University Southern California Trojans
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Getting To Know Dominic Smallwood
February 07, 2018 | Track & Field, Features
Senior Dominic Smallwood is in his final season competing in the long and triple jumps for the Trojans. Last year, Smallwood set both his long jump and triple jump PRs during the season. He placed second in the triple jump with a PR of 51-8.50/15.76m (+2.8w) at the Pac-12 Championships. He also set his triple jump wind-aided PR of 51-6.50/15.71m (+1.5) to place 14th at the NCAA West Prelims. He set his long jump PR with a jump of 25-2.75/7.69m (+0.0) to take second at the Trojan Invitational. Read below to get to know more about the Trojans' long and triple jumper:
Q: Being a senior, what has been your favorite part about being at USC?
DS: Just building a relationship with all of my teammates. Everyone that I came in with, we had one of the larger classes for the track and field team. It was fun just being with them for four years, sacrificing, learning and growing together.
Q: More specifically, what has been the best part about being on the USC Track & Field team?
DS: Striving each and every day. It really pushes you. Looking at my fellow teammates and seeing them come out with 100% has allowed me to go in and give every aspect of my life with the same effort.
Q: What made you interested in attending USC and participating on the Track & Field team?
DS: Being from Las Vegas, USC is not too far. It already has a high presence from where I'm from. Also, my best friend Randall (Cunningham) signed at USC before I did. And, once I spoke to coach Caryl (Smith Gilbert) and got to learn the coaching staff and all the other athletes, I just wanted to be a part of it.
Q: What has been the toughest part about being a student-athlete, and how do you balance that in your life?
DS: USC is hard both academically and athletically. There's not much leeway in either so, just making sure I have enough time to study as well as getting in the training room.
Q: What about the USC Track & Field team, or USC in general, has allowed you to succeed athletically?
DS: The knowledge with the coaching staff, the resources we are given, and our athletic training staff are second to none. Just the want to win has pushed us more than anything and allowed us to succeed.
Q: How do you stay focused before you compete? Do you have any rituals before or during a big competition?
DS: Most of the time I try to find a balance because you can take yourself out by being too focused or having a lack of focus. The night before, I will do some visualization by getting a couple of jumps in my head. The next day I do the same thing I did the previous night.
Q: What are your thoughts about the previous season?
DS: I came up short which hurt a lot. I had a lot of progress and a lot of big meets. But the one that counted the most I couldn't get it done. This year I'm looking to go out strong.
Q: This year, what are your goals for yourself, and for the team?
DS: For the team, is to win a national championship. We also need to win the Dual Meet and win the Pac-12 Championship. For myself, I want to score at nationals and be an All-American in both long and triple.
Q: Why did you choose the long jump and triple jump?
DS: They chose me. I started sprinting in elementary school. I was a decent sprinter but was bouncy on my toes and didn't put much force into the ground. So, my coach threw me in the long jump. I remember starting in a four-point stance because I didn't practice it when I went out. But I jumped big so I just continued doing it.
Q: How is the training for the long jump and triple jump different than if you were a runner on the team?
DS: A lot more explosive and plyometric drills. Luckily, we don't have to do the same amount of running but we do have to do a lot of speed work. This year, we did our base training with the sprinters. There are a lot of differences but the similarities are there too.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
DS: First, God and my parents….secondly, my teammate Randall Cunningham. It's a mutual connection and respect that we share. I know what he has been through and he knows what I've been through in our journeys to getting here.
Q: What have you learned from being a student-athlete and how do you think it will help you after your sport?
DS: The biggest thing is sacrifice. You won't get anything unless you put the work in. Coach Caryl preaches it all the time. It's hard work or nothing. A lot of times you can get down on yourself no matter what it is in life. But you can either feel sorry for yourself or you can just work hard and get it done. If you continue with 100% effort, you can apply to life and do big things.
Q: If you were talking to a track and field recruit, what separates USC from other schools?
