Track: Notre Dame has a freshman standout

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Thursday’s Mission League dual meet between Los Angeles Loyola and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Notre Dame is going to be exciting and intriguing as usual. Watch out for the big-meet debut of Notre Dame freshman sprinter Jacob Smith.

Smith, who averaged more than 10 yards per carry as a running back for the Knights’ freshman football team, ran 100 meters in 10.59 seconds (hand time) this month. That’s faster than former Notre Dame state 100-meter champions Justin Fargas and Rodney Glass ran as freshmen.

‘He’s way faster than Fargas and Glass as a freshman,’ track Coach Joe McNab said.

But Thursday’s meet is the first big test for Smith, and McNab is hoping he develops as well as Fargas and Glass did over their high school careers.

-- Eric Sondheimer