Above: Freedom High’s Calvin Smith (left), now a sophomore at the University of Florida, battles Reggie Witherspoon in Monday’s semifinals of the 400-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials

This just in from Patrick O’Neill, the Tampa Tribune’s correspondent at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore.

EUGENE, Ore.—Coming off the final turn in Monday’s 400-meter dash semifinal, Tampa’s Calvin Smith II realized he was sitting in fifth place, out of the money if he wanted to run in Thursday’s Olympic Track and Field Trials final.

Realizing what was at stake – the eight finalists are considered for the U.S. Olympic relay pool in the 4x400 and the top three are guaranteed Olympic berths in the 400 – the Freedom High graduate and a University of Florida sophomore, did what he does best: kicked in as hard as he could.

“I just had to power all the way though, and I came in third,” he said. “It feels good [to make the final]; can’t wait. I’m just going to go out there and better run my race the next time.”

Early in the semifinal, Smith, who ran 45.43 seconds for third place, said he was trying to keep up with eventual second-place finisher Darold Williamson (45.16). The heat winner was former Baylor University star Reggie Witherspoon in 44.99.

“I didn’t want to get too far behind like I did in the other (quarterfinal) race.”

With two rest days to look forward to, Smith said he’s viewing Thursday’s final as just another race—but he admits he’s scared.

“I’m always scared every race I run,” Smith said. “But I figure if you’re not scared, you shouldn’t be out here running.”

Before the race, Smith’s father, Calvin Smith, a former Olympic medalist, world champion and former world record holder at 100 meters, gave his son some simple advice by telephone from Tampa.

“I just told him to go out and do it, don’t worry about the past,” Calvin Smith said. “I told him he had to stay in the race and don’t let them get away like [Sunday] night.”

In the women’s 400 semifinals, St. Petersburg’s Ashlee Kidd, a Georgia Tech graduate, improved her time but her 52.37 was only good for 7th place in her heat, not enough to make the final.

“My first round didn’t go well,” she said. “My whole race was just off. ... I wanted to come back today and run a better time. I ran a better time, I felt a little bit better, but I still didn’t get the results that I wanted, plus I wanted top four; didn’t get top four.”

Kidd said her goal was to earn an Olympic berth.

“It’s just like any other meet,” she said. “You have to see it like any other meet. I knew who I was up against. It’s not a weak event.

“But it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, it just matters what you do at the trials. Anybody has a chance Kidd said she may run some races in Europe this summer. “The season’s definitely not over yet. This is not my last race.”

Late Monday night, former Lakewood High and Indiana University star Rose Richmond advanced out of the qualifying round of the women’s long jump and into the finals with her mark of 21 feet, 4 inches. Richmond’s qualifying mark came on her third and final attempt of the prelims.

The top 12 jumpers reached Thursday’s final and Richmond was tied for sixth place with fellow 2004 Olympian Grace Upshaw. The No. 1 jump Monday was Hyleas Fountain, a two-time outdoor champio in the heptathlon who went 21-10.25.