By Isaac Cox, April 22, 2025
Broncos track-and-field star Neshara Smith placed third in her NCAA Division-II Indoor Nationals debut while breaking several program records March 14.
Smith said she doesn’t only credit her athletic success to her coaches, family, teammates and friends, but also God. She said it’s a priority for her to give God glory and honor, mentioning how he blessed her with her talents in track-and-field.
“The word faith means to me how much time I dedicate to the Lord and how much I believe in Him,” Smith said. “…Becoming a Christian athlete, I walk lighter, I run faster, I believe in myself more, and when I feel myself go in this dark, spiraling hole for not meeting my own expectations, God is always there to lift me up and pick me back up.”
And Smith isn’t alone. Cal Poly Pomona’s student-athletes involved in the Christian Athletic Club believe they wouldn’t be able to perform highly in their academics and sports without their faith.
The club meets every Tuesday in the Kellogg Arena conference meeting room at 6:45 p.m. for prayer, group activities, worship music and a session of Bible study. These activities help students get to know one another better and connect throughout the meeting.
Although he is not an athlete, Jaeden Correa, a business student, explained how the club has helped him personally through talks and actions, as well as some advice he would give to those in need.
“Going to our Christian Athletic Club, I like that I gain a community of people that I can rely on whenever it comes to having any problems or struggles in life,” Correa said. “If you do have faith or maybe not, I would suggest just looking more into faith. Just know that the door to Jesus is always open.”
An NCAA report back in 2011 concluded that 75% of student-athletes followed Christianity. And for the student-athletes in the Christian Athletic Club, they believe their profession is a platform to not only play the game they love but also be a testament of their faith to those around them.
Also, another report stated that over 51,000 Christian athletes made the decision to follow Christianity in 2023.
They also see the trials and tribulations thrown into their lives as tests to overcome and credit their faith for helping them through life’s tougher moments.
Dezmen Watkins, a kinesiology student, explained how important his faith is to him and how God came through for him in his rough times.
“I’d pray before I eat and go to sleep because my mom would tell me that, but I didn’t know who He was, and I didn’t have a relationship with Him,” Watkins said. “But things happened in my life, and I became homeless, and it was really tough for me and my family. … I gave God a try, and through time, our situation has gotten better.”
The Christian Athletic Club allows students and athletes to get the opportunity to help spread their faith with others on campus, and anyone is welcome.
Sarena Padilla, a business student as well as track and field athlete, explained how seeing athletes share their faith publicly has been encouraging. Padilla also mentioned she got to witness Ohio State’s football team put their faith in God, as well as the Fresno track and field team doing the same.
“I am believing for that to happen here,” Padilla said. “I truly believe that God sent me here to stand in the gap in prayer, intercession and evangelism for that to be the reality of my team.”
Feature image courtesy of Isaac Cox