Tamaqua’s Caitlin Smith will continue her track and field career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

A four-year member of the varsity squad, Smith competed in the Sprinter 100, 200 and 400 relay for the Blue Raiders.

During her sophomore year, she helped the 400 relay team take silver at both the 2019 Schuylkill League Championship and District 11 Championships. This season, she won bronze medals in the 100 and the 200 and helped the 400 relay team to a silver medal at the Schuylkill League Championships.

Smith also played soccer for two years at Tamaqua and was on the cross country team for two seasons.

Caitlin is the valedictorian of her graduating class and has maintained Highest Honors status during the entirety of her high school career.

She scored a 1470 on the SAT exam, placing her in the 99th percentile of test takers for the 2020 calendar year, and she was recognized by the College Board National Recognition Program as a National Rural and Small-Town Scholar for excelling on the PSAT exam.

She is a recipient of the Rensselaer Leadership Award, an academic merit scholarship of $130,000 to be used for undergraduate studies at the institute. She also received the Fenstermacher Prize, Karen Mateyak Mathematics Award, Tamaqua Education Association Award, Versum Materials Award, Naoma M. Stanley Award, and the James J. & Mary Edith Rhoades Scholarship at the Tamaqua Area High School Annual Night of Achievement.

Additionally, Caitlin was recently honored as a Schuylkill League Scholar Athlete, recognized as the DAR Good Citizen of the Year on behalf of the Mahantongo Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and selected as the Tamaqua nominee for the Standard Speaker Scholastic Superstar designation.

Caitlin is the National Honor Society Vice-President, Chemistry Club President, Biology Club Vice-President, Physics Club Treasurer, and a member of the Science, Math, English, Spanish and Tri-M Music Honor Societies.

She is also involved in the Environmental Club, World Language Club, Raider Step-Up and the Raider Marching, Concert, and Jazz Bands where she is a section leader, librarian, and principal clarinetist.

Caitlin received the Patrick Gilmore Award for outstanding contributions to the Raider Band in terms of leadership and musical ability, and she was selected for All-County Band in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

The daughter of Kerry and Tara Smith, Caitlin will study Mechanical Engineering at RPI.