After capping a stellar West Liberty career with his second consecutive NCAA Division II All-America honor in 2010, Mitch Smith is helping to develop future All-Americans in the Hilltopper wrestling room as an assistant coach.
A native of Ripley, W.Va., Smith was one of the most decorated high school wrestlers in West Virginia history. A three-time Class AAA state champion who compiled a 192-5 record as a scholastic grappler, Smith also won a pair of USA Wrestling national freestyle titles in amateur competitions. He began his collegiate career at NCAA Division I Hofstra and put together a solid 27-22 record in two seasons with the Pride before transferring to WLU for his final two years.
As a junior in 2009, Smith finished the season as the No. 1-ranked 157-pounder in the Atlantic Region and one of the top middleweights in the nation. He battled all the way to the championship semifinals in the NCAA Division II championships at Houston before falling. He finished the year with a 29-6 record and his 4th-place finish at nationals earned him his first All-America honor.
Smith dropped down to 149 pounds for his senior season and was the No. 1-ranked 149-pounder in the nation for much of the year. After breezing to an East Region championship, he suffered an early-round upset in the national meet but fought his way through the wrestlebacks to finish 7th at 149 pounds and earn his second consecutive All-America honor. Smith finished with a dazzling 29-3 record as a senior, giving him a career mark of 58-9 (.866) at West Liberty.
