Elijah Smith

Valley Heights Mustang junior, Elijah Smith has been started off the track season strong and is looking to leap and run in way back to another trip to State in May.

Last week Smith put together another top notch performance for the Mustangs helping the boys’ team take second place at the Nemaha Valley Invite, while claiming four gold medals. On the track Smith raced his way to wins in the 200 meter dash and 110 meter hurdles posting time of 22.78 and 15.34. While in the field competition Elijah gliding through the air leaping his way to wins in the triple jump and long jump behind leaps of 43’08 and 21’10.75, respectively.

The junior’s track and field week didn’t stop with those performances as he competed at the 87^th edition of the Kansas Relays in Lawrence; competing in the 110 meter hurdles and the triple and long jumps. Smith posted his best triple of the year at the Relays with a leap of 44’09 ¾ earning him a seventh place finish out of 31 competitors. In the long jump (16’03 ¼) he took 14^th place out of 33 competitors and finished with the 26^th best time in the 110 meter hurdles (15.70) out of 39 runners.

In the only other meet of the year his home competition to start the season Smith won three of the four wins he competes in claiming the 110 meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump titles at the Valley Heights Invite, while taking second in the 200 meter dash.

The goal of capturing school records has been accomplished by Smith as he owns the Valley Heights records in the long jump, triple jump, 200 meter dash and 110 meter hurdles. But he has plenty still in his sights to accomplish like a return trip to State this year to defend his triple jump and 110 meter hurdle titles and improve upon his third place in the long jump and fourth in the 200 meter dash from last year.