Illinois 800 meter champion joins Illinois State T&F
NORMAL, Ill. – The 2008 Illinois Gatorade Athlete of the Year Mat Smoody from Palatine, Ill., signed a financial aid agreement and will continue his education and running career at Illinois State, beginning with the 2009 indoor track and field season, as announced by head track and field coach Elvis Forde Tuesday.
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“We are glad that he is a part of our program and from all indications he is happy to be a Redbird,” said Forde. “His past performances give him a lot of credibility as he enters our program and we have high aspirations for him. We hope that he continues to reach the levels that are expected of him. He is the kind of athlete that we are always looking for to improve our program and attract some of the better runners from Illinois in the future. Having Mat on board will help us in those terms, especially if he performs at the level that we know he is capable of.”
Smoody was the 2007 and 2008 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class AA track and field state champion in the 800-meter run. He was tabbed as the 2007-08 Gatorade Illinois Boys Track Athlete of the Year an award that recognizes outstanding athletic excellence as well as academic achievement and exemplary character.
In 2008, Smoody won the IHSA 800 title with a time of 1:50.71, which ranked as the nation’s eighth-best high school mark in the event. Smoody, who owns 12 Palatine High School records, also won the 800 at the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic, held at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center last year. He also finished in sixth place at the Nike Outdoor National meet in Greensboro, N.C., to be named a high school All-American in the 800.
Even though the 800 seems to be Smoody’s most successful event, he also holds impressive marks in the 400-meter dash (49 sec.) and the 1600-meter run (4:11). In cross country he was a three time all-state cross country runner and led Palatine High School to a third-place team finish at the 2008 IHSA Class AAA state championship at Detwiller Park in Peoria, Ill., covering the three-mile course in a personal-best 14:25 to place fourth individually.
Although Smoody just arrived on campus last week, Illinois State assistant track and field coach and head cross country coach Jeff Bovee feels that Smoody will have an immediate impact on the track and field program.
“He is transitioning well to our program having competed against and developed friendships with many of the men throughout high school competition,” said Bovee. “He will make an immediate impact in the Missouri Valley Conference and boosts an already talent-filled freshman class.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach Mat for four years and watch him grow as a person, student, and runner. He has many tools to work with and he will be a joy to watch compete. Not many high school runners have the range of talent to run 1:50 in the 800 and 14:25 for three miles in cross country. He is a humble person that works hard and sets high goals. We hope that by Mat attending ISU, other talented runners from the state will matriculate to Normal (Ill.) as we emerge as a national-level program.”