TOWSON, Md. - As the Landmark Conference counts down to the start of the 2026-27 academic year, the Conference will revisit some of the best stories from its member institutions through the Landmark Rewind series.
Running August 3-14, Landmark Rewind will spotlight one Landmark institution each weekday by featuring two stories originally produced by that school's athletics department. From student-athlete features and championship moments to community impact and campus initiatives, the series gives fans another opportunity to discover the people and programs that make the Landmark Conference special before fall competition begins.
Recent graduate Ganon Smith received the prestigious Schalles Award after an illustrious career with the Elizabethtown College wrestling team. The award honors the top collegiate pinner.
In the 27-year history of the award, Smith is only the second Division III wrestler to have been bestowed with the honor and the first since Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur in 2005. “The award itself is just outstanding,” Smith said. “I didn’t even know I was up for the award, and I had to text my coach to ask if this was a scam. I was almost in tears seeing that, and it feels pretty amazing.”
“It couldn’t have happened to a greater individual,” said Head Coach Eric Walker. “He is a man of faith and does things the right way. He is a great ambassador of the sport for Elizabethtown College and the sport in general.”
Smith finished his career strong, going 40-1 in his senior season as he dominated the 184-pound weight class all season long and ended as the Blue Jays' all-time wins leader. He set the career wins record on the second day of the Region 3 Championships, held at the College of New Jersey, where he was the regional champion and qualified for the NCAA Championships. Smith went on to become an All-American for the second time in his career, completing his four-year career as the national runner-up at 184 pounds.
The Schalles Award is named after Wade Schalles, a two-time NCAA champion at Clarion State (PA) in 1972 and 1973. He pinned 109 collegiate opponents and won 153 of his 159 career bouts. Schalles was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1991.
“Ganon Smith is relentlessly aggressive and always hunting the fall, never content to sit back and win by points,” Schalles said. “He is long, strong, and confident in every position. Don’t let him under your armpits if you want to win the match. And he obviously thrives in chaos and turns it into control.”
75 percent of Smith’s wins (30) this season came via fall.