Growing up in Palos Verdes Estates, Jacquelyn Smith came to appreciate the some of the most spectacular cliffs, beaches and seascapes that Southern California has to offer.
She also took advantage of the hills on the Peninsula to become one of the top distance runners in the state.
Last fall, Smith led her Palos Verdes High School team to a third-place finish in Division 3 at the CIF State cross country meet, while placing third individually.
During the season, the senior became the school’s first female runner to break the 19-minute mark on the demanding Sea King’s home course, overpowering two steep hills known to runners as Misery and Agony.
“I’m so blessed to live in Palos Verdes,” Smith said. “The views are amazing and training on the hills has made other courses much easier to deal with.”
Smith’s next goal is to improve on her Spring 2015 accomplishments, when she captured Bay League titles in the 800 and 1,600, won the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 championship in the 1,600 finishing in 4:54.03 and placing fourth in the 1,600 at the CIF State Track and Field meet, where she set a personal best of 4:48.33.
Although her focus has switched to the flat track, Smith still uses the hills to train.
“We have a regimen that is similar to a cross country workout,” Smith said. “We have long runs on Saturdays, when I usually run 12 to 13 miles.”
Smith has also played a vital role for Palos Verdes’ girls 4×400, 4×800 and distance medley relay teams. At the Mt SAC Relays on April 15, Smith ran the second leg of the 4×800, joining teammates Grace Catena, Morgan Irish and Camille Hines in turning in the fastest time in the nation with a mark of 9:08.18, surpassing the previous record by three seconds.
The Sea Kings also won the 4×400 (3:55.37) for the 14th best time in the state.
“It was super exciting to set the nation’s fastest time,” Smith said. “Passing the baton has not been one of our strong suits but we’ve been working hard with extremely intense training.”
At the Arcadia Invitational on April 8, Smith ran the final leg on Palos Verdes’ distance medley relay (1,200-400-800-1,600 meters) and finished second. The time of 121:52.45 by Hines, Jessica Lazo, Irish and Smith qualified the team for the Penn Relays where they competed last Thursday.
The trip to the Quaker State was not the first for Smith, who will be taking her running talents to Villanova University, outside of Philadelphia, in the fall.
While she is looking forward to her college career, Smith has a few goals left on her high school bucket list.
“Winning team championships in the CIF and State meets would mean a lot to me,’ Smith said. “Personally, I’d like to win CIF in the 800 and 1,600 and qualify for State, but I’m really trying to break my personal record in the mile.”
Brian Shapiro, Smith’s cross country and distance coach, feels the experience gained in last year’s postseason will benefit Smith.
“Jacquelyn has a great chance to find her way on to the podium at the CIF and State meets,” Shapiro said. “She is the defending champion in the mile and currently has the best mile time in CIF (4:52) by over eight seconds. There are some very strong girls in the Southern Section and in the state, but as the No. 3 returner in the state in the mile, I think she has a great chance to find her way to back to the state meet podium and possibly win.”
As her senior year winds down, it would easy for Smith to choose a victory as her most memorable moment but it was a choice made off the track that changed the course of her prep career.
“My decision to transfer to Palos Verdes from Marymount after my junior year was a big part of my life,” Smith said. “We have an amazing coaching staff. They’re always positive and supportive.”
Smith, who has spent her life as a Palos Verdes resident, found that travel time to the Marymount campus on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles – in addition to athletic practices and academic work – was too much of a strain. Prior to high school, she had attended the PV Running Camp, where she made a lot of friends.
Already having so many acquaintances, Smith was aided by PV seniors and running stars Cassidy Webber and Anna Pruter in helping make the transition to a new school that much easier.
Shapiro believes there have been many keys to Smith’s success, stemming largely from her making the best of her natural abilities.
“Jacquelyn has some physical capabilities that other runners don’t have but she also trains at a high level to fully develop her talent,” Shapiro said. “Jacquelyn trains hard each day and has done well to stay healthy and benefit from her training, free of interruptions due to injuries and illness. She also has a great support system around her. Her family has been very supportive of her athletic career and her teammates challenge her and push her in practice and competition each day.”
Smith said she tries not to overwork herself and gets plenty of sleep but does not have a special diet, burning off calories through her excessive training. She does cut down of sweets, particularly before a race.
“I eat as much as I want,” Smith added. “When I’m out eating with friends, it’s not uncommon for me to ask if they are going to finish what’s on their plate. I’m a little clumsy in everyday activities so I feel very lucky not to have had any serious injuries.”
Smith’s training regimen is not limited to running. She works out on elliptical machines, stationary bikes and lifts weights. She also enjoys spending time in the pool.
“Swimming provides good cross training,” Smith said. “It is low impact while working so many muscle groups.”
Smith has athletic genes in her family, starting with her father Michael, who enjoys every sport and can still be found playing basketball with friends on weekends.
Mother Alex also runs and older brother Colby, a sophomore at Villanova, played lacrosse. Younger brother Landon is a freshman at Palos Verdes High School and plays football and lacrosse.
”My dad was the person who got me into running,” Smith said. “I had played soccer and basketball growing up but wasn’t passionate about either sport. My dad suggested I try running. I didn’t care much for it at first but came to love the sport. He taught me to ‘Live in the moment.’”
Smith also credits Shapiro and coach Jeff Atkinson for her success and being offered an athletic scholarship.
“They always believed in me,” Smith said. “Both have positive attitudes and push me to reach my full potential.”
Many colleges showed interest in Smith, including UC Berkeley, USC, Wake Forest and SMU but Villanova was her final choice.
“I knew Villanova had a strong running program,” Smith said. “I had visited the school before and loved the campus and people there. Plus, they just won the NCAA men’s basketball championship so it will be fun to root for a winner.”
“Jacquelyn is a talented distance runner with a high racing IQ,” Villanova coach Gina Procaccio stated on the team’s website. “She has the potential to contribute to both the cross country and track and field teams.”
Smith has a weighted GPA of 4.1 and has been accepted into the Liberal Arts school at Villanova, where she plans to study psychology or communications.
While she does not have much free time, Smith enjoys going to the beach with her friends and, as a member of the Palos Verdes Beach Club, swimming and having dinner with other members.
She has also been involved with the National Charity League (NCL) since 7th grade. The non-profit organization helps foster mother-daughter relationships through community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
“We recently had our graduation, which was very exciting,” Smith said. “I have become super close with the girls.”
Shapiro, who also serves as the athletic director at Palos Verdes High School, believes Smith’s contributions will be felt for years after she heads back east.
“It is rare pleasure to have athletes of Jacquelyn’s caliber pass through the halls of a high school,” Shapiro said. “A star athlete can have a long lasting impact. Often we will see a surge in interest in a sport in the four years following the graduation of a star athlete. Young boys and girls in the community read and hear about the exploits of our athletes, who become role models for the next generation of high school athletes.”
