Floyd Smart

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.

Floyd Smart
Smart in France in 1920
Personal information
BornApril 1, 1894[1]
DiedNovember 15, 1955 (aged 61)
Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)Hurdles, long jump
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)110 mH – 15.4 (1915)
400 mH – 54.5 (1917)
LJ – 6.89 (1919)[1]

Biography

Smart became an athlete at Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois,[2][3] leading the school to team titles at the 1915 interscholastic meets of both Illinois (in Class B) and Michigan.[4][5][6] He was highly versatile,[7] scoring points in the sprints, hurdles, high jump and long jump;[8] in one 1917 dual meet between Northwestern University (which he then represented) and Indiana he won six individual events.[9]

Smart won the 440 yd hurdles at the 1917 Penn Relays, overtaking world record holder Billy Meanix on the final straight,[8][10][11] although 2 ft 6 in (76.2 cm) hurdles, rather than the usual 3 ft (91.4 cm) hurdles, were used in that race.[12] 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.[13][14] 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.[15][16]

Smart returned to competition in 1919, and was favored to regain the national 440 yd hurdles title.[17] He won the event in 55.6, ahead of Meanix;[18] he won a second title in the long jump with a jump of 22 ft 7+1⁄4 in (6.88 m), overtaking his Chicago A.A. clubmate Sherman Landers in the final round.[18][19][20]

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.[21] At the final Trials, however, he only made it past the heats as a fastest loser, and was eliminated in the semi-finals.[22] He was named to the Olympic team,[23] 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.[24][25][26]

Smart died at his home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in November 1955. He was survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.[2]

References
  1. Floyd G. Smart. trackfield.brinkster.net
  2. "Hold Services Saturday For Ex-Track Star". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1955. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  3. "Maroon 'Preps' Win Suburban Track Honors". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 20, 1915. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  4. "Gordon's Team Won". Fort Scott Tribune. June 15, 1915. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  5. The Michigan Alumnus. University of Michigan Alumni Association. 1915. p. 482. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  6. Eckersall, Walter H. (May 16, 1915). "Chicago Schools Win Most of Prep Prizes". Chicago Daily Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  7. "Arthur Duffey's Comment". Boston Post. July 1, 1917. p. 14. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  8. "Smart Hailed Coming Champ". Racine Journal-News. June 4, 1917. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  9. United Press (May 13, 1917). "Northwestern Wins By One Point". Daily Missourian. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  10. "Berry Victor in Pentathlon". The Boston Globe. April 28, 1917. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  11. "Five Enter Philadelphia Meet". The Harvard Crimson. April 25, 1917. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  12. "Blanchard Ties For First Place In Weight Throw". The Harvard Crimson. April 28, 1917. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  13. "B.A.A. Third in Senior Events". The Boston Globe. September 2, 1917. p. 13. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  14. Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian; Track & Field News. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011". Track & Field News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  15. "Burwell to Compete in Title Meet" (PDF). Syracuse Herald. March 24, 1918. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  16. "Champions in the Service". The Pittsburg Press. May 24, 1918. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  17. Baker, Homer (September 7, 1919). "Probable Winners Picked By Baker" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  18. "Joie Ray Sets New A.A.U. Championship Record For One Mile Run" (PDF). The New York Times. September 14, 1919. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  19. "Ray Smashes A.A.U. Record In The Mile". The Boston Globe. September 14, 1919. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  20. Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian; Track & Field News. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011". Track & Field News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  21. "Ray Runs Mile In 4:16 At Chicago". The Sun and New York Herald. June 27, 1920. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  22. Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field". USA Track & Field; Track & Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  23. "Olympic Games Handbook". American Sports Publishing Co. 1921. p. 23. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  24. "Kirksey Ties Mark In 200-Meter Dash" (PDF). The New York Times. August 30, 1920. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  25. "U. S. Athletes Tie in Meet With Britons". New York Tribune. September 5, 1920. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  26. "American and British Athletes Tie at 5 to 5". The Sun and New York Herald. September 5, 1920. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
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