This story is part one of a two part story designed to let non-Track and Field fans appreciate the efforts of Brayden Smoot and Corrie Delp. Part one will focus on the Smoot Family 👪 after Brayden competed today and tomorrow will focus on Delp and her family 👪.
LYNCHBURG – Track and Field is one of the sports, especially at the High School level, where an athlete is alone on an Island. There is no hope of a teammate picking you up with their efforts as there is in say Football or Basketball. Track participants fail or succeed based solely on the amount of time and energy they are willing to commit to their craft. The coaches can assist you in many ways but at the end of the day its about heart and desire.
Brayden Smoot never has an off season, even at the round table discussion tonight after his performance he laughed about the fact that Basketball workouts start up on Monday. Smoot competes in a number of events for Head Coach Shawn Montgomery including both individual events and relay races.
The event that allowed Smoot to perform today on the campus of Liberty University was the 100 meter dash. The top sprinters from across the Commonwealth earn the right to compete for one of eight spots in the finals on Saturday.
The task at hand was each runner had to win their heat (seven in total) with the last spot going to the runner that had the best time out of the remaining forty plus runners.
Smoot drew lane one in heat three and that was a story in itself. Lane one is next to the sand pit for the Triple jump and there was noticeable sand all over lane one. By the end of the conversation we had Smoot having to run through the desert 🏜 while the others ran on a fast track.
Smoot eventually was able to have his turn in the blocks at roughly 4:30pm, roughly seven and one half hour after walking out his front door.
The time the rising Senior posted was just above his PR ( personal record ) and he finished fourth in his heat.
That is .0400 of a second between getting invited back and have your season come to a close. Most of the runners competing finished slightly higher than their PR and Coach Montgomery offered a theory on those results.
” When you factor in the amount of miles everyone has to drive to get here and then in the preliminary events you get minimal warm ups and just one shot at your race,” Montgomery noted. ” The athletes in the other events get three opportunities and can use their best result.”
Montgomery went on to add his thoughts on what Smoot means to his program.
” Brayden is a hard worker and our quiet leader,” added Montgomery. ” Always does extra to get better.”
Smoot was quick to answer yes to the question as to whether he would continue to monitor the results in his events tomorrow.
” I wouldn’t have been able to make it to this point without the support of my coaches, my parents, my teammates and my brother Bryce,” said Smoot. ” The effort that you have to put into track versus say football is very, very different. In track it just comes down to how bad you want it.”
Both of the proud parents and twin brother were offered an opportunity to share their thoughts about what the witnessed.
” When Brayden was telling me Mom I’m going up against the fastest boys in the state of VA, I told him son, the fastest boys in the state of Virginia are going up against you! , “
Russell Smoot was equally proud of Brayden and shared his thoughts about the level of commitment it takes to succeed.
” The amount of practice on your own that you have to be willing to commit to for an athlete to make it to Lynchburg is incredible,” Smoot said. ” I wish people could understand how much effort went into today taking place.”
Trying to make sure that Bryce had an opportunity to praise his twin brother I presented the question how old were you when you realized Brayden was faster than you?
” I will let you know if that ever happens,” Bryce Smoot replied. A brothers love is something special!
Tomorrow we will focus on the effort of Corrie Delp.
The dessert 🍨 Brayden Smoot ran through in Lane 1
A.S.P.N on The Hill 