Ethan Smith will be one of the inductees into the 2019 Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall of Fame.

Smith graduated from Jim Thorpe in 2008. That graduation saw him as Class President, a member of National Honor Society, and Class Saludatorian.

Ethan began wrestling at a very early age, eventually wrestling as a senior in high school at the 145-pound weight class. Over the course of his time on the mats, he competed at the knee-hi, junior varsity and varsity levels.

He and his brother, Hall of Fame inductee Dillon, also traveled around the country participating in various camps and competitions including numerous visits to Fargo, North Dakota for the famous Freestyle Competition held there. That alone indicates the level of competition he was committed to and involved with in his career.

During his years as a Jim Thorpe wrestler, Ethan compiled a record of 100-40. In his freshman year, he posted a mark of 23-13. His sophomore season produced a 33-11 record, while his junior campaign finished at 31-7. During his senior year, he suffered a severe knee injury and his competition was limited. He ended that season with a 13-9 mark.

In high school or college wrestling, every competitor has a goal of succeeding and eventually reaching the 100-win plateau. The task is very difficult and very few achieve this milestone. Many barriers end up in an athlete’s way during their road to success. Injury is definitely a huge one, and it’s one that can’t be predicted. It is usually secondary to other concerns while training.

Ethan accomplished 100 career wins despite his severe knee injury during his senior year. His brother, Dillon, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017 after compiling a record of 141-38. These two brothers, supported strongly by their parents Todd and Nancy, grew up with not only wrestling in their blood but hard work, stiff competition, and dedication. The two became the only brothers in Jim Thorpe High School history to both achieve 100 victories in their careers.

Ethan completed his education at East Stroudsburg University and now lives in Charlottesville, Va. where he is part of the Management Team of Walmart in the warehousing division.

In the next few weeks leading up to the banquet, other inductees into this year’s class will be highlighted. The other inductees include Ryan Saunders II, Pervis “PJ” Johnson, Chris “Chopper” Figura, the 1969 Jim Thorpe championship football team, and Kayla Susko.

The 30th annual Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be held at Dean Anthony’s Restaurant in Jim Thorpe on Saturday, Aug. 17.

A cocktail hour will begin at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., and the induction ceremony will start at 7:15 p.m. Entertainment will begin at the conclusion of the induction ceremony, which will be at approximately 8:30 p.m. The cost will be $35 for adults and $11.95 for kids. The price includes dinner, selected drinks and entertainment.

Tickets for the induction ceremony and the rest of the evening can be obtained by calling Jack Kmetz at 570-325-4923 or Wilmer Redline at 570-325-3073.