NEW ORLEANS – Sprinter
Kai Smith of the Salisbury University men's track and field team capped a spectacular weekend under the bright lights of New York City with his
first career NCAA Division III National Athlete of the Week award, as announced by the
United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday afternoon.
Smith (Sr. – Upper Marlboro) won a pair of events in record time at the Staten Island-based Big Apple Invitational on Saturday, breaking the tape in the 60-meter dash (6.74) and the 200-meter dash (21.18). In addition to setting Sea Gull program and Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) records in both events, Smith currently sits in the national top five in both events, boasting the second-best Division III time in the 200 meters and fifth-best in the 60 meters.
With this recognition, Smith becomes just the second-ever Sea Gull to be named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season and the first since 11-time national champion
Luke Campbell won it on Feb. 2, 2016.
Smith is well positioned to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in both events. He qualified for the 200 meters last season, finishing 10th in preliminaries to miss the finals by just two places. Smith also raced in the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing fourth in the 200 meters (21.18).
Salisbury track and field now turns its attention to the 2026 C2C Indoor Championships, which are set to be held on Feb. 20-21 in Newport News, Va. The 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships are slated for Mar. 13-14 in Birmingham, Ala.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 206 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
