Smith leads EAP team as Bob Smith Open champion, Drake finishes third

HAYS, Kan. – Four athletes in USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) took the mats at the 2025 Bob Smith Open held over the weekend at Gross Memorial Coliseum at Fort Hays State, with Benjamin Smith leading the charge as 174-pound champion.

Smith, a Maryland native, dominated the 174-pound field with five wins, four coming by bonus points, on his way to the tournament title. Smith defeated Houston Frank of Fort Hays State by 11-0 major decision in the championship match. His closest match on the scoreboard was a 10-3 win over Genaro Pino of Air Force Prep in the quarterfinals.

Smith has had a nice fall season under the EAP banner. Prior to his gold at the Bob Smith Open, Smith was a silver medalist at the Bill Farrell Memorial International and a sixth-place finisher at the Clarion Open.

Also notching a podium finish for the EAP crew in Hays was Michigan product Kendall Drake, who was third place at 174 pounds. Drake completed the tournament with a 5-1 record, his only loss coming to For Hays State’s Frank in the semifinals.

Other EAP athletes who competed at the Bob Smith Open were Czar Quintanilla at 125 pounds and Jeremiah Waldschmidt at 133 pounds. Both men posted 3-2 records and came up short of the podium. Complete results for each athlete are available below, and full brackets from the entire event are available on Trackwrestling.com.

The EAP was designed to develop young athletes with Olympic potential at the USOPTC in Colorado Springs, Colo. This has included wrestlers who are still in high school or are high school graduates who choose to train in the international styles before going to college.

EAP athletes on the men’s freestyle side are coached by two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist J’den Cox, who is the U.S. national men’s freestyle developmental coach.

More information about the EAP is available on TheMat.com.