COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Cooper Smith had a pretty good outdoor season a year ago, and that came while battling issues with both his hamstrings.
 
So the now-junior hurdler on the Saint John's track and field team is excited to see what he can do this spring when he's feeling 100 percent physically.
 
"I injured both my hamstrings indoors last season and they bothered me the rest of the way," said Smith, who nevertheless managed to finish fourth overall (53.87 seconds) in the 400-meter hurdles at the MIAC outdoor meet while also running a leg of the Johnnies' 4x400-meter relay, which finished second.
 
"Physically and mentally, that held my form back. It was rough at times, but being around the rest of the guys on a daily basis kept me from feeling too down.
 
"My body feels so much stronger now," he continued. "I'm coming off a healthy indoor season. I'm really excited to see what I'm capable of when I'm completely healthy."
 
He got a glimpse of what that might look like when the Johnnies opened the outdoor season at the CSB+SJU Optimistic Meet on March 28 at Clemens Stadium. Smith won the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 54.09 while also helping lead the SJU 4x400-meter relay team to a first-place finish in a time of 3:19.65.
 
"I thought it went pretty well," Smith said of his performance. "You never know what's going to happen during the first 400 hurdles of the season, but I thought I had a good race. 
 
"It was a good place to start."
 
Johnnies head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow said Smith's success rubs off on those around him.
 
"Cooper has been a tremendous asset to the team," Karger-Gatzow said. "He has consistently performed at a high level to contribute to the team's success. His strong work ethic and dedication to all aspects of the sport have led to yearly improvement.  
 
"More importantly, Cooper has been a role model and leader on the team, inspiring others to achieve their best. Whether it is setting the pace during a workout or offering encouragement, he has been a driving force to the team's success."
 
Smith qualified for the Class 2A state meet twice at East Grand Forks High School, including as a junior when he finished eighth overall in the boys 300 hurdles. But he was disqualified after hitting a hurdle and crossing lanes at the Section 8-2A meet as a senior – a setback that served as motivation as he entered collegiate competition.
 
"It lit a bit of a fire under me," he said. "I felt like I had something to prove."
 
He decided to do that at Saint John's after being contacted by Johnnies assistant coach Joe Vardas.
 
"He sent me a postcard and we talked," Smith said. "I decided to come for a visit and loved the campus. The lakes were amazing and I really liked the small feel of the place. It seemed like a good fit."
 
That fit felt right both athletically and academically, where the accounting major already has a full-time position lined up after graduation a year from now at an accounting firm in Grand Forks where he completed an internship last summer.
 
"That takes a lot of pressure off," said Smith, who holds a leadership position with the finance club on campus and is also in his second year as a resident assistant. "I can focus on school and track without having to worry about what comes next."
 
And there is plenty of track still remaining.
 
"I just want to keep getting better every week," he said. "That's really what I'm striving for. My goal this season is to get my time in the 400 down to 52 seconds. And I'd love to see us break the school record in the 4x400. 

"We have three guys back from last season on that team and we're all really motivated to get that done."