DS: The Trojan network. It's much bigger than just sports. A lot of schools focus solely on just the athletic side. When you get in the classroom you get a wide range of knowledge and then you get the same amount of effort from your coaches as you would your professors. The facilities are second to none and the group that we have here is unbeatable.
Smallwood and the rest of the USC Track and Field team will compete at Clemson for the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational on February 9.
Q: Being a senior, what has been your favorite part about being at USC?
DS: Just building a relationship with all of my teammates. Everyone that I came in with, we had one of the larger classes for the track and field team. It was fun just being with them for four years, sacrificing, learning and growing together.
Q: More specifically, what has been the best part about being on the USC Track & Field team?
DS: Striving each and every day. It really pushes you. Looking at my fellow teammates and seeing them come out with 100% has allowed me to go in and give every aspect of my life with the same effort.
Q: What made you interested in attending USC and participating on the Track & Field team?
DS: Being from Las Vegas, USC is not too far. It already has a high presence from where I'm from. Also, my best friend Randall (Cunningham) signed at USC before I did. And, once I spoke to coach Caryl (Smith Gilbert) and got to learn the coaching staff and all the other athletes, I just wanted to be a part of it.
Q: What has been the toughest part about being a student-athlete, and how do you balance that in your life?
DS: USC is hard both academically and athletically. There's not much leeway in either so, just making sure I have enough time to study as well as getting in the training room.
Q: What about the USC Track & Field team, or USC in general, has allowed you to succeed athletically?
DS: The knowledge with the coaching staff, the resources we are given, and our athletic training staff are second to none. Just the want to win has pushed us more than anything and allowed us to succeed.
Q: How do you stay focused before you compete? Do you have any rituals before or during a big competition?
DS: Most of the time I try to find a balance because you can take yourself out by being too focused or having a lack of focus. The night before, I will do some visualization by getting a couple of jumps in my head. The next day I do the same thing I did the previous night.
Q: What are your thoughts about the previous season?
DS: I came up short which hurt a lot. I had a lot of progress and a lot of big meets. But the one that counted the most I couldn't get it done. This year I'm looking to go out strong.
Q: This year, what are your goals for yourself, and for the team?
DS: For the team, is to win a national championship. We also need to win the Dual Meet and win the Pac-12 Championship. For myself, I want to score at nationals and be an All-American in both long and triple.
Q: Why did you choose the long jump and triple jump?
DS: They chose me. I started sprinting in elementary school. I was a decent sprinter but was bouncy on my toes and didn't put much force into the ground. So, my coach threw me in the long jump. I remember starting in a four-point stance because I didn't practice it when I went out. But I jumped big so I just continued doing it.
Q: How is the training for the long jump and triple jump different than if you were a runner on the team?
DS: A lot more explosive and plyometric drills. Luckily, we don't have to do the same amount of running but we do have to do a lot of speed work. This year, we did our base training with the sprinters. There are a lot of differences but the similarities are there too.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
DS: First, God and my parents….secondly, my teammate Randall Cunningham. It's a mutual connection and respect that we share. I know what he has been through and he knows what I've been through in our journeys to getting here.
Q: What have you learned from being a student-athlete and how do you think it will help you after your sport?
DS: The biggest thing is sacrifice. You won't get anything unless you put the work in. Coach Caryl preaches it all the time. It's hard work or nothing. A lot of times you can get down on yourself no matter what it is in life. But you can either feel sorry for yourself or you can just work hard and get it done. If you continue with 100% effort, you can apply to life and do big things.
Q: If you were talking to a track and field recruit, what separates USC from other schools?
DS: The Trojan network. It's much bigger than just sports. A lot of schools focus solely on just the athletic side. When you get in the classroom you get a wide range of knowledge and then you get the same amount of effort from your coaches as you would your professors. The facilities are second to none and the group that we have here is unbeatable.
Smallwood and the rest of the USC Track and Field team will compete at Clemson for the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational on February 9.
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