Floyd Smart Explained

Birth Date:April 1, 1894
Death Date:November 15, 1955 (aged 61)
Death Place:Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States
Sport:Athletics
Event:Hurdles, long jump
Pb:110 mH – 15.4 (1915)
400 mH – 54.5 (1917)
LJ – 6.89 (1919)[1]
Show-Medals:yes

Floyd George Smart (April 1, 1894 – November 15, 1955) was an American track and field athlete. Smart was United States champion in the 440 yd hurdles in 1917 and 1919 and in the long jump in 1919.

Biography

Smart became an athlete at Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois,[2] leading the school to team titles at the 1915 interscholastic meets of both Illinois (in Class B) and Michigan.[3] [4] [5] He was highly versatile,[6] scoring points in the sprints, hurdles, high jump and long jump;[7] in one 1917 dual meet between Northwestern University (which he then represented) and Indiana he won six individual events.[8]

Smart won the 440 yd hurdles at the 1917 Penn Relays, overtaking world record holder Billy Meanix on the final straight,[7] [9] [10] although 2 ft 6 in (76.2 cm) hurdles, rather than the usual 3 ft (91.4 cm) hurdles, were used in that race.[11] Later that year, Smart won his first title at the national championships, defeating both Meanix and the previous year's champion, Walter Hummel; his winning time of 54.8 was only 0.2 seconds off the world record and equaled Hummel's meeting record.[12] [13] In 1918 Smart underwent military officer training at Camp Grant and qualified as a lieutenant; like many other top athletes, he missed that year's national championships due to World War I.[14] [15]

Smart returned to competition in 1919, and was favored to regain the national 440 yd hurdles title.[16] He won the event in 55.6, ahead of Meanix;[17] he won a second title in the long jump with a jump of 22 ft  in (6.88 m), overtaking his Chicago A.A. clubmate Sherman Landers in the final round.[17] [18] [19]

In June 1920 Smart won the 440 yd hurdles in 55.6 at the Midwestern Tryouts, a qualifying meet for the United States Olympic Trials of that year.[20] At the final Trials, however, he only made it past the heats as a fastest loser, and was eliminated in the semi-finals.[21] He was named to the Olympic team,[22] but only as an alternate, and did not get to run at the Olympics; instead, he represented the United States in meets against the national teams of Sweden and France (in Paris) and the British Empire (in London). He won the 400 m/440 yd hurdles in both of these meets.[23] [24] [25]

Smart died at his home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in November 1955. He was survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.[26]

Notes and References

  1. http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=6180&Gender=M Floyd G. Smart
  2. News: Maroon 'Preps' Win Suburban Track Honors . . March 20, 1915 . November 19, 2014.
  3. News: Gordon's Team Won . . June 15, 1915 . November 19, 2014.
  4. Book: The Michigan Alumnus . 482 . 1915 . University of Michigan Alumni Association . November 30, 2014.
  5. News: Chicago Schools Win Most of Prep Prizes . Eckersall, Walter H. . Chicago Daily Tribune . May 16, 1915 . November 19, 2014.
  6. News: Arthur Duffey's Comment . 14 . . July 1, 1917 . November 19, 2014.
  7. News: Smart Hailed Coming Champ . June 4, 1917 . November 19, 2014 . Racine Journal-News.
  8. News: Northwestern Wins By One Point. May 13, 1917 . November 19, 2014 . United Press . United Press . .
  9. News: Berry Victor in Pentathlon . April 28, 1917 . November 24, 2014 . The Boston Globe.
  10. News: Five Enter Philadelphia Meet . April 25, 1917 . . November 18, 2014.
  11. News: Blanchard Ties For First Place In Weight Throw . April 28, 1917 . November 23, 2014 . The Harvard Crimson.
  12. News: B.A.A. Third in Senior Events . . 13 . November 18, 2014 . September 2, 1917.
  13. A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011 . Mallon, Bill . Buchanan, Ian . Track & Field News . Track & Field News . Track & Field News . November 18, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129050532/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-presults?list_id=36&sex_id=M&event_id=15 . November 29, 2014 . dead .
  14. News: Burwell to Compete in Title Meet . March 24, 1918 . . November 19, 2014.
  15. News: Champions in the Service . . May 24, 1918 . November 30, 2014.
  16. News: Probable Winners Picked By Baker . Baker, Homer . The New York Times . September 7, 1919 . November 23, 2014.
  17. News: Joie Ray Sets New A.A.U. Championship Record For One Mile Run . September 14, 1919 . November 23, 2014 . The New York Times.
  18. News: Ray Smashes A.A.U. Record In The Mile. . September 14, 1919 . November 23, 2014 .
  19. A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011 . Mallon, Bill . Buchanan, Ian . Track & Field News . Track & Field News . Track & Field News . November 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141205102950/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-presults?list_id=36&sex_id=M&event_id=24 . December 5, 2014 . dead .
  20. News: Ray Runs Mile In 4:16 At Chicago . The Sun and New York Herald . June 27, 1920 . November 30, 2014.
  21. Web site: The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field . PDF . Hymans, Richard . USA Track & Field
    Track & Field News
    . November 18, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220819/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/1149 . March 3, 2016 . dead .
  22. News: Olympic Games Handbook . American Sports Publishing Co. . 1921 . 23 . November 30, 2014.
  23. News: Kirksey Ties Mark In 200-Meter Dash . August 30, 1920 . November 23, 2014 . The New York Times.
  24. News: U. S. Athletes Tie in Meet With Britons . September 5, 1920 . November 23, 2014 . New York Tribune.
  25. News: American and British Athletes Tie at 5 to 5 . September 5, 1920 . November 23, 2014 . The Sun and New York Herald.
  26. News: Hold Services Saturday For Ex-Track Star . . November 17, 1955 . November 18, 2014.

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