JACKSONVILLE – His track shoe was torn and his right pinky toe was bleeding profusely, but Ridgeview High track standout Andrew Smith, now a senior at Flagler College, stayed undaunted in the UNF Spring Break Track Invitational college 1500 race on Friday to finish seventh overall.

“The 1500 and 5000 was part of the plan for tonight, but I got into the University of Florida 5,000 on Thursday and we decided earlier today to skip the 5,000 here,” said Smith, who finished in three minutes. 53.87 seconds for a 4:11 mile equivalency.

“I got roughed up in the first lap then stepped on so I never in good position to stay with the leaders. I felt some wind coming through my shoe and looked down to see the bloody mess.”

Up front, UNF runners Nick Morken and Tyler Stahl ran away from the field in the final lap to finish in 3:49.24 and 3:49.62, respectively.

Smith won two mile races and a 3,000 during Flagler’s indoor season with mile times of 4:14.64 and 4:15.91 after a stellar season last year that saw him finish 12th overall at the NCAA Div. II national championships with a 4:08.52 mile.

“The qualifying standards were a lot faster this year,” said Terry Smith, Andrew’s dad and a former coach in Clay County and at Bishop Snyder High School. “Just to get into the regions and nationals was very fast this year. It goes in cycles, but he won plenty of good races this season.”

In February, Smith and teammates Erik Hartley, a Fleming Island High graduate, Kray Hubner and Max McCabe all earned United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Southeast Region honors.

“He’s a testament to what hard work can produce,” said Flagler coach Brian Beil. “He came here with a bunch of raw talent and speed and just pushed himself to keep improving. He had a breakout year on the track last year and pushed hard during cross country to stamp his name right alongside of Corey Mundy, another Clay County guy we had (Clay High) who set all the records before Andrew. We look to Clay County for runners that have guts and work hard.”

Smith earned all-region honors in the mile run, the 3000-meter run and the distance medley relay. Last year, Smith earned all-region honors in the mile run and two years ago was all-region in the DMR. In the mile run, Smith posted a season-best time of 4:14.64 at the Vince Brown Invitational. He ran a season-best time of 8:30.22 in the 3000-meter run at the Emory Crossplex Invitational and he ran a leg of the DMR team, which posted a time of 10:36.01 at the Art & Linda Maillet UNC Open.

Hartley, McCabe and Hubner ran the other legs on the DMR to earn all-region honors.

Andrew Smith 2017

Jan. 14: (Season opener) Smith third in 3000 (8:36.76) behind two NCAA Division I runners. Flagler Distance Medley (Hartley, Max McCabe, Kray Hubner, Smith) won in 10:36.01.

Feb. 5: Smith wins mile (4:14.64) at Vince Brown Invite in Virginia. Hartley 27th (4:39.54).

Feb. 9: Smith wins mile (4:15.91) at JDL College Team Challenge in North Carolina. Hartley 26th in 800 (2:04.89).

Feb. 19: (End of season) Smith wins 3,000 (8:34.65) in North Carolina. Hartley fourth in mile (4:37.99).

March 24: U3:53.NF Spring Break. Smith seventh in 1500 (3:53.87).

March 30: University of Florida 5,000

April 8: George Mason Spring Invitational (Va.)

2016: USTFCCA Second Team All American, Indoor Mile Run (4:08.52, 7th in prelims, 12th overall at NCAA Div. II national championships)