Smith dusts field in 400

Eighty-five percent of Miles Smith was much better than the rest of the 400-meters field Saturday at the Gatorade Classic.

Smith, the Southeast senior who has earned all-America honors and a world championships gold medal, competed in an individual event for the first time since a Jan. 28 indoors meet.

Competed may be too strong a term. Smith ran on cruise control on a chilly day and still dusted the field. With a time of 47.61 seconds, Smith was the only runner to crack 50 seconds.

"I was just scared to watch him run," Southeast coach Joey Haines said. "It was the worst possible conditions for someone coming back from an injury. He jogged today. He wasn't supposed to run fast, and I'm just glad to see him healthy."

Smith, who injured a hamstring last summer in the NCAA outdoors national championships, was shut down in the winter season after an injury Haines called a high hamstring injury.

Smith anchored the 1,600-meter relay team in its first-place finish last weekend at Mississippi State, and he ran the first leg for Southeast's winning 1,600-meter entry Saturday in the meet's final event.

"I feel like I'm right about 85, 90 percent," Smith said. "The leg feels a lot better."

After a two-month hiatus, Smith began training again near the end of the indoors season. Haines said Smith could have competed in the outdoors championships, "but I wouldn't dare take a chance on getting him hurt and getting something chronic," the coach said.

Smith's time in the 400 on Saturday was more than 2 seconds off his personal best of 45.16 seconds on the outdoors track.

"The main thing was the finish," Smith said. "I knew it was cold so we weren't going to have great times. It was nice and controlled, a smart race."