Brockport junior Tim Smith earned the Empire 8 Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week after a meet in Genese where he qualified for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference. The junior is placed sixth in the nation at the Division III level and second all-time at Brockport.
“It’s super awesome winning this award,” Smith said. “It shows that I am in a great spot and gives me a lot of confidence going through the remainder of the outdoor season.”
Even after becoming an All-American, Smith says his training has remained largely unchanged and that he sees no reason to change a system that is working, as it is a key part of his success.
“The only thing I’ve really changed since becoming an All-American in indoor is biking,” Smith said. “I trust myself, and I’m making sure I’m doing all the little things and maintaining the habits that I had in indoor, such as stretching after practice and making sure I’m doing a good job in the weight room.”
Smith credits much of his success to his coaches, especially Coach John Davis for writing his workouts and giving him confidence and feedback. The junior also credits Strength and Conditioning Coach Joe Quattrone in the weight room for his strength training and development.
“Coach Davis probably plays the biggest role in my success,” Smith said. “He reminds me he writes the workouts because he knows I’m capable of doing them, and that gives me a lot of confidence. Coach Joe in the weight room has introduced me to a lot of strengthening exercises I wasn’t aware of before, and even if I’m not in there as much as other athletes, the little things add up. He’s played a big role in my development.”
It also helps Smith having a group of people and a program as a whole that is very supportive.
“Everyone in the program has been an incredible support system,” Smith said. “Coach Ed has given me advice, and I’ve really appreciated the encouragement from all the coaches, especially after big races.”
Now heading into the later part of the season, Smith’s mindset is not focused on dominating every meet, but instead on using early meets to prepare for one performance that can extend his season as far as possible.
“If my goal is to extend my season as long as possible, then in reality my season is going to come down to a single race,” Smith said, emphasizing the importance of peaking later in the season at the conference and regionals meets.
Smith looks to continue his dominant season at Bucknell University for the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic this Saturday, April 11 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
