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Freedom's Smith Earns Fifth All-America Crown

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BILL WARD

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 14, 2008

Ex-Freedom High track star Calvin Smith II grabbed the fifth All-America title of his University of Florida career and the second of the meet at Saturday's NCAA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines Iowa.

Smith, a UF sophomore, earned his honors with a fifth-place finish in the finals of the 400-meter dash with a lifetime best of 45.14 seconds. Considering Smith barely qualified for the NCAA finals in this event, it was a stunning result. Smith has been hampered by nagging injuries most of the season and was unable to secure an automatic berth to the meet at the East Region finals two weeks ago. He only landed a spot after other qualifiers declared they were not competing in the event.

"With all the injury problems he's had this year, that's was a really good performance by Calvin," said Smith's father, former 100-meter dash world record holder Calvin Smith. "To make it to the finals and run a PR after not automatically qualifying, that's great."

Oral Roberts senior and Bahamian national team member Andretti Bain won the race in 44.62, edging Southern California senior Lionel Larry by a hundredth of a second for first place. Smith was one of just two sophomores in the race, the other being third-place LeJerald Betters of Baylor, who ran 44.83.

Smith landed his fourth All-America crown Friday when he anchored Florida's 4x100 relay team to third place in 38.84, the fourth fastest time in UF history.

Smith's 45.14 solidifies his chances of making the field for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., later this month. That time gives him the "B" standard but is just .14 off the "A" standard. If the trials do not get enough athletes that meet the "A" standard, the remainder of the field is filled out with "B" standard runners.

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