Spotlight Raven Series: Emily Smatlak (Women’s Track & Field)
Emily Smatlak will be entering her senior year with the Anderson University women’s track and field team.
Emily Smatlak will be entering her senior year with the Anderson University women's track and field team.
Smatlak qualified for nationals in the javelin as a sophomore after posting a school-record distance of 41.47 meters (136 feet, 0.75 inches). Her performance helped her land a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Field-Athlete-of-the-Week selection as well as United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-Great Lakes Region honors. She was also named a USTFCCCA All-Academic individual.
Smatlak claimed 18th place in the javelin during the NCAA Outdoor Championships as a sophomore with a distance of 37.45 meters (122 feet, 10.5 inches). She garnered first-team all-conference honors during the HCAC Outdoor Championships. Smatlak locked up the javelin title with a meet-record distance of 39.72 meters (130 feet, 3.75 inches). She also represented the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400 relay in the same meet. The 4x400 secured a second-place finish with a time of 4 minutes, 10.32 seconds while the 4x400 earned third with a time of 50.36 seconds.
As a junior, Smatlak contributed to a third-place finish (4:17.24) in the 4x400 during the indoor conference meet. Smatlak has received academic all-HCAC recognition as a sophomore and junior. She was named the HCAC Sportsmanship recipient three times.
Fans can tune into the full Spotlight Raven Series interview with Emily Smatlak here.