Dave Smith, captain-elect of the varsity wrestling team and New England AAU champion at 145 pounds, will enter the National AAU tournament at 136 this weekend. Competition, the most severe the country can offer, gets under way at 1 p.m. today at Hofstra College, Hompstead, Long Island.

Smith will be joined by Johnny Lee, freshman captain and New England winner at 128, Icko Iben, Bud Adams, Don Louria '49, and Pete Fuller '46. Iben (128) and Adams (136) are freshmen who missed the New England tournament because of exams. Louria (175) and Fuller (191), former College wrestling captains, also triumphed in the New England meet.

Lee competed in the Metropolitan New York AAU championships three weeks ago and dropped an 11-9 decision to the winner at 128. Smith took part in the nationals two years ago and did well.

Lee, who will go at 121, and Smith have dropped one weight class for the national tourney. Competing mostly at 136 during the regular season, Smith was undefeated and tied once. He was beaten by Bob Sellers of Princeton in the Eastern intercollegiates.

Four national champions will defend their titles this weekend--Arnold Plaza, of Purdue, at 115; Dick Hauser, of Cornell, 121; Lowell Lange, three-time national champ from Cornell, 136; and Shufard Swift, of the Navy, 175.

Contenders for the team title will probably be Oklahoma A & M, Cornell college of Iowa, the Navy squad, and possibly Iowa State Teachers, national intercollegiate champions this year and defending AAU titlists.