Tom Smolan (Smolanovich) '54

Tom Smolan (Smolanovich), Class of 1954, was one of Poland High School’s greatest all-around athletes, earning four varsity letters in football, basketball, and track.

In football, he was a four-year letterman and Poland’s all-time leading scorer with 177 points. He earned First Team All Tri-County honors as both a junior and senior, set school records for the longest field goal, most points in a season, and most touchdowns in a season, and went on to play football at Youngstown University. He later played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

In basketball, Tom was also a four-year letterman and finished as Poland’s all-time leading scorer with 1,327 career points. He set school records for most points in a single game (44) and most points in a season. A First Team All Tri-County selection, he scored 80 points as a freshman, 332 as a sophomore, 514 as a junior, and 401 as a senior. He averaged 24.5 points per game as a junior and 21.1 points per game as a senior, becoming the first Poland player to average 20 or more points per game in multiple seasons. His team won the Tri-County League Championship during his senior year.

In track, Tom earned four varsity letters and became the State Pole Vault Champion as a senior. He also established school records in the pole vault, low hurdles, and 100-yard dash.