Smith's feat among best in Southeast sports history

Because he doesn't compete in the more high-profile sports of football or basketball, Miles Smith just might be flying a bit under the radar when it comes to recognition by area fans.

That's a shame, because what the sophomore recently accomplished -- and the best still might be to come -- ranks in my eyes among the most impressive feats in the history of Southeast Missouri State athletics.

Smith became Southeast's first regional champion since the university moved up to Division I in 1991 -- individual or team -- when he captured the 400 meters on May 28 at the NCAA Mideast Regional in Bloomington, Ind.

That in itself would put Smith on something of a short list when it comes to great athletic feats at Southeast. But there is much more.

Smith's time of 45.16 seconds in the regional final -- which broke his own school record of 45.45 set just a few weeks earlier -- is the 19th-fastest time in the world this year, and ranks Smith 14th in the world this year (several of the ranked competitors appear on the list multiple times).

So Smith officially classifies as a world-class runner, as he ranks fifth nationally among collegiate athletes in an event that Americans generally dominate on the world stage.

How impressive was Smith's regional performance? He beat LSU's Kelly Willie, a member of the United States 1,600-meter relay team that won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

If a Southeast team qualifies for the NCAA tournament, it's accomplished by beating a fellow Ohio Valley Conference member. Not to diminish that, but Smith moved on to nationals by beating some of the nation's elite. Big difference.

Rating the best ever from a particularly university is always tough to do, but like I said earlier, you've certainly got to put Smith on a short list when talking about the great athletes and performances in Southeast history, regardless of the sport.

And Smith -- who will compete with three teammates at this week's NCAA championships in Sacramento, Calif. -- still has two years of eligibility remaining, so there's no telling just how much better he might get, according to coach Joey Haines, who regards Smith as a definite Olympic possibility.

What's especially neat about Smith's story is that he wasn't really a decorated prep athlete, finishing fourth in the 400 meters at the 2003 Missouri championships as a senior at Riverview Gardens High School in St. Louis County. His time was a somewhat pedestrian 49.05 seconds.

But Haines saw something in Smith, an apparent late bloomer whose improvement over the past two years has been nothing short of remarkable.

Here's wishing Smith the best as he again battles the nation's premier athletes during the NCAA championships.

And also good luck to Southeast's other national qualifiers, as junior 400-meter hurdler Alonzo Nelson, and the 1,600-meter relay team of Nelson, freshman Chris Poindexter, junior Chaz Brown and Smith qualified through the at-large process because they are ranked in the top 20 nationally after also faring well at regionals.

* One more Southeast track note prior to the national meet:

It was a bit overshadowed by the stellar individual performances of Smith, Nelson and the relay at the regional meet, but as a team the Redhawks' men wound up 16th among more than 75 schools.

That also is no small accomplishment.

* Although the recent Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament probably wasn't too thrilling for area fans because Southeast was eliminated in two games, the annual event in Paducah, Ky., still contained plenty of excitement.

Austin Peay, after winning consecutive regular-season OVC titles in 2003 and 2004 only to go 0-2 in the tournament both years, finally broke through by beating 2005 regular-season champion Jacksonville State 5-0 in a winner-take-all championship game.

And talk about an unheralded player coming up big. Brad Daniel, the Governors' closer who had not yet appeared in the tournament, was called upon to start because Austin Peay's pitching staff was depleted.

Daniel, making his first start in more than a year, threw a complete-game, four-hitter.

Now that's the way to be a hero.

* They're filling up fast, but some spots are still available for the Plaza Tire Capahas' annual summer baseball camp June 13 (8 a.m. to noon) and June 14 (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at Capaha Field.

The camp, for boys and girls ages 8 through 17, will be divided into age brackets and skill levels. Instructors will include Capahas manager Jess Bolen, his players, college coaches and area high school coaches.

Campers should bring their own gloves. The cost is $65, which includes lunch at noon June 14 (parents are invited to attend lunch). Checks, made payable to Capahas Baseball Team, can be sent to 2001 Perryville Road, Cape Girardeau, 63701.

For more information, call 335-6644.

* Congratulations to all the local track and field athletes who fared well in the state meets late last month.

And special kudos to a pair of state champions as Notre Dame's Bryce Willen won the Class 3 pole vault and Saxony Lutheran captured the Class 1 3,200-meter relay. That group consisted of Trey Maevers, Max Wieser, Grant Lehmann and Brandon Etzold.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.