SAN FRANCISCO – Francie Larrieu Smith was named to the Pac-12 Conference's All-Century Team for women's cross country, the league office announced on Tuesday. Larrieu Smith, the head men's and women's cross country and track & field coach at Southwestern University, was one of 12 former runners to land on the prestigious list.

Larrieu Smith earned All-America honors at the 1974 AIAW Cross Country Championships, while competing for UCLA. This came after capturing outdoor titles in the 880, mile and two-mile events at the '74 AIAW Track & Field Championships.

"It's a totally and unexpected, but truly great honor to be recognized with all of the others who were selected for the All-Century Team," Larrieu Smith said. "As an athlete, when you compete, you don't think about these kind of things. But later on in life, when you are recognized for your accomplishments, it is humbling and a great honor."

The Palo Alto, Calif., native went on to become one of the greatest distance runners in U.S. history. Her running career spanned four decades and 35 U.S. distance records from the 1,000m to 10K. She was on 28 national teams and won 21 national titles. Larrieu Smith was a member of five Olympic teams (1972, 1976, 1980, 1988 and 1992). She was selected flag bearer for the U.S. contingent at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Six years later, she was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame.

Larrieu Smith, who has led the Southwestern cross country and track & field programs since 1999, was named "The Most Versatile Runner of the Quarter Century" by Runner's World magazine the same year.

– SOUTHWESTERN –