It is not uncommon for a student athlete who rows at the college level to have little or no experience in the sport. Sacramento State head coach Mike Connors said that most rowers played other sports in high school that were not rowing

This is exactly the case for Jessica Smith. The now senior captain of the Sacramento State women’s rowing team played three sports at Highland High School in Bakersfield, Calif., which included basketball, volleyball, and track. She did not even have plans to attend a four-year college until the later parts of her senior year.

“My plan was to go to a local junior college and play volleyball,” Smith said. “I never would have considered Sacramento State if it wasn’t for my teacher having me fill out a questionnaire for the Sac State rowing team.”

The questionnaire was quickly followed by a phone call from Mike Connors, the head coach of the Sac State’s rowing team, and a recruiting visit shortly after that. Smith said it was the visit with Connors and seeing the campus that ultimately helped make her decision.

“I wanted to try something new and get out of my hometown and rowing seemed like the sport that was just weird enough for someone like me to fit in,” she said.

As a freshman in 2011, Smith quickly excelled at the sport. She competed with the novice eight in the five seat of every spring race and helped that same boat win the silver medal at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, which was the best finish for a novice eight in that competition since 2005.

At those same championships, she helped lead the varsity four boat to a gold medal finish. Smith said this has so far been her most memorable moment in her four years at Sac State.

“The reason this moment was so special is that we had four freshmen on that boat,” Smith said. “To win a varsity event with four novice rowers is quite special.”

In her sophomore year, Smith made the varsity eight boat. She helped the varsity eight to a bronze medal at the WIRA Championships, and a sixth place showing, out of 33 entries at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia. She also went on to post a personal-best time of 6:59.8 on the 2,000-meter ergometer test, becoming one of just a handful of rowers in school history to finish below seven minutes.

Her junior year saw Smith compete with both the varsity eight and second varsity eight crews during the spring. However, due to a back injury she was forced to miss some races.

However, even though her back injury caused issues on the water, Smith remained successful in the classroom. She became one of six Hornets to receive the National Scholar-Athlete Award, given to rowers with a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA.

Smith is now in her senior year at Sac State and is rowing stronger than she ever has in her four years here. The captain just led the varsity eight boat to a silver medal in this past weekend’s WIRA championships and helped propel Sac State to the WIRA team title. Smith was named to the all-WIRA first team as well.

She has recorded a personal best of 6:56.9 on the ergometer test, the second fastest time in school history, only 0.2 seconds shy of the record. Smith will have one more shot at the record before season’s end.

Smith’s remarkable career at Sac State could come to an end in two weeks when the Hornets travel to Tennessee for the Conference USA championship. Sac State will have to win the event to qualify for the National Championship in Indianapolis on May 30.

Even with the season coming to an end, Smith is hoping her rowing days are far from over.

“I’m hoping I get the chance to row for the U23 national team this summer in Italy,” she said. “I’ve already sent in the application and will find out soon if I got in.”