Florence’s Blake Smith, a senior member of the Northwoods Storm co-op track and field team for Florence and Niagara high schools, holds four school records and is seeking his second trip to the WIAA state finals later this spring. (Courtesy photo)

FLORENCE, Wis. — A Florence track standout knows the school record for the 300-meter hurdles well. After all, he held the previous record until just recently when he broke it.

Blake Smith, a senior on the Northwoods Storm co-op track and field team for Florence and Niagara, had previously set the school record at 41.22 seconds. But he erased that mark by running a time of 40 seconds flat (39.91 seconds actual) at the Badgers Invitational in Niagara on April 27.

The record-setting performance came just two days after Smith set a new record in the 110-meter hurdles of 15.6 seconds at the Bobcat Invite on April 25.

The Northwoods Storm standout knows something about setting records. Smith also holds school records in the triple jump (41 feet, 1.5 inches) and as a member of the 4-by-200 meter relay team, along with former Storm members Patrick Milan and Jackson Racine, as well as current member Joey Milan, when they ran a 1:35.49 back in 2022.

“To be a record breaking athlete, it doesn’t feel any different because my overall goal is to get on the podium at state,” said Smith, who is hoping to make a repeat appearance at the WIAA state finals later this spring.

Smith, who became a mainstay of the Storm starting in his sophomore year, set his first school record in 2022 as part of the 4×200 relay team.

“I was very close to beating my first record many times, so when I finally beat the record it felt amazing knowing I was the best at what I do in our school’s history,” he said when looking back on setting the new hurdles mark.

Now, Smith is aiming for the state record in the 300-meter hurdles.

“My ultimate goal is to become the state champion in all three of my main events,” he added.

And the senior’s name might be up on the wall at Florence High School for the foreseeable future. Or, at least that’s his hope.

“I hope my name stays on that record board for many years to come and I can go back there someday and remember that I did that in high school,” Smith said.

— Daily News sports editor Dennis Mansfield contributed to this story.