Army West Point Athletics
Men's Cross Country
- Title:
- Director of Track and Field/Cross Country
- Email:
- michael.smith@westpoint.edu
- Phone:
- 2425
After two decades at Kansas State University, Michael Smith was appointed the 11th Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the United States Military Academy in September 2014. Since arriving at West Point, Smith has brought a results-driven culture of excellence and resilience to Army Track and Field and Cross Country. His commitment to athlete development, championship performance, and the Academy’s mission continues to shape cadet-athletes into high-performing leaders on and off the track.
Career Highlights at Army West Point
- Five-time Patriot League Men’s Coach of the Year (XC 2017,18,19,20-21; ID 2019)
- Three-time Patriot League Women’s Coach of the Year (XC 2023,24; OD 2025)
- Two-time Northeast Region Men’s Coach of the Year (ID 2019, OD 2019)
- Two-time Northeast Region Women’s Coach of the Year (OD 2021, OD 2025)
- Four-time Men’s Cross-Country Patriot League Champions (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-21)
- One-time Men’s Indoor Track and Field Patriot League Champions (2019)
- Two-time Women’s Cross-Country Patriot League Champions (2023, 2024)
- One-time Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Patriot League Champions (2025)
2024-25
The 2024–2025 academic year was one of the most successful in program history under Smith’s leadership, marked by championship victories, record-breaking performances, and national recognition. Smith guided the Army women’s cross-country team to a Star meet victory over Navy and their second consecutive Patriot League Championship title. The team also recorded its best-ever finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship, placing 7th overall, further cementing its status as a premier program in the region. The season was highlighted by the leadership of team captain Joanna Halfhill ’25, who not only excelled athletically but also graduated as the valedictorian of the United States Military Academy Class of 2025, exemplifying the high standards of academic and athletic excellence within the program. In the spring, Smith led the women’s track and field team to its first Patriot League Outdoor Championship since 2008. For his leadership, he was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in both cross country and outdoor track and field. His coaching excellence was also recognized on a regional level, as he was honored as the Northeast Region Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA.
Army athletes delivered standout performances throughout the year. Mikayla Cheney ’27, in her sophomore campaign, was a key contributor in the middle distances and earned All-Patriot League honors for her consistency and impact across both seasons. Emily Fink ’25
capped off a remarkable career by recording the second-longest hammer throw in the NCAA at season’s end and graduating as the Service Academy record holder in the hammer throw, indoor shot put, and outdoor shot put. Under Smith’s direction, Army athletes set an impressive 23 program records combined across the indoor and outdoor seasons. His impact extended to the national level as well — standout distance runner Nathan Davis qualified for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship and went on to earn Second Team All-American honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Davis clocked a time of 8:37.62, setting a new Army program record in the event and establishing himself among the nation's elite. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Davis was named the Patriot League Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year for his excellence both on the course and in the classroom.
2023-2024
Mike Smith’s tenth year at the helm of the Black Knight track and field/cross country programs was marked by unprecedented team success and individual accolades. The highlight of the fall semester was a Star meet win on the West Point golf course for the women’s cross-country team. It was the first Star win for the women since 2020 and the 4th win in the last 7 years. The women harriers followed up that win two weeks later with a Patriot League Championship on the Colgate cross country course. It was the first team title for the Army women since 2004. On the track, the Army men and women finished the 2024 season with a total of 27 new program records, the most since the inception of the track and field programs at the Academy. Highlighting those individual successes was men’s team captain Luke Griner ’24. Griner set a new standard in the 500 meters clocking the 2nd fastest time in the world in 2024 at 1:01.80. At the Terrier Classic in late January, Griner posted a new Army all-time performance of 1:47.47 in the 800 meters. That mark was also a new Service Academy record and the fastest time ever run by a Patriot League athlete. Outdoors, Griner claimed a new Army program record in the 800 meters at the NCAA East Prelims clocking 1:46.53. That time set a new Service Academy record for the event and qualified him for the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in late June where he placed 29th. Griner enters the Long Grey Line as one of the most dominant and decorated middle distance runners in the history of the Army West Point men’s track and field program; he is a 14-time Army navy champion, a 9-time Patriot League champion (6 relay and 3 individual titles), and the owner of 4 program records (500m ID, 800m ID, 800m OD, DMR ID) tied with Olympian Dan Browne (5000m ID, 5000m OD, Mile ID, 10,000m OD) for the most all-time record performances on the men’s side in the history of Army track and field.
In addition to Griner’s success, Smith coached plebe distance runner Mikayla Cheney ‘28 to record heights on the track. Cheney set new program records in the mile indoors (4:44.94) and the 1500m (4:22.80) outdoors. Joanna Halfhill ‘25 set a new program record in the indoor 1000 meters with a time of 2:49.72. Cheney and Halfhill were both members of the Distance Medley Relay team that set another new school record (11:35.76) at the Valentine Invitational in mid-February. At year’s end, Smith’s women’s cross-country team was named the MacArthur Cup Program of the Year by the Army West Point Athletic Association.
