The COROS Distance Athlete Of The Week (3/18-3/24)


* Buchholz's Riley Smith led his team at the Florida Relays this weekend in Gainesville

Photo Credit: Alan Youngblood/USA Today 

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Superstars are have been front-and-center to begin the outdoor track and field season. 

For Week 4 of the COROS Distance Athlete of the Week honor, it was more of the same. 

With exceptional performances taking place in Florida and California, we named our latest nominees in the briefs below. 

Check below for more information, along with previous winners.


Riley Smith, Gainesville Buccholz (FL)

Class of 2024

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We could be on to something in Florida. 

Already, after just a few weeks into the outdoor season, Gainesville Buchholz senior Riley Smith is absolutely terrorizing the record books. 

The University of Florida recruit poured in a state record time of 8:39.71 for 3,200 meters on March 22 at the FSU Relays in Tallahassee, doing so in the final moments as he legged past fellow Division I recruit Patrick Koon over the final 400 meters. 

That performance was essential in elevating Smith to our Week 4 COROS Distance Athlete of the Week honor. 

Smith followed this weekend with a Florida No. 1 time of 1:50.96 for 800m. 


Braelyn Combe, Santiago Corona (CA)

Class of 2026

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A U.S. and sophomore No. 1 time, meanwhile, was grabbed at the APU Meet of Champions, with Santiago Corona's Braelyn Combe facilitating that performance with a career run. 

The California prep put down a time of 4:48.47, which earned her first trip under 4:50 on the track for the full mile. That effort gave Combe our nod for Week 4. 

This season, Combe's resume has been quality in the middle-distances. She added an 800m best of 2:12.56 the previous week at the ASICS Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational and also broke 60 seconds for the 400m. 


Related Links: 

COROS Distance Athlete of the Week

Week 1: Ben Gabelman and Clemmie Lilley earn the first week's honor

Week 2: New Balance champions Daniel Simmons and Elizabeth Leachman rise up

Week 3: Sadie Engelhardt and Jason Parra take the tape