PUEBLO, Colo. - Colorado State University Pueblo has announced senior men's golfer Evan Smith (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East) as the 2026 recipient of the Threlkeld Prize for Excellence, one of the University's most prestigious student honors.

Selected from a distinguished pool of finalists nominated by faculty and staff across campus, Smith was presented the award at the Student Involvement and Leadership Awards ceremony on Thursday, April 9. He will be formally recognized again during CSU Pueblo's spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at the ThunderBowl, where he will receive the first diploma of the ceremony along with a monetary award.

Named in honor of the late Budge Threlkeld, a former administrator and professor, the Threlkeld Prize recognizes a graduating senior who exemplifies excellence in academics, leadership, and service. Recipients must have completed at least four full-time semesters at CSU Pueblo while maintaining a minimum 3.7 grade point average and demonstrating significant contributions to both the University and the community.

Smith becomes the seventh CSU Pueblo student-athlete to earn the prestigious honor since 2009 and the first since Jenna McKinley-Fall, a former track and field standout and current Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator, received the award in 2021.

He joins a distinguished list of ThunderWolves student-athletes who have previously earned the recognition, including Derrick Williams (2019, men's cross country/track and field), Bailey Hughes (2016, women's cross country/track and field), Ashley Wilkinson (2013, volleyball), Bonita Nunez (2011, softball), and Jenna Garcia (2009, volleyball).

A standout both in the classroom and on the course, Smith will graduate summa cum laude in May with a perfect 4.00 GPA. He will earn both a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in economics, with a concentration in finance and a minor in leadership studies.

A four-year member of the ThunderWolves men's golf program, Smith has also been actively involved across campus, serving in the President's Leadership Program and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). His commitment to professional development includes internships with the El Pomar Foundation and Express Employment Professionals.

On the course, Smith has been a consistent contributor to the ThunderWolves' success, posting a career-low round of 74 and a season-low 76 at the Sam Proal Invitational, held in Pueblo at Pueblo Country Club. He has helped lead CSU Pueblo to postseason appearances in all four years of his career and has earned back-to-back All-RMAC Academic honors, with a third consecutive selection likely this season.

Following graduation, Smith plans to pursue a career as a pilot in the United States Air Force, continuing a path defined by discipline, leadership, and service.