Fiona Smith, a senior at College of St. Benedict in Minnesota and the reigning NCAA Division 3 indoor title holder in both the women's 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters as well as the division record holder in the indoor 5,000 at 15:50.48, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss looking to repeat in both events March 8-9 at the NCAA Division 3 Indoor Championships at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia. Smith, also the reigning Division 3 cross country national champion following her record-setting 19:54.1 effort in the 6-kilometer final Nov. 18 at the Big Spring course in Carlisle, Pa., is looking to become the first female athlete in division history to win both the indoor 3,000 and 5,000 crowns in consecutive years. Although Smith won the 5,000 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Division 3 Elite Indoor Championships at Wartburg, she reflects on the breakthrough of winning both indoor titles last year at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., and how significant those achievements were in building her confidence to place second in both the 5,000 and 10,000 finals in May at the Division 3 outdoor championship meet in New York, in addition to capturing her first national cross country crown with the largest margin of victory in division history against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps standout Natalie Bitetti. Smith expresses gratitude for the support of friends, teammates and spectators at the cross country final in Pennsylvania, in addition to the respect and recognition during her Dec. 2 indoor opener at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener at Boston University, becoming the first Division 3 female athlete to produce a sub-16 performance on a banked track after former Loras College star Kassie Parker ran 15:58.58 on an oversized surface in 2022 at Iowa State. She analyzes the impact of running the 800 and mile during the indoor season to build more speed at the end of her longer races, and shares how meaningful it was to be able to compete on multiple distance medley relays with her teammates. Smith revisits winning the mile, 3,000, 5,000 and DMR in a 24-hour span at the MIAC Indoor Championships and how important her recovery will be in between the 5,000 and 3,000 finals in Virginia Beach. She looks ahead to pursuing a Masters degree in mathematics at North Carolina State and the opportunity to compete as a graduate student-athlete for the Wolfpack under the guidance of Coach Laurie Henes. Smith explains how significant it is to represent College of St. Benedict and to collaborate with Coach Robin Balder-Lanoue during her final year at the Minnesota school and how meaningful it has been to continue to elevate the Division 3 running community.