School: Pottstown High School
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Athlete: Darius Smallwood
School: Pottstown
Sport: Track and field
The week that was: Smallwood capped his outstanding athletic career at Pottstown High with a trip to the top platform of the championship podium after capturing the gold medal in the 800-meter run Saturday at the PIAA Class 3A Championships at Shippensburg University.
Darius, a highly decorated student/athlete, also established a new Pottstown school record in the event with his clocking of 1:51.9. The previous Trojans’ record holder Bruce Carter, who won the state championship in the 800 in 1962 and 1963, held the previous school standard in the event when the distance was measured in yards.
Coming off a disappointing third-place showing in the District 1 meet seven days earlier as the event’s top seed, Smallwood shaved more than 3 seconds off his district time of 1:55.05.
His 1:51.9 showing was more than enough to outduel Central Bucks East’s Holden Emery (second, 1:53.26), Cedar Crest’s Tommy Bildheiser (third, 1:53.73) and Garnet Valley’s Eric Albright (fourth,1:53.85).
“I felt good out there,” Smallwood said on papreplive.com. “My game plan, my mindset last week was to let others take the lead and try to pace them. That didn’t work, so today I took the lead and ran the whole way in front. I was able to kick out at the end. My kick at the end, I had more energy. I didn’t want anyone passing me.”
There was no passing Smallwood on the track or in the lockerroom, as far as Pottstown High coach Justin Gibbs could see.
“Darius was the team captain, he approached every practice and meet with a positive attitude,” said Gibbs. “Darius' hard work and determination to be great every day played a major role with his teammates. His teammates saw how hard Darius was working, which made them work harder.”
Smallwood, who also played basketball and ran cross country as a three-sport athlete for the Trojans, exhibited that same work ethic in the classroom, earning Distinguished Honors all four years, gaining membership into the National Honor Society and finishing his high school career with a perfect 4.0 grade average.
The PAC cross country champion his sophomore year in 2019 and two-time state cross country qualifier, Smallwood was also recently named the 2021 Runner of the Year by the Pottstown Mercury’s Jeff Stover. When the last PAC track and field championship meet was held in 2019, Smallwood provided a glimpse into the future when he captured the 800m in 1:56.39 as a sophomore.
“The leadership Darius brought to practice and meets was always positive,” said Gibbs. “He never complained about the hard workouts. Darius would encourage his teammates to keep pushing and to do their best.”
Those words were so much more than lip service, Smallwood always practiced what he preached.
“Darius set goals at the beginning of the season to become State Champion in the 800m and set a new school record at Pottstown High School,” Gibbs said. “He achieved both of his goals, while becoming a Pottstown High School record holder in the 800m with the time of 1:51.9 and also becoming a Pennsylvania State Champion in the 800m.”
Those achievements are now emblazoned in bold type in the Pottstown High record books, established by an exemplary student/athlete.
“Darius is special, he is the perfect example of what any coach, teacher, or parent would ask for,” said Gibbs. “His integrity, good manners, work ethic, humility and great grades are what set Darius apart from any other student-athlete. I am honored to be the coach of the great young man Darius Smallwood."
