Eastern Connecticut State University's Ariel Smith Named Little East Conference Female Rookie Runner-of-the-Year

2014 Dec 1

Ariel Smith '18, of Stratford majoring in Biology, is named Little East Conference Rookie Runner-of-the-Year. This is the women's program's first major award-winner since the first year of the program in 2007.

Smith becomes the women's program's second overall and first major award-winner since 2007, when freshman Karina Johnson was voted as Rookie-of-the-Year on the strength of placing second in the Little East and fourth in the New England Alliance scoring at the championship meet.

Smith finished 32nd in Little East scoring and 58th in Alliance results at the Nov. 1 championship in 22:01.73. Smith was consistently Eastern's fourth or fifth finisher this season, and saw her fastest performance of the fall at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational in 20:45.

"Ariel is exactly the type athlete we want to recruit and build our program around," pointed out Manizza of Smith. "She is very hard working, a terrific team member, a good student, and a pleasure to be around. Ariel is a great representative of this year's outstanding freshman class."

If further information or photographs are requested, please contact Sport Information Director, Bob Molta at, 860-465-5172, molta@easternct.edu.