Jason Smith

2010 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Few wrestlers can lay claim to winning back-to-back NCAA championships in the same years their team also captured back-to-back team titles.

Jason Smith was an integral part of the storied Iowa State wrestling program in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Topping off some of Coach Harold Nichols’ best teams, Smith helped the Cyclones win NCAA team titles in 1969 and 1970 while also claiming consecutive titles at 167 pounds.

Smith, an Ankeny native, began wrestling his freshman year in high school. He was a quick study, finishing his sophomore year with a 16–4 record, and followed that up with a 22–0 record going into the 154-pound finals of the state high school tournament—only to lose a 6–5 decision.

Noted for his outstanding agility and quickness, Smith also possessed great strength and was a dominating senior. He went 27–0 at 165 pounds his senior year, with 25 of those wins coming by fall. The state title—Ankeny’s first-ever—came with consecutive pins, as no opponent lasted beyond the second period.

His collegiate career was even more spectacular. Smith placed third at the NCAA tournament as a sophomore before winning back-to-back national championships in 1969 and 1970.

In 1969, the 167-pounder edged Cal Poly’s John Wood, 5–4, for the championship. Smith registered two falls along the way, helping the Cyclones run away with the team title—their third in school history—by 35 points.

Smith went 21–1–1 his senior year, claiming both the Big Eight and NCAA crowns. His win over Iowa’s Phil Henning in the NCAA championship match was one of three individual titles that year, securing Iowa State’s third NCAA title in six years.

Smith finished his collegiate career with a 44–5–5 record as the Cyclones went 30–3 in dual meets, winning two NCAA titles and one Big Eight crown.

An outstanding student, Smith earned his undergraduate degree and went on to attend medical school at Des Moines University. He is now a practicing physician in Chicago, IL.

Smith was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010, along with Mark Ironside, Bob Roethler, and Mike Chapman.