Carson attended ESU after representing the United States in the 400m at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She was a two-time National AAU 440 yard and 400 meter champion in 1964 and 1965. Her time of 52.3 seconds in the 400 meters still ranks as the best-ever by a high school age girl in Kansas. She set the World Record for the indoor 400 meters in 1965. She unofficially (since ESU did not have a recognized women's team at the time) represented ESU at the first NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, winning the 60 yard and 440 yard dashes. After graduating from ESU, Smith spent 35 years as a grade school teacher in southeast Kansas