BOONE, N.C. — Freshman 133-pound wrestler Colby Smith qualified as an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, the association announced this week, bringing the total number of qualifiers for Appalachian State University wrestling to four.
Smith finished second overall in the 133-pound division in the Southern Conference Tournament after a thrilling, double-overtime first-place match with Chattanooga’s Chris Debian. Despite the setback, Smith impressed with his regular season performance, gathering 24 wins and just eight losses (13-3 in duals) en route to making the SoCon all-freshman team.
Placing first in the freshman/sophomore division at the Southeastern (Hokie) Open to start the season, Smith fought for six wins (four bonus) before also placing at the Keystone Classic (fifth).