth in her district, 11th in the regional and, at the state finals, finished 67th to lead her squad to 14th place, the best showing in the school’s history.

Freedom’s second-place finish at the county meet to eventual state champion Plant was also the best showing by a Patriots squad.