LORETTO, Pa. (Jan. 30, 2012) - The 2012 Autism Frostbite 5K (3.2 miles) included many firsts. It was the first annual race held in Pittsburgh, Pa. by ABOARD's Autism Connection of PA, the first 5K senior Paige Smith (Saugus, Calif./Valencia) ever competed in and it was the first 5K that she ever won.
 
A native of Saugus, Calif., Smith has been a starter each year for the Red Flash on the diamond. In her spare time however, she enjoys running three miles a day. She can often be spotted on the Stokes Auxiliary Gym track or treadmill, chatting on the phone with her mom while running at a seven-minute mile pace—without even getting winded.
 
Her time on Jan. 28 at the Frostbite 5K was a bit faster than her normal “easy” pace and it easily won her the overall gold medal for the women that competed. She completed the 5K in 19 minutes and 51 seconds—about a 6:24 minute mile pace.
 
Even though she had never competed in any type of race before, Smith set high goals for herself.
 
“When I crossed the finish line, and they said 'Congrats on your win,' I was really happy,” Smith said. “My goal was to be the top in the women's section, and I succeeded.”
 
Smith signed up for the race to complete the requirement for her senior capstone called “I'm a Runner!” Smith took sixth place overall out of 233. The next closest woman to Smith's finish took 22^nd place with a time of 23:14.