Saline Track and Field Athletes Pay Tribute to Coach Smith at Pre's Rock

Saline High School athletes (and recent grads) competing in the 2021 National Scholastic Athletics Foundation's Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Ore., took a few moments to pay tribute to the late Saline educator and coach Mike Smith.

The team, with many students dressed in shirts with Smith's name, stopped at Pre's Rock, the spot where legendary  American distance runner Steve Prefontaine died in 1975 in a car crash. Coach Al Leslie talked to the team about coach Smith, the retired Saline High School teacher who coached cross country and track and field. Smith died June 25 after battling pancreatic cancer.

The Saline track and field athletes have for years been running in national meets for the Spirit of Pre team named for Prefontaine.

"Our running club was named for Pre and with coach Smith's passing it seemed important to get up here to see the rock and talk about Coach Smith," Coach Al Leslie said.

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