Palisades’ Thomas Smigo has enjoyed every caveat along the way in his storied cross country career.
He’ll head to Hershey Saturday to defend his state title as a Class A champion with plenty of incentive and motivation.
Smigo recently capped his Colonial League and District 11 campaigns as both outlets’ first four-time champion. He recently won the District 11 meet on a slick and leaf-dotted course at DeSales University in 17.07.57.
He easily can be viewed as a generational performer for his sport.
“He has been working and preparing for all of this since he was a freshman,” said head coach Scott Antoni about Smigo. “He always has had a positive attitude and always attacks his races.
“Thomas is a very humble kid, and he is always competing against himself to make himself better. I think Thomas is a generational runner, but generational runners are starting to become more common.”
Smigo has managed to keep everything aligned on his path.
“It’s really cool,” he said. “When I look back, being successful in meets when I was younger really helped me. It’s still all sinking in for me, and I probably won’t be able to appreciate everything until it is over.”
Smigo attributes much of his success to former teammate Mitch Campbell, who graduated last season, as well as his coaches.
“My coaches have definitely helped me a ton in my training, but Mitch Campbell has been my biggest influence overall,” he said. “He pushed me to become the best possible runner I can be, and he’s been my go-to person for practically everything.
“It makes me really happy to see him succeed in college because it gives me inspiration to push more even though he isn’t in practice anymore.”
Smigo also realizes the state field will be loaded this weekend, and he will be challenged. Yet, his district effort will serve as a measuring stick.
“Districts went really well,” he said. “I slowed down after a mile to save myself for states, as well as not to risk injury on the slippery leaves and mud. I’m really excited for states because I think it’s going to be really close this year.
“Of course, I’m going there believing I can win, but it isn’t going to be an easy thing to do.”
Looking back, Smigo doesn’t have any regrets on a sterling running resume, one hard to find any errors. He has narrowed his college choices to Lehigh and Pittsburgh.
“My goal has been to go out as a back-to-back state champ,” he stressed. “I am really happy with how my high school career went, and I would not change a single thing. I think it is the best high school career I could’ve had.”
In some ways, his career has been surreal.
“It’s still hard to believe, and I’m sure it will be like that for a long time,” he stated. “It’s incredible how everything worked out for me even through COVID-19, losing teammates to graduation, and other hardships.”
“I’ll never truly be able to grasp that I have accomplished something no other human has.”
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