DAYTON – And they say baseball is a game of inches.

Sunday, June 03, 2001

DAYTON – And they say baseball is a game of inches. South Point senior track standout Jarred Smith will add track to that old saying after Friday’s Division II state track meet shot put finals.

Less than two inches separated Smith from winner Mark Bihl of Washington Court House and runner-up Andre Tyree of London.

Bihl won with a heave of 54-feet, 10-inches. Tyree and Smith each threw 54-8 1/2, but Tyree won on the strength of the second longest throw.

Smith’s second best throw was 53-6 1/2 and Tyree 53-8.

Although Smith was pleased to get a third place finish, he still wondered "what if."

"I was coming too quick out of the back (of the ring). If I had slowed down and kept the hips ahead, I think I could have won," said Smith. "It was just one of those days.

"First (place) would have been nice, but I’ll take third."

Jamie Wimmer of Avon was fourth at 54-3, Randall Hafner of Willard fourth at 53-6 3/4, followed by Adam Davenport of Cambridge at 52-6 1/4, Clyde’s David Skell at 52-2 3/4, and Bret Underwood of Cincinnati Madeira at 51-7.

"I was a little jittery at first, but really I just didn’t do what I was capable of," said Smith who threw 55-1 to win the regionals.

South Point head coach Randy Smith, Jarred’s uncle, understood the disappointment, but said the younger Smith should hold his head high.

"Jarred had a great senior year in football and track, he’s going to play football at Georgetown, and he won all kinds of academic awards. He’s a great kid and we’re going to miss him," coach Smith said.

Smith missed a return to the awards podium by seven inches in the discus.

Travis Carney of Rootstown threw 150-11 and Smith 150-4. Smith’s throw came on his first toss of the finals. His third and final throw was his second farthest at 149-2. He made the finals with a throw of 147-9 on his first attempt of the preliminaries.

"I haven’t thrown this bad since I was a sophomore. I guess it was just one of those days," Smith said.

Brandon Schnittker of Sandusky Perkins, going to Ohio State on a football scholarship, won the event with a toss of 175-7. He led going into the finals with a throw of 163-1.

Jonathan Menick of Circleville Logan Elm was second at 162-3 and Matt Krystowski of Avon was third at 159-4.

Smith is the highest finish in the shot put by any South Point male track player. Docky Wells was the highest in the discus with a sixth place finish.