Smith wrestles to Fahey Bank Athlete of the Month honor
Pleasant junior wrestler Preston Smith was undefeated in December to win the Fahey Bank Athlete of the Month award.
MARION - Preston Smith admitted he didn't realize how well he was doing.
When the wrestling season started, the takedowns, pins and wins started mounting for the Pleasant junior. Then he took a look at the people he was beating and how he was beating them, and it registered.
"It just felt good," Smith said. "My coach was happy. My dad was happy. I was happy."
Wrestling at 132 pounds, Smith won invitationals at East Knox and Harding and went undefeated in December, earning Fahey Bank Male Athlete of the Month honors.
"It means a lot," he said. "It's nice to be appreciated for what I'm doing in here (in the practice room) and not just out there on the mats."
A junior now, Smith is a two-time district qualifier and a district placer, but he's certainly improved in his third year of varsity wrestling.
"He definitely turned the corner this year," Pleasant wrestling coach Joe Robinson said. "He's always been solid, but this year he's taken off. He's always stays in tremendously fit condition as a wrestler. He's worked on his offense. This year, he's found success on offense."
Part of it is just getting stronger naturally as he gets older and matures. Part of it is the dedication he's made to his craft, now focusing solely on wrestling.
"I just really worked on my strength more than anything. I noticed that some of the seniors and juniors were a lot stronger than me as a freshman and sophomore, so I had to work on my strength. My technique was there. I couldn't really do anything because they were stronger than me," he said.
Through running, pushups, pullups and everything else, Smith trained to put himself in the position he finds himself — one with a legitimate shot at finally making the state tournament.
"I've been to state before in middle school. It was big, but not as big as high school state," he said. "I want to get there this year so I don't have to wait until my senior year to get it."
Smith is 34-3 through last weekend. His losses were to a state-ranked wrestler at the annual tournament at the Marion Coliseum and to Northmor's Conan Becker at Pleasant's Sally George Invitational and last week's Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Championships.
"This year, we're trying to get over that (district) hump," Robinson said of getting a state berth for Smith.
The coach said work ethic and focus are what set Smith apart from many in the sport.
"He'll be an hour away from wrestling and he'll already be walking around trying to get himself in the right frame of mind," Robinson said.
On the mat, Smith makes few mistakes.
"He doesn't let himself get into bad position," Robinson said. "He's always got higher hips than everybody else. He's really, really good at the top position. Not a lot of wrestlers are comfortable in the top position, but he's got to the point where he can turn kids. He's fluent there. He's improved a lot this year on the bottom as well.
"Last year, I rarely chose him to be on the bottom ... and this year I don't have that problem."
Even if it took him almost a month to realize it, Smith is doing well.
rmccurdy@gannett.com
Work 740-375-5158
Cell 419-610-0998
Twitter: @McMotorsport
Fahey Bank Male Athlete of the Month for December nominees
- Winner: Preston Smith, Pleasant wrestling
- Alex Eldred, Ridgedale basketball
- Max Mitchell, Harding swimming
- Ace Fry, River Valley swimming
- Grant Smith, Elgin basketball