Palisades’ Thomas Smigo’s rise to the top as arguably the best cross country runner and overall athlete in school history and one of the best harriers in Pennsylvania and the country didn’t happen overnight.
The senior recently captured his second straight PIAA Class A state title in 16:33, and it sealed a phenomenal career with four consecutive Colonial League and District 11 crowns.
His mother, Dawn, recalled how it began at the age of 4 in the district’s middle school parking lot. It was a journey that had a logical, successful high school ending.
“When we would ride bikes at the middle school so Thomas’ older sister could practice riding, he would run laps around the parking lot the whole time we were on bikes, wearing his Merrells and khaki shorts,” said his mother. “He has learned to ride a bike, but I think in his mind, he could run faster than being on that stupid bike!”
From there, Smigo made a Chinese lantern out of construction paper and had to write down a wish and place it inside. What was his wish? “I wish to run faster than Usan (Usain) Bolt and beat the world record.”
“We have a huge great room, and he would literally measure out distances,” noted his mother. “He would sprint them and time them. And then he would compare them to Usain Bolt’s times.”
Smigo remembered a time in third grade when he won a fun-run sponsored by the school in 7:15. His performance certainly caught his mother by surprise.
“I signed up to walk the mile during the Palisades 5K and Thomas said he would do it with me,” recounted Dawn Smigo. “He was in elementary school. Thomas saw kids lining up to run the mile, and he asked me if he could run the mile instead. I said sure, and he won.”
The Palisades standout participated in baseball and karate in his early youth and later played basketball until his sophomore year. Smigo ran his first 5K race in fifth grade when he placed in his 9-11 age category and 21st overall in the event.
In seventh grade, his cross country career began to take a mercurious route. He won the Colonial League Middle School championship as a seventh grader. Yet, there almost wasn’t a future generational runner in the Pirates’ program.
“The middle school kids would practice with the high school team,” stated his mother. “ I dropped him off at the first practice, and he stood off to the side under a tree holding his water bottle watching all of the high school kids hanging out and chatting. After a few days, he came home and said, ‘Mom, I don’t think I like cross country that much.’ I explained that ‘once you sign up for something you have to stick with it.’”
Smigo cited the constant support of his parents throughout his athletic career. His father, Joe, ran cross country and track for the Pirates and was part of a record-setting 4x800 relay team, a mark that still stands.
“If my dad wasn’t a runner in high school, I wouldn’t be running now,” said Smigo, who has narrowed his college choices to Lehigh and Pittsburgh. “My mom has been super influential. Both of them have been a huge part of my career.
“I am grateful for everything I have accomplished.”
Smigo certainly had an interesting run along his path.
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