Oklahoma State University Athletics
Smeeton Named 2020 Big 12 Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
December 22, 2020 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
STILLWATER – Cowboy All-Big 12 Honoree Ryan Smeeton has been honored as the 2020 Big 12 Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Smeeton's selection as the academic leader of Big 12 men's cross country marks the fifth time in the past six seasons that an OSU men's cross country runner has received the award. He joins Craig Nowak (2015) and Luis Martinez (2016-2018) as the third Oklahoma State men's cross country athlete to receive the award.
In the bigger picture, Smeeton's award win as Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year is the last by an OSU student-athlete since Taylor Somers earned the honor in women's cross country in 2019. In total, Oklahoma State has now had 17 student-athletes named Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sport since the award began in 2012-13.
As he pursues a degree in mechanical engineering, Smeeton currently boasts a 3.70 GPA. This most recent honor for the Alberta, Canada-native adds to an already impressive athletic and academic resume.
Most recently, Smeeton's eighth-place finish at the 2020 Big 12 Cross Country Championships guided Oklahoma State to secure the tiebreaker win over Iowa State for the 10th cross country conference title in OSU history. With his top-15 finish in the event, Smeeton earned All-Big 12 honors for the eighth time in his cross country and track & field career.
As for Smeeton's performance in the classroom, the Big 12 Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year award marks the fourth conference academic accolade of his career to go along with a trio of First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors from 2018-2020.
Nominees for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award must be a junior or senior have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, participate in at least 20 percent of the team's scheduled contests and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
Smeeton and the Oklahoma State cross country teams will close out the segmented 2020 season in March as the hosts of the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Smeeton's selection as the academic leader of Big 12 men's cross country marks the fifth time in the past six seasons that an OSU men's cross country runner has received the award. He joins Craig Nowak (2015) and Luis Martinez (2016-2018) as the third Oklahoma State men's cross country athlete to receive the award.
In the bigger picture, Smeeton's award win as Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year is the last by an OSU student-athlete since Taylor Somers earned the honor in women's cross country in 2019. In total, Oklahoma State has now had 17 student-athletes named Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sport since the award began in 2012-13.
As he pursues a degree in mechanical engineering, Smeeton currently boasts a 3.70 GPA. This most recent honor for the Alberta, Canada-native adds to an already impressive athletic and academic resume.
Most recently, Smeeton's eighth-place finish at the 2020 Big 12 Cross Country Championships guided Oklahoma State to secure the tiebreaker win over Iowa State for the 10th cross country conference title in OSU history. With his top-15 finish in the event, Smeeton earned All-Big 12 honors for the eighth time in his cross country and track & field career.
As for Smeeton's performance in the classroom, the Big 12 Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year award marks the fourth conference academic accolade of his career to go along with a trio of First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors from 2018-2020.
Nominees for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award must be a junior or senior have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, participate in at least 20 percent of the team's scheduled contests and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
Smeeton and the Oklahoma State cross country teams will close out the segmented 2020 season in March as the hosts of the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
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