BOISE, Idaho — Samantha Smith has had an incredible couple of months as this two-sport athlete played soccer for Stanford in the NCAA National Championship Game before starting her season of Nordic skiing.
Smith is the former Player of the Year in soccer for Boise High School, and she grew up spending her winters in Sun Valley.
This past weekend at Oberhof in Germany, Smith came up with a performance of a lifetime. Smith finished a career-best 12th in the World Cup Skate Sprint in Germany; she was the top American in the field, and that's a huge deal ahead of the Olympics in February.
WATCH: See Samantha Smith in action
"I think it is one of the most impressive things under pressure," said Beccy Flynn, the director of Nordic skiing at the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. "She just rose to the occasion; she needed to do well there, and it was just incredible."
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The career-best performance came after Smith sprinted to her second Nordic skiing national championship at Lake Placid earlier in January. Alongside her skiing success, Smith was a starter for the Stanford Cardinals up until Dec. 8.
"It’s simply incredible, and I think it speaks to the commitment that Sammy has made to both sports," said Flynn. "She has put herself into position to be considered for the Olympic team."
The Olympic committee met on Sunday to decide who would make the team, and in Nordic skiing, it is wide open besides Jessie Diggins.
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We will keep you updated as we have learned that the deadline to decide will be Tuesday.
There is no doubt that whatever happens, Sun Valley, Boise and Idaho have a reason to be proud of Samantha Smith.
