May 13, 2010
DID YOU KNOW? North Carolina Central University sprinter Jason Smoots is the only student-athlete in NCAA Division II track & field history to win three consecutive indoor sprint national championships.
A native of Gadsden, Ala., Smoots won his first national title in the 55-meter dash on March 10, 2001, with a time of 6.26 seconds. The NCAA replaced that sprint event with the 60-meter dash the following year, which Smoots won again to repeat as national champion. He made history as a senior by capturing his third consecutive indoor sprint national title on March 15, 2003, winning the 60m dash with a meet record time of 6.55 seconds.
During his standout NCCU career from 1999-2003, Smoots collected six national championships and eight all-America citations, while being named the NCAA Division II Male Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2003.
In recognition of his outstanding career achievements, Mayor Bill Bell proclaimed Oct. 26, 2002, as "Jason Smoots Day" in the City of Durham, N.C.
As part of North Carolina Central University's Centennial celebration, the NCCU Department of Athletics will post sports history facts from the institution's first 100 years to its official web site, www.NCCUEaglePride.com, every week during the year-long observance.
JASON SMOOTS
NCCU Men's Track & Field
Hometown: Gadsden, Alabama
Born: July 13, 1980
*** 2001 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION - 55-METER DASH
*** 2001 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION - 100-METER DASH
*** 2002 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION - 60-METER DASH
*** 2002 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION - 100-METER DASH
*** 2002 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION - 4x100-METER RELAY (OUTDOOR)
*** 2003 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION - 60-METER DASH
*** EIGHT-TIME NCAA ALL-AMERICAN
As a Freshman (1999-2000)
* Ran for All-Conference honors at the 2000 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (Arthur Ashe Center, Richmond, VA) by placing second in the men's
55-meter dash with a time of 6.28. (Feb. 11, 2000)
* Earned All-America honors by placed third in the men's 55-meter dash with a time of 6.32 at the 2000 NCAA Division II Indoor Track Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. Advanced to the finals by posting his fastest time of the indoor season (6.25) in the preliminary round. (March 11, 2000)
* Placed third in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.60 to earn All-America honors at the 2000 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Paul Derr Track in Raleigh, NC. (May 27, 2000)
* Posted his best time of the outdoor season (10.45) at the NCCU "Last Chance" Eagle Classic (May, 10, 2000)
As a Sophomore (2000-01)
* Captured first place and Conference Championship honors with a time of 6.25 in the men's 55-meter dash at the 2001 CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championship at the Freeman Center on the campus of Christopher Newport University. (February 9, 2001)
* Won the men's 55-meter dash with a time of 6.26 to claim individual National Champion honors at the 2001 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track in Boston. (March 10, 2001) Posted the fastest time during the two preliminary heats with a 6.24 (season-best) to advance to the finals.
* Crowned Most Outstanding Track Athlete of the 2001 CIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at NC Central in Durham. He earned two individual conference champion honors by running to victory in the 100m dash (10.47) and 200m dash (21.24). (April 21, 2001)
* Ran his fastest time of the season (10.31) to win the National Championship of the 100-meter dash at the 2001 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Ralph Korte Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. (May 26, 2001)
As a Junior (2001-02)
* Captured first place in the men's 60-meter dash at the Christopher Newport University Lid-Lifter Indoor Track & Field Invitational with an NCAA Division II automatic qualifying time of 6.62, the world's fastest mark of the season at the time. (December 8, 2001)
* Repeated as Conference Champion in the men's 55-meter dash with a winning time of 6.25 at the 2002 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Freeman Center on the campus of Christopher Newport University. He was also voted as co-Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete of the championships. (February 7, 2002)
* Placed second in a photo-finish of the men's 60-meter dash at the USA Track & Field Championships in New York, NY. Smoots' time of 6.557 was just 0.005 seconds behind the winner Terrence Trammell, a silver medalist at the Sydney Olympics and two-time gold medalist at the USA indoor championships. Two-time U.S. champ Jon Drummond was third with a time of 6.57. (March 2, 2002)
* Selected as the 2002 Southeast Region Indoor Track Male Athlete of the Year. (March 8, 2002)
* Successfully defended his indoor National Championship by winning the men's 60-meter dash with a time of 6.66 seconds at the 2002 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Smoots did not finish behind a collegiate runner during the indoor season. (March 9, 2002)
* Again proves himself as the fastest man in the CIAA by repeating as the Conference Champion in the 100m dash with a time of 10.33. Smoots also ran a blazing anchor leg of the 4x100m relay, taking the stick in fourth place and charging the Eagles to second place in a photo finish. (April 20, 2002)
* Wins two National Championships on the final day of the 2002 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. First as the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter relay, which put together their best time of the season (39.88) for an upset victory over favorites Fort Hays State (39.95) and Abilene Christian (40.02). Then Smoots, who was wearing a ribbon in memory of his grandmother, Elma Ager, who passed away earlier in the week, repeated as the national champion in the 100m dash with a career-best time of 10.07. (May 25, 2002)
