Photo by Steve Buchanan Photography
Lacrosse runs deep in the Smith family. The elder Smith brothers, Jeff and Jason, played at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Jeff’s daughter, Joey, competes for Saint Vincent College while Jason’s son suits up for Randolph-Macon and another son, Jamie, has committed to Christopher Newport University.
Now, Jeff’s son Jude, a senior at Gunston School, will keep the family tradition going. The goalie has verbally committed to play lacrosse on a scholarship at Division I High Point University in North Carolina.
“I think it is awesome that everybody in the family is at a college level,” says Jude, who also plays Gunston varsity basketball and soccer. “We all push each other and hope for the best for each other.”
Jude, a Kent Island resident, says his father Jeff and uncle Jason helped him with the challenges that came with recruiting. He also received a lot of interest from Division II and III schools. “They have been in this situation,” Jude explains. “They know how it works and I feel that them being there helped me get through the process.”
When all the family members get together to play lacrosse, the group looks like half the starting lineup of a team. They would play in their backyard or on a nearby field. The Smiths took the game seriously, but still had a lot of fun. “We have played together all the way back to my childhood,” Jude says. “It really helped me develop my skills and get better.”
Smith looks forward to his game blossoming at High Point, a school he called a perfect fit for him. He signed a National Letter of Intent in November, and he thinks he will be able to play early in his career for the Panthers. “I loved the coaches, the players, and the environment,” Smith says. “It’s just a place I want to be.”
At Gunston, 5-foot-10, 180-pound Smith will be a starter for the third year this spring between the pipes. He’s coming off a great season, recording five shutouts and earning First-Team Eastern Shore Athletic Conference honors for the second consecutive years.
Smith’s coaches describe him as an outstanding communicator, great leader in directing the defense, and tremendous at throwing an outlet pass to a teammate. His competitiveness stands out above all to Gunston Boys Lacrosse Coach Zack Hoisington. “Jude’s main strength is the intensity he has as an athlete,” Hoisington says. “He is one of the most intense kids I have coached and the team feeds off his energy. He brings so much life to the team.”
Besides the get-to-togethers with his family, Smith developed his skills playing for the club team, the D.C. Express. The team faces top competition from throughout the mid-Atlantic area. “He has an aura about him,” D.C. Express Coach Jeffrey Kashdin says. “He is a great team leader and just a wonderful player. He is the type of player his teammates just love to be around.”
Smith has had quite at athletic career at Gunston. He also excelled in basketball and soccer. He earned honorable mention all-conference in basketball during both his freshman and sophomore seasons. The combo guard started for three seasons. In soccer, Smith, a four-year starter at midfield, was named team MVP as a freshman and made the all-conference first-team the following season.
“He is a very good athlete who has an outstanding combination of power and speed,” Gunston Athletic Director Josh Breto says. “It’s definitely impressive to be all-conference in three different sports.”
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