Quick Questions •
GROUND BOUND STORY AND PHOTO BY MARK LINDAHL
Cal State Long Beach junior jumper Jason Smith was set to be the first Big West athlete to compete in two NCAA Track and Field Championships events: the long and high jump. His journey was cut short when the meet was canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
How did it feel when you found out you were no longer able to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Championships? “It was a range of emotions, but I came out there with a lot of goals that I was aiming to accomplish. I had to deal with the family part of it because, already before I even got there, there was talk that they weren’t even going to allow the families to be [at the event]... That was definitely a big part of my sadness and anger and disappointment, not being able to compete for them, not being able to have them watch me, not being able to represent Long Beach at that level, in two events...It was a lot of disappointment, too, because I felt like I was so close to achieving all those goals that we came in there to do. It was just a real unfortunate, tragic, tragic situation.”
How did the news hit the team? “When the news had initially happened, our whole track team got called to a meeting in the Pyramid. At the meeting, they mentioned I wasn’t going to be able to compete. I was on the way back home and a lot of them reached out to me, and they expressed how they felt for me. So I reached back out to everyone else because I know it’s not just a 'me' thing, you
know. This effects everyone, everywhere. When it’s something you can’t control like that, just harping over it and being down about it, it’s not going to change anything. I guess people were trying to stay positive in that and being there for the emotional support. Luckily enough, most of our [jumpers] are coming back. I just told everybody to stay focused and that we’ll get through this, and if anybody needs anything, I’m here for them because I’ll be around still.”
How are you keeping such a positive attitude during this hard time? “I’ve been calling my mom every day, talking to her, checking in on them, hearing that everyone is still OK. But I’ve just been telling myself, ‘Well, right now, Jason, you’re in good shape, you’re in good health, you know you kind of get this down time to regroup.’ And I’ve just been telling myself this is all a part of a bigger picture. Once maybe this is all said and done, something greater will come from it. I’ve just been trying to stay optimistic in that sense and just keep the faith going. Everything happens for a reason, so as long as the people who I care about are healthy and nobody got that stuff that’s going on, then I’m happy too, even though I can’t do what I love to do.”
SUMMER 2020
11
