Eliot Soderholm
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- Height:
- 5'9"
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- Hometown:
- Reston, VA
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- Year:
- Junior
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- High School:
- South Lakes HS
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- Major:
- Biology
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- Favorite Food:
- Couscous with sun-dried tomatoes and lentils
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- Favorite Class:
- Anything with Don Kirche or Curt Stager
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- Go to warm up song:
- 22 by Taylor Swift
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- Fun Fact:
- I'm an Eagle Scout
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- Best PSC Memory:
- Spending time with friends
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- Best Sports Memory:
- Running with Bob Bolton when he did his first 20-miler back from battling cancer
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- Most Influential Person in your life:
- Jim Tucker
Bio
Eliot Soderholm
Collegiate Sports: Cross Country and Snowshoe Team
Hometown: Reston, Virginia
High School: South Lakes High School 2023
Athletic Honors Attained (before arriving at Paul Smith’s College):
Helped my team (South Lakes) finish 2nd at the 2022 Virginia Class 6 Northern Region XC Championship, finishing 4th on the team and 17th overall in a PB of 16:21 for 3 miles.
HS track PB’s: 400m 59.41, 1000m 2:50.16, 1600m 4:39.00, 3200m 9:47.58.
Academic Major: Biology
Dean's List: Fall 2023; Spring 2024; Fall 2024; Spring 2025.
Collegiate Athletic Honors/Highlights:
Freshman year (2023-2024)
- Finished 2nd at 2023 Founding Tree Invitational 8K XC Race: in 27:27 (first sub-29, first sub-28).
- Season’s best (and current PB) of 27:08 for 8k (freshman class record, PSC XC #3 all-time)
- 2023 YSCC Conference individual champion
- Finished 3rd at the USCAA Small College National Championships earning All-American honors
- Winner of the Stonewall Snowshoe Race
- Won gold in the junior race at the 2024 World Snowshoe Championships in Spain, bringing home a world title to Paul Smith’s College and the United States
Sophomore year (2024-2025)
- Season’s best of 28:22 for 8K
- Finished 2nd at the 2024 YSCC Conference Championships
- Finished 10th at the USCAA Small College National Championships becoming a two-time All-American
Junior year (2025 - 2026)
- Established the men's 5K collegiate XC record time of 16:01 at SUNY Plattsburgh on August 30, 2025.
Personal Information and Pursuits for Fun ~ Why Paul Smith's?
I enjoy cycling almost as much as running. It is nice to have an endurance pursuit that you do purely for enjoyment, and not for competition. No clocks, timers, or bib number … just the Adirondacks scrolling over my handlebars.
I enjoy reading, hanging out (and often laughing) with friends, spending time with family, and petting cats, dogs, and horses. I also enjoy learning and writing about both the deep and rich human story of the Adirondacks and the fascinating history of Paul Smith’s College.
The professors at Paul Smith’s College are incredible stewards of our young minds. Most of the people I know have been taken under the wing of one of their professors. They help guide their mentees through both their studies and life while providing invaluable wisdom and encouraging them to be their best selves. Many times, professors invite students to work with them on various projects.
On the athletics side, Jim is one of the most wonderful humans and coaches I have ever met. He is always full of great stories and humor, especially when you are spending hours together on a bus or at an airport gate. And he is just as full of kindness and generosity; working hard to look after all his students. Our assistant coach Phil is full of positive energy, will cheer louder than anyone on the course, and has no shortage of stories or jokes himself. Back home on the campus, Brandon is a phenomenal athletic trainer who takes the time to work carefully with each athlete to get them back into competition and keep them healthy from week to week.
While the people here are what truly make Paul Smith’s so special, one would go amiss without mentioning the campus and environment we are surrounded by. It is an endurance athlete’s playground. Opportunities abound for hiking, trail and snowshoe running, cycling, and other endurance pursuits; all in front of a stunning backdrop.
Other Athletic Interests and Activities:
Hiking/Backpacking
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) “Alaska Wilderness” (AKW) Course Graduate 2023, Eagle Scout, and song writer.
News mentions
Eliot Soderholm leads PSC Men's Team to a 5th place team finish as he became the first PSC runner to ever win a collegiate national XC title by winning the USCAA 8K event at Penn State - Fayette.
Paul Smith's College and NHTI locked in an extremely close battle in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) men's 8K championships, with PSC coming on top by a single point to earn the 3-peat.
Eliot Soderholm led the young Paul Smith's College team to a third place team finish and supported by four first year student athletes to round out the scoring five for the Bobcats.
Eliot Soderholm (Reston, VA/South Lakes HS) established a new course record for the Word of Life Bible Institute 8K course with a finish time of 26:43 to win on Saturday.
The PSC Cross Country Team has been holding a relaxed point to point 10K and Half Marathon as part of the annual fall Family Weekend since the pandemic in 2020 as this gives the current students the opportunity to run the local roadways with their family members supporting them from their vehicles or sharing the running experience as part of the Family Weekend.
Eliot Soderholm continues to run with the fastest runners in the Northeast and broke the Paul Smith's College men's 8K record with a finish time of 26:58 at St. Lawrence University on Saturday.
Eliot Soderholm place 12th in the first collegiate 8K XC event of the season with a time of 28:21, which was about 2 and 1/2 minutes faster than a year ago over the same challenging course to pace the Bobcats.
Eliot Soderholm (JR: Reston, VA) set a men's 5K record with a 5th place finish in 16:01 at the 43rd edition of the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinal Classic, pacing the Bobcats to a 4th place team finish.
Eliot Soderholm paced the field in the Vergennes Day Races in the 10K distance winning in a time of 34:52.