TUCSON, Ariz. – Head men's tennis coach Clancy Shields secured the signing of top prospect Colton Smith on Wednesday during National Signing Day. Smith, a Tumwater, Wash. native, is the No. 7 prospect in the United States and is the highest-ranked American signee in school history.
 
"Colton is an incredible player, has a great eye for the game, loves to compete and has a tremendously high ceiling," Shields said. "One of the first things that caught my eye with Colton was his run at the 2019 National Clay Court Championships where he won 11 out of 12 matches to take fifth place. It takes a certain type of toughness and grit to do that, and those are qualities that we value in our program.
 
"As much as I was impressed with Colton's on-court achievements, his off court intangibles are equally impressive. He will be a tremendous asset to our locker room and I believe he will grow into an incredible leader for our team. Colton will have an immediate impact in our lineup and I believe he will help us in our quest to win the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships. I look forward to the challenge of working with a top talent and I know Tucson will enjoy watching this gifted athlete."
 
Smith, a Blue Chip American recruit, is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation and had the third-highest Tennis RPI in the country. He was also ranked as high as No. 257 in the world in the ITF Junior World Rankings.
 
"I am beyond excited to join a team and coaching staff that are driven day in and day out," Smith said. "I feel at Arizona I will have the opportunities and resources that will help me grow on and off the court and I will be a part of something great."
 
Smith, who finished in fifth at the 2019 National Clay Court Championships, was a finalist at the J4 Daytona Beach ITF Tournament and was also the winner of the 2019 Pacific Northwest Sectional in the 18U Championships, making him ranked No. 1 in the states of Washington and Oregon.
 
Smith is coached by Jody Rush and trains out of Northwest High Performance Tennis in Washington. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, painting, and hanging out with his three dogs.