Army West Point | 2015–2023 Smith Coaching Highlights
Cross Country Excellence
Under Smith’s leadership, the men’s team won four consecutive Patriot League titles (2017–2020) and posted the best average conference finish (1.78) of any coach in league history. His runners have twice finished in the top three at the NCAA Northeast Regional and produced multiple NCAA qualifiers, including Marshall Beatty ’22, Garrett Gough ’23, and John Valeri ’18. The women’s program also rose to prominence, with Georgia Jones ’24 winning back-to-back Army-Navy individual titles and the team achieving its best four-year conference placement average (2.5) since the early 2000s. In 2022, the team earned a13th place finish at the Northeast Regional and posted a record 79 dual meet wins.
Track & Field Dominance
Smith’s track teams broke over 135 school records—with 92 set by women—and achieved multiple championship milestones:
- Georgia Jones (’24) won the mile, 3K, and 5K at the 2023 Patriot League Indoor Championships, earning Most Outstanding Track Athlete honors.
- Nathan Davis (’26) won the steeplechase title and ranked #5 U.S. U20 and #13 world U20 in 2023.
- Mitchell Burr (’24) and Luke Griner ’24 ran the program’s #2 and #3 all-time 800m times, while Burr also set a top-15 global indoor 1000m time.
- Anna Tovkach (’22) graduated as the most decorated middle-distance runner in program history, holding five Academy records and six Patriot League titles.
Smith’s athletes have won numerous Star Meet victories, swept Patriot League mid- and long-distance events, and earned high point honors across seasons. His guidance led both men’s and women’s squads to consistent runner-up and championship finishes, even in the pandemic-altered 2020–21 season where Army hosted the league meet and the men secured their fourth straight XC title.
Prior to Army West Point Prior to joining the Black Knights, Smith spent 20 years as an assistant coach at Kansas State University. He joined the coaching staff at Kansas State in 1994 and took over the reins of the cross country programs in 2004. During his tenure, he was a part of three K-State Big 12 team titles (women’s cross country 1998, women’s outdoor track and field 2001, 2002), and numerous NCAA top 25 team finishes in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field including an historic 5th place finish for the K-state women harriers in 1999 and a 5th place finish for the Wildcat women at the Outdoor NCAA meet in 2002. In his nine years leading the men's and women's cross country teams, he guided four individuals (2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) and one team (2010 women) to the NCAA championships, including five consecutive trips to the NCAA Cross Country Championship (2008-12) where K-State was represented on the women's side. In 2010, Smith led the Wildcat women to a 25th place finish at the NCAA cross country championships. In 2009, Smith coached Beverly Ramos to one of the best individual seasons in K-State women's cross-country history. In addition to earning All-American recognition, Ramos tallied two wins and placed sixth at the Pre-NCAA Invitational, the Big 12 Championship and the NCAA Midwest Regional. She also led the Wildcats to a sixth-place team finish at the 2008 Big 12 Championship and ninth at the Midwest Regional. In 2004, Smith guided Matthew Chesang to one of the most prolific seasons in Kansas State men’s cross-country history. Chesang finished third at the Big 12 championships, second at the Midwest Regional Championships and earned All-American honors at the NCAA championships. His 12th-place finish was the highest NCAA finish for a Kansas State runner since 1971. In his twenty years with the Wildcats, Smith coached K-State athletes to twenty-two All-American awards, sixteen individual conference titles, one NCAA title, two Olympic games appearances and four International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) world championships appearances.
Smith coached Christian Smith to a place on the United States Olympic team in 2008 after a dramatic third place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials. During a historic collegiate career guided by Mike Smith, Christian Smith was a five-time NCAA All-American, the 2006 NCAA Indoor Champion in the mile, set a collegiate record in the 1000m (2:19.57), and K-state school records in the 800m (1:44.86) and 1500m (3:38.10) outdoors. He was the Big 12 1000m indoor champion in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and the Big 12 800m outdoor champion in 2006. Since departing K-State, Smith has continued to coach Kansas State alumni Beverly Ramos and Sonia Gaskin. He helped Ramos qualify for the IAAF World Outdoor Championships (2011, 2015, 2022, 2023) the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the 2012 London Olympics (3000m steeplechase), and the 2016 Rio Olympics in the marathon. Ramos finished 20th in the marathon running 2:31.10 at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Coached by Smith since 2007, Ramos is the Puerto Rican national record holder at every event from the 1500m to the marathon. Smith has also guided Sonia Gaskin (Barbados) to a bronze medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in the 800m and the 2019 Pan American games 800m final. During the 2019 season Gaskin set a Barbados national record for the 800m (2:02.60).
-------> Smith currently serves as an instructor for the USA Track & Field (USATF) Level II coaching education program in the endurance events. He has also instructed in the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) specialist certification program in the endurance events.
------> A native of Ridgefield, Conn., Smith graduated from Bucknell University in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in animal behavior. He earned a master's degree in geography from the State University of New York at Albany in 1989, and a master's degree in Kinesiology from Kansas State University in 1996.
-------> Smith and his wife, Jill, have three children, Sydney, Aidan and Jackson.
Links to:
Conference Champions Coached by Michael Smith (1994-Present)
Outstanding Athletes Coached by Michael Smith (1994-Present)
Army West Point Track and Field/Cross Country: Honors and Awards (2014-Present)
