2006 Outdoor Nationals - Day 5 Smith Unleashes Another Spectacular Hawk
Last second move earns victory in 20K race
By Planet staff
(posted Wednesday, May 31, 2006) 
Jessica Smith
photo: Hyper
Hyper's Jessica Smith thrilled spectators today when she unleashed one of her gravity-defying hawks to claim a last-second victory at Outdoor Nationals. Smith's theatrics came in the 20K points elimination race, held on a large parking lot in Colorado Springs. Going into the sprint, the 22-year-old from Melvindale, Mich., was in third place. Ahead of her was former teammate Kelly Gunther, in first place, and Luigino's Brittany Bowe, in second. Smith pulled even with Bowe in the sprint. Then, at the last second, she stabbed her right foot out over the finish line, not only edging Bowe, but beating Gunther. "It was an awesome hawk," said Junior World Team Coach Linda Wood. Smith is renowned for her ability to hawk at the line, a skill she says she learned from Wolverine coach Robb Dunn. She used an epic hawk (see photo) to score a come-from-behind win in the middle of a flock of Rollerblade women last April in the Seoul World Inline Cup. Today's win was the second for Smith at Outdoor Nationals, where she has been skating in the shadow of 18-year-old Brittany Bowe. Smith also won Sunday's 500 meter track sprint. Smith switched back to inline after spending the winter training on ice. She is expected to easily win a spot on the team that will represent the United States at the World Championships in Korea this summer. Top finishers: 20,000-meter elimination
World Class Women - Jessica Smith
- Kelly Gunther
- Brittany Bowe
- Ashley Mann
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