What a difference a year has made for Carter Smith.
In mid-September 2024, the then junior was working his way through his first cross country season.
During the past 12 months, the Mifflin County standout acclimated himself to a new season of running
and then some, capturing state XC, indoor, and outdoor track titles along with a national
championship in the mile.
Earlier today, Carter Smith checked another item off any running-related to-do list he might have,
announcing his verbal commitment to Oklahoma State.
"I decided to commit (to Oklahoma State) because I just felt at home," Carter Smith said after posting on
Instagram. "(Stillwater) is very nice, and the campus is beautiful. I like the coaching staff and the team,
and I'm ready to run fast there!"
Under the direction of Dave Smith, Oklahoma State is one of the top track and XC programs in the
country. The Cowboys have won four men's XC titles and finished second twice with Dave Smith as head
coach, with the most recent championship being in 2023. In the 2025 NCAA track and field
championships, Oklahoma State qualified men in the 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 runs, with Brian Musau
winning the 5K.
Tapping into speed that he previously used in baseball, Carter Smith started his track career as a
freshman at Mifflin County, hitting 2:00.31 in the 800 outdoors before finishing third in the District 6
finale. The following indoor season, he won the state title by running 1:52.83 and improved to 1:51.77
for third in the PIAA outdoor final.
His debut season in XC last fall was nearly perfect, with a second in the Mid-Penn Championships being
the only time he did not reach the finish first. In the Paul Short Run at Lehigh in early October, Smith
registered his fastest time of the season, besting a field of more than 300 in 15:04.5.
It turns out that Smith was just getting warmed up for the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons. He
defended his indoor 800 state title and ran 1:48.66 for third at NBNI before registering a PIAA 800/1,600
double and then narrowly missing barrier-breaking history in a 4:01.20 NBNO mile victory.
The Mifflin County runner also took an official visit to Oregon and was considering Wake Forest and
Wisconsin, as well.