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Westview's Alec Smith sets the pace in winning the 800 meters at the 2013 Metro district track meet at Aloha High School.
(Miles Vance/Beaverton Leader)
The letters piled up in January. There was one from Notre Dame, one from Iowa State and a few from California schools.
In total, about 35 Division I track programs offered Alec Smith a scholarship. But the Westview star was more concerned about the offer he didn't receive.
"I didn't get the attention of Oregon," Smith said last week. "I had to get their attention."
He crafted a plan with his Wildcats coaches. Hit a series of set times during his final high school track season, they reasoned, and the Ducks will eventually find a roster spot for the in-state product.
Smith breezed through Westview's schedule without losing a single race, and won his second state title in the 800 meters by more than a second in May. Oregon coaches expressed interest, but there was a catch: They had already used up all of their available money and couldn't offer Smith a scholarship for his freshman season.
Not a problem, the senior thought. This was his dream school, his dream program. Plus, academic scholarships and in-state tuition could make Oregon's price tag affordable.
"I'm thinking long term here," Smith said. "I know they're going to give me an opportunity and it's going to be the best fit for me."
It didn't take long for him to prove he belongs. Just a few weeks after committing to the Ducks, Smith won his preliminary heat at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on June 20 with a time of 1:51.54.
He struggled with his positioning in the final, though, and finished last in a field that included seven college runners. It was a learning experience, Smith said. After rarely getting tested against high school competition the past couple years, he still has much to figure out about the finer points of running the 800.
Still, Smith feels confident he can contribute at Oregon as a freshman. He has compared his times against the Ducks' times, and expects to be their No. 2 800 runner next season.
Of course, he won't be satisfied just competing. Smith hopes to make the finals at nationals as a rookie. And who can blame him? He has compared those times as well, and his personal record could've beaten two of the runners who qualified for the finals this past year.
"He never takes anything for granted," Westview track and field coach Aaron Johnson said. "He's always pushing himself to get better and to reach the goals he sets for himself. That's going help him with his adjustment to Oregon."
If everything goes according to plan, Smith will earn an athletic scholarship for his sophomore year. But if things don't work out and his family has to continue footing the bill, don't expect him to start contemplating the dozens of programs who offered to help pay for his education.
"If you're going to be a mid-distance runner in the Northwest," Johnson said, "where else would you go than Oregon?"
-- Connor Letourneau