Barbara Smith enters her 22nd year at UMass Lowell and primarily works with River Hawk throwers.
Smith during the 2014-15 season helped to develop freshman Celeste Pipia who finished fourth at the America East championships with a toss of more than 45 feet. The men’s team throwers have also showed great growth and development.
Over Smith's tenure, she has coached 10 athletes to the NCAA championship meet, including 2010 NCAA Division II shot put champion Jacqui Barrett. She also mentored three runners-up, including Barrett in the 2010 indoors, four-time All-American Heather Oldham and Enjoli Edwards in 2006.
She helped guide junior Candace Greene to All-American honors in the shot put, where she threw 47' 10.75'' to place seventh at the NCAA Championship.
Smith also guided Shannon Seidel to New England pentathlon titles in 2004 and 2005.
A 1984 graduate of the University of Maine, Smith was a two-time All-AIAW and eight-time All-New England shot putter for the Black Bears. Upon graduation, she spent 10 years as the assistant track and field coach at Lowell H.S., where she helped the Red Raiders to the state outdoor title in 1986.
Smith is a math resource teacher at the Reilly School in Lowell, MA. She lives in Westford, Mass., with her husband, Michael, and their three grown children.
