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| | The first year after of high school can be filled with new challenges, unexpected success, surprising disappointment, homesickness, bad dining hall food, new friends and late nights. Knowing the adjustment isn't always easy, we've asked ESPN RISE intern Hilary May, herself a high school standout at Corona del Mar CA and a collegiate runner at Harvard, to contact some of last year's top prep track and field athletes and find out how things are going...one year out.
| | | Kyle Smith
“I still have a great place to throw my two favorite things in the world: my javelins and my fishing lures.”
Kyle Smith conquered the high school Javelin scene as a senior at Daphne High School in 2008 with the number one throw in the United States. He did not stray far from his home town in Alabama, only venturing one state west to Southern Mississippi University in Hattiesburg. It is here, at Southern Miss, that Kyle hopes to dominate the Javelin and continue his fishing craft.
Dyestat catches up with Kyle, now just finishing his freshman season, to find out how if his freshman year lived up to his expectations.
Firstly, how are you? Do you like Southern Miss and the track and field program?
I am doing great, thanks. I don't feel I could have done much better at any other school my freshman year at college. The atmosphere, my teammates and my coaches were a perfect fit for me. I love the track and field program at USM.
Complete this sentence: My freshman year was...
...an experience I will never forget.
After one year of college, have your goals changed? Where do you see the Southern Miss program taking you?
My goals have not changed at all; I still set very high goals in hopes that I can push myself to reach them. My goals are on a typed sheet in my coaches’ filing cabinet right now. I also have a copy beside my bed in Hattiesburg. I feel the program is going to take me wherever I want to go.
How rigorous is your college training compared to your high school training? What are the major differences and similarities?
 Well, I actually consider my high school training a lot more rigorous than my college training, but it's not a bad thing at all. I actually went about my high school training in a way that could injure a lot of athletes. In high school, I lifted heavily up until my first competition in March and then stopped completely. I feel I am in very good shape right now, much better than I was at this point last season.
What sort of strength and conditioning do you do to supplement your throwing? Is it a different routine than you had in high school? Do you find it helpful?
I lift weights, run sprints, and do light plyometrics. It is a different routine than high school, but I was my coach in high school. I feel the workout we are on now is setting me up for a big summer!
On the academic side of things, how do you find Southern Miss academics? Is it hard to balance school work with track?
Well, I am undeclared for a major right now, so I took basic classes my first two semesters. This had its advantages and disadvantages. My second semester was tougher than it should be, but I cracked down on finals and straightened things out. I finished my first year with a 3.4 GPA. School and track were not too difficult to balance for me, although a lot of older guys had some problems.
Is there time to party at Southern Miss? How do you balance your social life with academics and track? Is the social scene what you expected?
Southern Miss always has a party going on somewhere. It’s not a written rule that track athletes can’t go party, but it’s the athlete’s personal choice. Some find no harm, others find it hurting their athletic performance. Most of my nights were spent in the dorm room relaxing and watching television. The social scene is pretty good. There is something for almost everyone to do in their spare time.
Do you go to football games? Other Southern Miss sporting events?
I didn't go to many football games this year. I am actually pretty close with most of the volleyball team, so that would be one of my favorite things to do on campus. I have fished the pond on the front of campus a couple of times.
What is your typical Saturday night like?
I usually spend Saturday nights at my apartment relaxing and hanging out with friends. I don't go out much because we practice most of the year, but my roommates and I find other stuff to do.
What is your typical Monday night like?
During the school year, Monday nights are usually non-existent because I go to sleep really early. Other than that, I usually stay on my laptop or watch TV.
If you could do it all over again, knowing what you know now, would you still choose Southern Miss?
I would still choose Southern Miss. It is a smaller school that is not really known for its track and field program, but USM is the place I feel I belong at. I love my coach and the program that is in place. I chose Southern Miss because of the coaches. The coaches really care about their athletes.
What is your favorite meal in the dining hall?
Well, I will not lie to you... the ice cream is the only good thing there.
What is the track team like? Are you close knit? Are Southern Miss track athletes different from other Southern Miss students? What do you think of the student body?
The track team is very close actually. We have a lot of activities that we do as a team. We're just like any other student, except we can't miss a class. The student body is great. I have met so many great people here. Being an athlete at Southern Miss is great. We get taken care of, but nothing too extreme. We have a great academic staff that works with us.
You stayed fairly close to home, Alabama to Mississippi. How did you find the transition?
