In his college debut, Smith crossed the line after 14:01 in the 3,000m Race Walk, surpassing the 14:15 'A' Standard and taking second place overall at the JDL New Year College Kick-Off.
With that time, the South Portland, Maine native punched his ticket to participate in the NAIA National Championship scheduled to be held March 1-3, 2018 in Pittsburg, Kansas.