* Advanced to semifinals of the 100-meter dash at the 2002 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, but did not qualify for Saturday's final. Smoots posted a first round time of 10.44 to qualify for the semifinals later that evening. He then ran along side world record holder Maurice Greene and defending USA outdoor 100m champion Tim Montgomery in the second heat of the semifinals, but his time of 10.33 fell shy of the mark to advance to the finals. (June 21, 2002)
* Set a meet record in the finals of the 100-meter dash with a winning time of 10.22 at the 2002 POWERade North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-25 Track & Field Championships at E.M. Stevens Stadium on the campus of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Smoots' also posted the second-fastest time of the weekend with a 10.28 in the preliminaries. He then ran the second leg of the victorious 4x100m relay team, with USA (39.79) narrowly defeating the squad from the Bahamas (39.81). (August 9-10, 2002)
* Won the 100-meter dash invitational representing Team USA at the 2002 Norwich Union Challenge (USA vs. Great Britain vs. Russia) at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. He blew away the field with a time of 10.38 on a cold, wet and windy day, finishing more than three-tenths of a second ahead of USA teammate Tom Green (10.69), who placed second. (August 18, 2002)
As a Senior (2002-03)
* Added a gold medal to his long list of accomplishments after Team USA's 4x100-meter relay squad captured first place at the 2002 IAAF (International Association of Athletics Foundation) World Cup on Friday (Sept. 20) in Madrid, Spain at La Comunidad Stadium. He ran the second leg of the 4x100m relay, which won with a time of 37.95, a new track record and just over a half-second off the world record mark of 37.40 set by the USA Olympic Team in Barcelona on Aug. 8, 1992. Smoots received the baton from Jon Drummond and handed off to Kaaron Conwright, who then passed the stick to anchor Coby Miller. The Americas finished second with a time of 38.32, and Africa placed third in 38.63. (Held every four years, the World Cup is the IAAF's only team-scoring event in track and field. Using a points-based format of team competition, the World Cup pits Team USA against five continental squads from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. Germany, Spain, Great Britain's men and Russia's women also field teams.)
* During an NCCU football halftime presentation, Mayor Bill Bell proclaims October 26, 2002, "Jason Smoots Day" in the City of Durham. (Oct. 26, 2002)
* Served as the Grand Marshal for North Carolina Central University's 2002 Homecoming festivities. (Nov. 2, 2002)Graduation Day - Dec. 13, 2002
* Graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks and Recreation from North Carolina Central University during commencement exercises on Dec. 13, 2002.
* Defeated Allen Johnson, a gold medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, en route to a first place finish in the 60-meter dash during the Tar Heel Classic hosted by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Smoots posted a season-best time of 6.66 to edge Johnson's 6.70 in the finals. (Jan. 25, 2003)
* Settled for a second place finish in the 60-meter dash behind Terrence Trammell, 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2002 USA indoor 60m champion, on the final day of the Niswonger Foundation Invitational hosted by East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. After posting the fastest time of the 60m preliminaries with a 6.67, Smoots' time of 6.66 was just shy of Trammell's winning time of 6.61. (Feb. 1, 2003)
* Captured his third-consecutive individual title at the 2003 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Christopher Newport University's Freeman Center in Newport News, VA. Smoots ran to victory in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.80. (Feb. 9, 2003)
* Set a new meet record en route to a 60-meter dash victory at the 2003 Armory Invitational in New York, NY. Smoots posted a winning time of 6.69 in the University Division to break the old standard of 6.88 by Machel Morrison of Lafayette on Feb. 9, 2002. (Feb. 15, 2003)
* Placed fourth in the 60-meter dash at the 2003 USA Indoor Track Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Boston, MA. Smoots posted his fastest time of the indoor season (6.54) as the only collegiate athlete to advance into the 60m finals. (March 1, 2003)Jason Smoots - photo by All-Pro Photo
* Etched his name in the history books on March 15, 2003 by winning the men's 60-meter dash at the 2003 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, becoming the first three-time winner of the indoor sprint in Division II history (dating back to 1985). Smoots also improved upon his NCAA meet record by posting a time of 6.55 seconds, his second-fastest finish of the season. (March 15, 2003)
* Named the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, as selected by the U.S. Track Coaches Association (March 17, 2003). Edged Dabryan Blanton of Oklahoma to win the college men's 100-meter dash at the 109th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, PA. After running stride-for-stride much of the race, Smoots pulled away from Blanton at the tape with each receiving identical times of 10.44 seconds. Smoots is the first Eagle to win the 100m dash at the prestigious Penn Relays. Smoots then ran anchor for NCCU in the college men's 4x100m relay, taking the stick behind the pack and charging the Eagles into third place with a time of 40.46 seconds. (April 26, 2003)
* Presented with the 2003 NCAA Division II Male Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year award during a banquet at the national championship event in Edwardsville, Illinois. (May 22, 2003)
* Signed a three-year endorsement contract with shoe giant Nike on Tuesday (July 29, 2003) that, in the sprinter's words, left him "very, very pleased."