There was practically no transition from AL to MS. It is almost the same state. The weather is similar, the people are still friendly, and I still have a great place to throw my two favorite things in the world: my javelins and my fishing lures.
What do you think of Conference USA? How is the competition?
Conference USA is great. A lot of people consider us a mid-major conference, but if you look at the results from our conference meet and from other "major" conferences, they line up pretty well.
You finished second at the Conference USA outdoor championships this spring. What was that day of competition like?
It was actually really windy and kind of a depressing day. I threw 65.92 meters on my sixth throw to finish second to the four-time conference champion. I feel like I had a decent day, but the whole javelin crew as a whole felt down because we felt we had a legit shot at over 20 points in the javelin.
 What is your relationship like with head coach Kevin Stephen? What is communication like? Do you like him as a coach? Is he much different than the coaching you got in high school?
Head coach Kevin Stephen is my throws coach. If you did not know he was the head coach, you could never tell. He acts like any other coach. He jokes and laughs with us all he time. He has a great knowledge of all the events having been a decathlete at Alabama. As I said previously, he was one of the main reasons I chose Southern Miss.
You competed in the NCAA Championships a few weeks ago in Fayetteville, Arkansas. What was that experience like? What were the days of competition like? How was your performance? What did you learn that is useful when going ahead the next few years?
Well, Arkansas was a new experience. The day I competed it rained, lightning was striking everywhere, and we were postponed for 3 hours due to a tornado drill. Once that got out of the way, it was a blast. It was an awesome feeling knowing that I was throwing against some of the top javelin throwers in the Nation as well as the World. Being there was not exactly a goal, but how I wanted to perform was a goal. I did not reach my goal, but top freshman at the NCAA championships is not a bad start to my career. Not many people from school knew about me going to nationals, but I guess I was overlooked for a good reason when our baseball team made it to the College World Series. Everything I learned was from the older guys. I noticed every little detail about them, whether it was eating breakfast by themselves or pre-meet actions.
What do you think of the javelin at the college level?
Javelin at the college level is a whole different level. Most javelin throwers in high school do not train year round. I started training for this season last August. I was used to it because of how I trained in high school, but many of the other throwers were not used to it. Competition was a big difference for me. I did not lose a prep meet [in high school]. Going into most meets this year, I knew I had to be on my A-game to come out with a win.
What do you do during the indoor season?
I actually did a few indoor meets to help the team this year. I ran the 60 meter at LSU twice and threw the shot put at McNeese State.
What was the biggest shock about your freshman year?
The amount of travel we do. Although USM doesn't travel as much as many schools, we travel a lot.
What was the biggest disappointment?
I have only increased my personal record by one inch. Something I expected to smash my first meet.
What was the best part?
I was the top freshman at the NCAA championships this year. Although I finished 13th, missing finals by eleven inches, I gained a ton of knowledge that I will continue to use throughout my career.
What are you most looking forward to?
Next off-season. A couple things held me back in the fall, but I made great jumps in many aspects of my training. I am really excited to see what a full, hard working off- season will do for me.
What is your favorite college meet?
Well, I haven't really been outside the Southeast; I would have to say Texas Relays was my favorite. It was a great atmosphere to compete in. Corey White threw over 80 meters, at the time the farthest I had seen anyone throw in person.
What do you miss most about high school?
The amount of school work was drastically less. I never stayed up late doing class work.
What are your summer plans?
Track. I am competing in the USA Junior Championships in Oregon where I hope to finish top two and go to the Pan American Junior Games. After that, I hope to go fish. Often. [This interview was conducted before the USATF Jr. Championships; Kyle finished 5th place with a throw of 211’6’’ (64.46m)]
What is your coolest non-track related talent?
I like to think I am a pretty good fly-fisherman/bass fisherman. I love fishing freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and anywhere else with fish.
After college I see myself...
...coaching. I can not see myself out of track and field once I am done competing.
Stats:
High School:
Javelin – 223’9’’
Notable High School Accomplishments: US High School Number 1 Javelin Throw (223' 9"); Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year (Alabama); Great Southwest Track Classic - Javelin Champion; Alabama State Record Holder (Javelin); State Champion – Decathlon 2008; Track and Field News All-American 2008; USA-Today All American
2008; All-State 2008.
College:
Javelin – 223’10’’
Notable College Freshman Accomplishments: 13th place NCAA National Championships 2009; 5th place – NCAA Mideast Regional Track Championships 2009; 2nd place Conference USA Championships
Photos: headshot - southernmiss.cstv.com; middle, John Nepolitan; bottom, Mac McDonald | |
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