Jonathan Smith wants to go to college for free and the senior is hoping to use the Huntington High School track and field team as the springboard to land a full scholarship.
Smith is playing on the Blue Devil football team this fall, but the sport he is most closely associated with is track and field. He reached the state championships as a junior, but fell short of what he hoped to accomplish there. This year he has his sights set on a gold medal during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Huntington senior Jonathan Smith.
The teenager plans to join a couple of high school clubs during the 2018/19 school year and participate in the Young Leaders youth development organization. Since his earliest days at Washington Primary School he showed a spectacular athletic streak and few classmates could come close to matching his speed in a race.
Smith is open to any college possibility, but three leading current contenders are Michigan, Florida and Albany. He plans to study social work and pursue a career in that field.
The Blue Devil great is an exceptional competitor in multiple events during both the winter and spring seasons, including hurdles, long jump, triple jump, 200m, 300m, 600m, 4x200m relay, 4x400m relay.
“My goal is to be a state champion with my team and as well as individually and to be a national champion and run at the college level,” Smith said. The teenager is playing wide receiver and safety for the football team, but clearly his best sport is track and field.
The senior has worked closely with head coach Ron Wilson, assistant coach Eli Acosta and several Blue Devil track consultants. “The coaches are great,” Smith said. “They treat their athletes like their own children. Coaches Wilson and Acosta are the best coaching duo. They will push you to your limits. They also know what’s good for you, even if you think you can’t do it.”
Smith is looking forward to his senior year. “My time in Huntington has taught me a lot about life and seeing things clearly and realistically,” he said.
