Legends of the Mat: Davis and Smith Ready to Enter Division II Pantheon

BALTIMORE, Maryland (July 2, 2024) — The Division II Coaches Association will induct John Davis and William Smith, two legendary Morgan State wrestlers, into the Jim Koch Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. This prestigious honor recognizes the extraordinary achievements and contributions of these two former student-athletes to the sport of wrestling at the Division II level.

As part of the 2024 NWCA Convention festivities, Davis and Smith will join Donovan McMahill, Matt Meuleners, Mario Morgan, Josh Shields and Roger Singleton in the Jim Koch Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on July 26 at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The seven newcomers for 2024 include 10 Division 2 national championships, 17 trips to the NCAA Division 2 national finals and a total of 24 NCAA Division 2 All-American finishes.

John Davis came to Morgan State University in the early 1980s. As a 158-pounder, he achieved notable success, earning four All-American honors. His dominance in the DII division was evident in his two national championship wins in 1983 and 1984, after finishing sixth and third in 1981 and ’82, respectively. The 1984 season proved to be the pinnacle of Davis’ collegiate career. Not only did he claim his second national championship, he also won the coveted Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the DII National Championships. His impressive performance included two pins en route to the title, demonstrating his dominance on the mat.

Davis is joined by fellow Bear honoree William Smith. Smith began his collegiate career with a second-place finish in the 1977 and 1978 NCAA Division-II National Championships at 158 ​​pounds, and took fifth place at 167 pounds in the 1979 NCAA Division-II National Championships during his junior season. In 1980, Smith became the first wrestler from a Historically Black college or university to win the NCAA Division-II 158-pound championship. He was also a two-time NCAA DI All-American, placing sixth in 1978 and finishing second at 167 in 1979. Smith was also a four-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion, a four-time East Regional champion, and is one of two Morgan wrestlers to be named a Division-II All-American four times. He was the first Morgan State wrestler to be inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame, in 1999, and was also inducted into the New York Section One Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008. He was also inducted into the Morgan State Hall of Fame in 2016.

Morgan State made a historic return to the wrestling mat in 2023, marking the first time in 25 years that the program competed at the NCAA Division I Varsity level. The reintroduction solidified Morgan State’s position as the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the country to offer wrestling at this competitive level.

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ABOUT MORGAN
Founded in 1867, Morgan State University is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multi-ethnic and multi-racial student body and strives to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many people as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.