Bob Smith
Class of 1971

Bob Smith is one of the most decorated athletes to ever walk the hallways of Simsbury High School.  Bob participated in Cross Country and Track and Field and excelled at both the state and national level.  As a Cross Country runner he was a three year varsity letter winner and  earned All Conference honors on a team that won the conference title.  He also placed 3rd in the Class L State Championships.  In Track and Field he was an indoor state champion in the one mile run and an outdoor State Open Champion in the 880 yard run. In his senior season, Bob placed third in the prestigious Golden West Invitational in California and at the Junior Olympics National Championship in Colorado he won the 880 yard run and 880 yard relay, making him a two-time national champion. When he graduated Bob held SHS records in five individual and two relay events.  He went on to compete at Louisiana State University (LSU) where he won eight Southeastern Conference Championships (SEC), set SEC records in three individual events and one relay team event, and set LSU records in three individual events and three relay team events.  Bob won events in the Kansas, Drake, and California Relays and the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon and was twice chosen as an All-American. Bob participated in the 1972 and 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 800-meter run, was a member of the 1972 U.S. National Junior team, and won the 800-meter run in the 1972 USA-USSR meet.

Bob was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.  He worked 30 years in public education as a teacher, coach, and school administrator. Bob and his wife Paula reside in Cary, North Carolina.