Smith given USU award
After a strong performance at the Brigham Young University Track and Field Invitational, DJ Smith was named USU Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.
The sophomore from Pleasanton, Calif., finished first in the 200 meters and second in the 100 meters on Friday
“He’s a very quiet person,” Gensel said. “He’s not very flamboyant. The thing he does do is he works very hard.”
Smith finished the 200 meters in 21.87 seconds, .07 seconds ahead of David Nhim of Weber State. In the 100 meters, Smith finished second with a time of 10.71, just .13 behind Rod McNeal.
“One of his faults is one of his good points,” Gensel said. “He’s very hard on himself, which is a fault. But because he is, he’ll seek out help to get better. He’s determined to improve himself and get better. He listens very well.”
At last week’s meet at Sacramento State, Smith finished third in the 100 meters with a time of 10.96. USU track and field will compete at the UCLA Invitational on April 8 and 9.
Gensel said Smith has improved a lot from last year. He also said although Smith doesn’t always have the performance of his life on the first try, he keep working at it and eventually gets it done.
“You could say a lot of people could deserve [athlete of the week],” Gensel said. “But DJ is just as deserving as the next person. I think his work ethic and what he’s done this year, coupled with the fact that he ran really well, makes it a great honor for him to receive.”
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu