Just as she lives life, Conway’s Kenia Smith runs full speed ahead
You only live once. Why go anything less than full speed?
Stopping Kenia Smith has been next to impossible, for as long as she can remember has used running as a pastime.
“I was quite the hyper child when I was younger,” she said. “Being an only child, sometimes you had to create things to do. Sometimes I would do so with my cousins, but I would also find things to do by myself.
“But as fate would have it, running was a big part of that.”
Even Smith couldn’t have expected the act to become such an integral part of her life, however.
First running competitively in the seventh grade, she has quickly ascended to a place at the table as one of the Grand Strand’s — as well as the Lower State’s — top talents.
For what Smith accomplished during her junior season, the Conway standout has been named The Sun News’ Toast of the Coast Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
“This year was about me and my teammates, I love them so much,” she said. “We really came together, and even though we all had individual goals, we had team ones as well. And we gave our best to make sure it happened.”
Conway means everything to me. I run for myself, I run for my team, I run for the Lord, I run for my school. Whenever I succeed, my school succeeds.
Conway cross country runner Kenia Smith
Breezing past competition for the Region VI-5A individual title, the Conway runner earned a fourth-place finish at this past October’s Lower State 5A cross country meet, running the race in 20:39. A few weeks later, she’d run a similar race en route to finishing in the top half of competitors at the state 5A meet.
More importantly, her effort was instrumental in the Tigers’ girls cross country team placing second in Region VI-5A this past season.
“Conway means everything to me,” Smith said. “I run for myself, I run for my team, I run for the Lord, I run for my school. Whenever I succeed, my school succeeds.”
Still, she believes so much more lies ahead. Currently, Smith holds offers from Columbia College and Coker College, among others.
Aside from taking Conway to the top of the ladder, the goal remains to make herself even more attractive to prospective schools. Fortunately, running in the state’s highest classification affords her the opportunity.
“It always motivates me,” Smith said. “There are always a lot of good girls running. They want to beat me, and I want to beat them.
“We’re not only trying to outrun each other for medals, titles and top fives. We’re also running for scholarships. At the college level, you’re running with the best … and that for me would be next year.”
In the meantime, the Conway runner is focused on track season — another opportunity to run.
“I’m making sure I don’t eat so much cupcakes, cakes or sweets … though the temptation is always there,” Smith said. “But when you keep track or cross country season, it makes it just a bit easier.”
Joe L. Hughes II: 843-444-1702, @thejournalist44
Editor’s note
This is the first installment in a nine-day series honoring the top athletes from the fall high school sports season. Sunday: boys cross country.
Toast of the Coast Girls Cross Country Team
Runner of the Year
Kenia Smith
School: Conway
Class: Junior
Notable: Claimed the Region VI-5A individual title, crossing the line at 20:53. Finished fourth at Lower State 5A meet (20:39) and wound up 55th in the state 5A meet (20:55).
Lillian Eddy
School: Waccamaw
Class: Junior
Notable: Earned a top-20 finish at the state 3A meet, crossing the line just past the 21-minute mark, playing a key role in the Warriors’ finish of fourth overall in the classification. Was seventh at Lower State 3A meet (21:41), aiding Waccamaw in earning a Lower State title. Also was an all-region performer this past season.
Kasie Ingram
School: Socastee
Class: Senior
Notable: An All-Region VI-5A performer, she finished fourth among runners in the league. At the Lower State 5A meet, she finished 19th with a time of 21:32. Finished six-year career with the Braves at the state 5A meet, crossing the line just past the 22-minute mark.
Wilson Jenerette
School: North Myrtle Beach
Class: Sophomore
Notable: Won individual Region VII-4A title, running away from the field and crossing the line in just over 20 minutes. She finished third at the Lower State 3A meet (19:38), and 23rd at state 4A meet (20:13). Played a key role in the Chiefs claiming second place at the Lower State 4A championship.
Bailey Johnson
School: Aynor
Class: Junior
Notable: An all-region performer, she finished fourth at the Region VI-3A meet, crossing the line just beyond the 22-minute mark. Was 13th at the Lower State 3A championship, and finished among the top half of runners at the state 3A meet.
Janneke Morin
School: Socastee
Class: Junior
Notable: Earned a spot at the Class 5A state meet, and a top 20 finish among runners at the Lower State 5A championship. Was eighth at Region VI-5A meet (23:15).
Annabelle Scurry
School: Waccamaw
Class: Seventh grade
Notable: Earned top billing among runners in Region VI-3A, crossing the line just beyond the 21-minute mark — 36 seconds ahead of teammate Lillian Eddy. Finished eighth in the Class 3A state meet (20:16) and crossed the line sixth at the Lower State 3A championship (21:35). Played a key role in the Warriors claiming Lower State 3A and Region VI-3A titles this past season.
Breeauna Spicker
School: North Myrtle Beach
Class: Junior
Notable: Finished 19th at the state 4A meet, crossing the line at 20:40. She claimed ninth at the Lower State 4A meet (20:50) and finished second at the Region VII-4A championship, earning all-region honors. Played a key role in the Chiefs claiming second place at the Lower State 4A championship.
Macy Werner
School: North Myrtle Beach
Class: Seventh grade
Notable: Finished 14th at the Lower State 4A meet (21:47), earning her ticket to the state meet in Columbia. Claimed all-region honors with a third place result at the Region VII-4A championship (22:19).
Coach of the Year
Brian White
School: Waccamaw
Notable: Led Waccamaw to another run at a state title, with the Warriors finishing fourth in Class 3A. His team claimed a Region VI-3A crown, and earned second place at the Lower State 3A championship.
This story was originally published January 27, 2017 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Just as she lives life, Conway’s Kenia Smith runs full speed ahead."