Wilson Smith '25 Recruiting Profile

I’m not defined by where I am—I’m defined by how I show up. I’ve built myself through water polo, through injury, through relocation, and through every moment I chose to stay locked in when it would've been easier to let go. I trained under Coach Randall Burgess in Hawaii, earned the respect of my team even while sidelined, and now continue to train on my own in rural Ohio—not because I have to, but because I can’t imagine not trying at the sport I love. That mindset doesn’t stop at the pool. It’s how I approach everything.

I’m not coming from a top water polo region—I’m training alone in rural Ohio without a team, doing whatever I can to get better. Before this, I spent most of my life in Hawaii, training under Coach Randall Burgess. I missed my entire sophomore season due to injury but didn’t miss a single practice—I was still voted team captain. My senior year, I didn’t get to play at all because of where my family moved. I haven’t had the reps or exposure that athletes from California or Texas might have, but I’ve learned how to grind in silence.

I haven’t always given 100% to everything. Early in my career, I got by on talent and effort—but it was my coaches, my dad, and the mentors I looked up to who pushed me past that. Since then, I’ve gone all-in on becoming a better athlete, and now I’m committing to bring that same intensity to my academics. I’m ready to give everything I’ve got to both.

I want to become the kind of player teams spend hours preparing for—only to realize it still wasn’t enough. I’m looking for a program that values discipline, accountability, and the pursuit of greatness. I don’t want to be average. I want to be dangerous. And I’m just getting started.