Smith to run in Olympic Trials today

~ The former Southeast track star will compete in the 400 meters

Former Southeast Missouri State track All-American Miles Smith will shoot for an Olympic berth when he competes at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., this weekend.

Smith heads to the University of Oregon for the second consecutive summer, going to the site where he placed sixth in the 400 meters at last year's USA Track and Field Championships.

That performance earned Smith a spot in the 1,600 relay pool for Team USA's trip to the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

This time Smith is aiming for a roster spot at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The top four finishers in the 400 this weekend earn Olympic berths. There is a chance a couple more runners could be selected to fill out the 1,600 relay pool at the Olympics.

Smith is seeded 13th for the Olympic Trials with a time of 45.19 seconds.

Smith, a 2008 Southeast graduate, earned All-America honors five times and placed sixth at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Smith, who won a gold medal as a member of the USA's 1,600 relay team at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, has been competing professionally since finishing his collegiate career.

The first round of the Olympic Trials 400 will be today. The semifinals are Saturday, followed by the finals Sunday,