INDIANAPOLIS -- The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced Tuesday (Feb. 4) that Hannah Smrcka (Corry, Penn./Seton Hill) was awarded GLVC Women's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year for her competition and classroom performance.  

The league selects one student-athlete in each Conference sport to be designated the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award is based upon athletic accomplishments, both team and individual, as well as academic performance in the season upon which the award is based. Each GLVC member has the opportunity to nominate one individual from its team for the award. Nominees must have a cumulative grade point average that meets College Sports Communicators Academic All-America standards (3.50), and freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible for the award. The voting is completed by each member institution's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR).

Smrcka was named GLVC Runner of the Year and earned All-Conference recognition at the 6K GLVC Championship after recording a time of 20:53.5, leading the Flyers to the GLVC Championship in 2024. The senior also earned All-Midwest Region honors after finishing in 11th place at the 2024 NCAA Midwest Regional with a time of 21:39.

Smrcka competed at the 8K 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships where she placed 77th with a time of 21:54.4, helping the Flyers finish in sixth place, their highest team finish since 1997.

In the classroom, Smrcka achieved a 4.0 semester Grade Point Average and owns 3.70 a cumulative GPA as an English major.

FULL GLVC RELEASE