Sean Smith Sweeps WAC Coach of the Year, Soca Named Athlete of the Year
11/11/2025 1:00:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
RIVERSIDE--- Sean Smith and Valentin Soca continue to rack up the accolades as they were both honored in the Western Athletic Conference's year-end awards. Coach Smith brought home both the Men's and Women's Coach of the Year honors, while Soca was named the WAC XC Male Athlete of the Year.
For Coach Smith, it is his second WAC Men's Coach of the Year honor and the first time he has been named the Women's Coach of the Year. Coach Smith helped the Lancers sweep the WAC XC Championships with team titles on both sides. For the men, it was their sixth straight conference title, and it was the fifth title for the women in program history. Coach Smith is in his second season in Riverside and has continued the winning tradition of the program by taking the men to Nationals last season. Smith was named Men's West Region Coach of the Year last season, as well as earning the program's highest finish at Nationals (13th).
For Soca, it was his first such honor in cross-country season as he claimed the WAC Men's Individual Champion in Arlington. Soca finished with a time of 23:51.0 and won his third straight championship as a member of the Lancers. Soca was also the team's top finisher at the Nuttycombe Invitational, which also served as his season debut. Soca finished 7th in the prestigious race, helping the men finish 11th, and promptly earned WAC Athlete of the Week honors. Soca has been consistently ranked in the top ten in the NCAA individual rankings this season, reaching as high as fourth.
Smith, Soca, and the Lancers will look to get back to the National stage this Friday as they compete in the DI West Regionals in Sacramento.
Players Mentioned
