Columbus North graduate and Oklahoma junior Tucker Smith throws the shot during the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship May 16 in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo By Brendall Vargas/University of Oklahoma
Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Athletics
After coming up a little short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships the past two years, Tucker Smith broke through this season.
The Oklahoma junior will compete in the shot put in the NCAA D-I Track and Field Championships tonight at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
“I’m really excited about it,” Smith said. “It’s one of the best tracks in the world, so it will be really fun getting to compete there.”
A two-time state champion and two-time Gatorade Indiana Track and Field Athlete of the Year at Columbus North, Smith drew national recognition when he threw an all-time state-record 72 feet, 1/2-inch midway through his senior year in 2022. In addition to winning the shot at the state meet that year, he also finished second in the discus to lead the Bull Dogs to a third-place team finish.
But after throwing a 12-pound shot in high school, it took a little while to adjust to the 16-pound shot used in college.
“It took about four months before I got used to it, and the ligaments in my hand were able to handle it,” Smith said.
At Oklahoma, Smith had the 22nd-best overall regional throw in 2023, but was 17th in the West Region, and only the top 12 from each region qualify for the NCAA meet. He finished 28th in the West Region last year.
Columbus North graduate and Oklahoma junior Tucker Smith prepares to throw the shot at the Michael Johnson Invitational April 19 at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium in Waco, Texas. Photo By Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma
Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Athletics
Last month, Smith finished seventh in the West Region with a throw of 62 feet, 6 1/2 inches (19.06 meters).
“I was really happy with it because last year, regional didn’t go well,” Smith said. “I didn’t end up making it, so it’s good to finally rebound. I just put a lot more focus on technique rather than just strength training, and I was able to go into that meet with more reliable technique.”
That was a major recovery for Smith, who had finished 11th in the SEC meet at 59-10 1/2 (18.25m).
“I was able to bounce back pretty well from it,” Smith said. “I was just off at the conference meet.”
Since graduating from high school, Smith has grown an inch-and-half and put on 10 pounds to reach 6-4, 270.
“It makes a big difference, just reaching the ball over the tote board when you’re throwing,” he said.
Smith also has added 50 pounds to his bench press, where his max now is 455.
“We don’t lift as much in season, but still a good amount,” he said.
Oklahoma, which has been a member of the Big 12 Conference, moved to the SEC this year.
“It’s awesome,” Smith said. “I’m around some of the best athletes in the world all the time, some of the best coaches in the country, too.”
Columbus North graduate and Oklahoma junior Tucker Smith reacts to one of his throws in the NCAA West Regional in College Station, Texas.
Photo courtesy of Dale Mouton/Oklahoma athletics
Smith redshirted for the indoor track season as a freshman, and plans to redshirt next outdoor season. He then would have a full fifth year for both indoor and outdoor track.
Smith is on track to graduate next year with a degree in physical geography and a minor in Geographic Information Systems. He wants to get into land surveying or something in the GIS field if he doesn’t end up throwing professionally.
“My plan is to finish up throwing in college, and I’ll decide then,” Smith said.
The shot put is scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m. EST (6:10 PST) today. The NCAA meet runs through Saturday, and ESPN will be airing tonight’s events beginning at 7 p.m. EST.
Smith is seeded 16th out of the 24 competitors based on his regional throw. His personal-best throw of 64-0 (19.53m) would rank him sixth. The top nine make the finals, and the top eight earn All-America honors.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Smith said. “I’ve hit a groove with the technique, so I feel pretty confident going into it.”
