Avery Smith joined the Meredith College track & field and cross country programs as an assistant coach in 2026.
Smith comes to Meredith after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for cross country and track & field at North Central College, where she earned her master’s degree in Sports Leadership in May 2026. During her time at North Central, she assisted with distance and sprint training, strength and conditioning, meet operations and recruiting. She successfully recruited eight student-athletes for the 2026-27 cross country season and independently led practices while implementing the program’s training plans and adapting workouts to meet individual athletes’ needs.
In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Smith gained extensive experience in the day-to-day operations of a collegiate track & field and cross country program, including meet setup and administration, travel coordination, recruiting, team meals, equipment organization and event operations. She also monitored study hours for first-year student-athletes, helping the program achieve 100 percent eligibility during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.Â
Prior to North Central, Smith served as an assistant coach and intern with the Central Illinois Track Club in Bloomington, Illinois, where she worked with elementary, middle and high school athletes. She led warm-ups, drills, workouts and recovery sessions while helping tailor training to individual athletes.
A former Division III student-athlete at Illinois Wesleyan University, Smith competed in the sprints and hurdles from 2020-24. She earned seven All-CCIW honors during her career, including conference honors in the 60-meter hurdles, 60 meters, 100 meters, 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay. She was also a three-time Academic All-CCIW selection and served as a team captain during her senior season.
Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology & Allied Health with a minor in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan in 2024.
Updated 8/26
