Van Alan Smith

University of Florida 91-96

Coaches: John Webb & Curtis Frye 91-92

John Webb & Ralph Spry 93-95

Doug Brown & Mike Holloway 96

Born May 27, 1973 at Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach Florida. I was always an active child with passions in running and music for as long as I can remember. I attended Mainland Senior High School in Daytona Beach FL. While at Mainland I was an officer in Student Government, Cross Country, both Marching and Concert Band, and Track and Field. I was coached by Earl Jackson in Track and Field. In 1991 I placed 4th in the 110H and 6th in the 300H at the Florida State 4A Track and Field Championships. I won Bronze at the 1991 USA Jr. Olympics and Silver at the AAU Junior Olympics in the 110HH. I graduated with honors in 1991 and was named to Mainland's Principal Sports Hall of Fame as well as earning Volusia County's Honors Award. I left Mainland holding the school records in the 100m (10.5), 200m (21.3), 300IH (37.9) and the 110HH (13.9).

I was recruited by Coach Curtis Frye and enrolled at the University of Florida in the Fall of 1991. As a Freshman I placed 6th (7.60) in the 55m Hurdles at the 1992 SEC Indoor Championships held at the O'Connell Center and was a member of the 3rd place NCAA Indoor Track and Field Team. I also ended indoors with a 200m personal best of 21.88. Outdoors I was a member of the Sprint Medley Relay team along with Marcel Carter, Tyrone Kemp and Scott Peters that set at the time a Florida Relay's record of 3:16.23. At SEC Outdoors, running 3rd on the 4x100 relay along with Ed West, Marcel Carter, and Daryl Frazier we placed 2nd. I finished 4th (14.48) that summer at the TAC Jr. Nationals in the 110HH held in Ohio.

I red-shirted indoors 1993 due to injuries sustained during the 1992 TAC Jr. National hurdle final. I suffered 2 stress fractures to the lower lumbar region of my back and was in a brace for 6 months. Because of the injuries my hurdling career ended with bests of 7.60, 14.48HH, and 52.79IH and I focused on sprinting. Coach Ralph Spry replaced Curtis Frye as the sprint coach that same year. In my first outdoor meet of the year I ran the 2nd leg of the 800 meter relay squad with Daryl Frazier, Ubeja Anderson, and Marcel Carter which set a then school record of 1:22.89 at the Florida Relays. I also set personal bests of 10.40 (100m) and 20.74 (200m) at the 93 SEC Outdoor Championships placing 5th in the latter. I was a semi-finalist in the 200m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships held in New Orleans. In 1994 I set a personal best of 6.36 in the 55m Indoors. At the Florida Relays outdoors I ran a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 20.90, however my season was cut short and I was granted a medical red-shirt after a terrible fall on the curve in the 200m the following week in Miami at the Gatorade Classic. In 1995 I was the recipient of the William W. "Billy" Richardson Memorial Track Scholarship, given to an outstanding Florida junior student-athlete in memory of Richardson, a track star for the Gators in the 1940s. I also received the Multicultural Student Recognition Award for Academic Achievement and Leadership Ability the same year. I ended 1995 as a 100m finalist at the SEC Outdoors. In 1996 Doug Brown (UT 86-95) and Mike Holloway became the Head and Assistant Coaches of the Gator program. I completed my internship with UF's University Athletic Association Operations Department that spring and graduated in May 1996 with a BS in Exercise and Sports Sciences (Sports Management). I ended my career as a Gator at the time as 8th in the 200m and 9th in the 100m on the all-time lists.

After graduating I began working for the University of Florida's Florida Clinical Practice as a Senior Clerk. In December of 1996 I was asked by Gainesville High School Track and Field Head Coach and former Gator All American Scott Peters to assist with sprints and hurdles and took on the role of Assistant Coach in January of 1997. During the 1997 season I coached the GHS 4x100 relay squad to a 2nd place finish at the Florida State 3A Track and Field Championships in a time of 41.37. I also coached at the time future Gator Mike King, 4 time GHS letter winner, in both high and intermediate hurdles. Michael recorded a PR of 37.60 at the state championships held at Percy Beard placing 2nd and notched a 52.42 in the 400 intermediate at the Golden South Meet, clocking the 3rd fastest time in the nation in 1997. He ended his career as a Gator in 2001 at the time ranking 10th all time in the 400IM.

I moved to Jacksonville in 1997 and became the Assistant Coach at Paxon High School the following year, specializing in sprints and hurdles. Paxon's 4x100 team were finalists at the State Championships.

In 1998 I relocated to Atlanta Georgia where I began working for Nextel Communications as a Marketing Operations Specialist. After 2.5 years at Nextel I began working for Nova Information Systems in 2001 as a Business Review Analyst in the Retention Department. Nova became a subsidiary of US Bank in 2002. I was promoted to Business Review Assistant Manager in 2004, and to Business Review Manager of Pricing and Profitability in 2007. After going global in merchant processing in 2008 Nova changed their name to Elavon, Inc. Due to health reasons I was forced to leave Elavon, Inc in 2009. I spent the next 2 years focusing on my health and in 2011, after being out of the arena of sports and fitness for so long I began working with Detox Group Fitness in Atlanta as a Group Fitness Coordinator and doing part-time personal training. I left Atlanta in May 2012, relocated to Florida and I currently reside in Daytona Beach, FL.

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‎"You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have." — Oscar Pistorius

Funeral Service

R J Gainous Funeral Home, INC

Saturday, August 17, 2019

10:00 AM

804 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114