Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Oscar Smith’s quest at a national championship in the 110m hurdles came up just short on Wednesday afternoon at Hayward Field on the campus of Oregon.
Smith got set to go in the first heat with four of the top 10 athletes in the event this season. After two false starts, the second which drew a protest, the runners were off.
With the top two times in each heat automatically qualifying, Smith held on to the second for majority of the distance. However, after the final hurdle, John Adesola of Utah edged him out. Smith would cross at 13.45, right behind Adesola’s 13.43.
The senior would have to wait for the final two heats to see if he would have one of the three top times after the automatic qualifiers. He would finish in 10th, just missing out on qualifying for Friday’s finals.
The 10th-place finish earned Smith Second-Team All-American honors. He is the first Bulldog to earn a second-team finish since Jeremy Hicks in 2016 in the indoor 60m.