Pat Smith

Pat Smith wins Greco-Roman gold in Israeli tournament

BEER SHEVA, Israel – Three-time U.S. Senior World Team member Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) claimed a gold medal, one of three U.S. medals won on the first day of the Slaven, Halfen, Weinberg & Gottfruend Memorial on Thursday.

This tournament is held in commemoration of the fallen Israeli athletes from the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, which occurred 50 years ago, and is named in honor of the four wrestling victims of the Munich Massacre: Yossef Gutfreund (referee), Moshe Weinberg (coach) and wrestling athletes Eliezer Halfin and Mark Slavin.

Smith won his two bouts in a round-robin competition, with a pair of 8-0 technical falls, defeating Niko Nikladze of Israel and Aziz Boualem of Morocco. Continue reading at teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling →

Nowry, Provisor beaten in Greco-Roman quarterfinals at Senior Worlds in Norway; Smith, Porter are eliminated

OSLO, Norway – Day one of Greco-Roman at the 2021 Senior World Championships included preliminary action at four weight classes on Thursday morning.

Competing at 82 kg was Ben Provisor, who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games and is also on his second Senior World Championships team.

Provisor, the No. 2 seed, received a bye, then battled 2021 Asian bronze medalist Satoki Mukai of Japan in his first match. Mukai got the first point when Provisor was called for passivity. While defending a gut wrench, officials penalized Provisor for two points and a caution for fleeing. The USA challenged and it was accepted, no points awarded. Provisor scored a nice takedown on the edge in the second period to lead 2-1. Mukai could not get to Provisor the rest of the way, giving Provisor a one-point win. Continue reading at teamusa.org →

Experienced, talented U.S. team to compete at Senior World Wrestling Championships in Oslo, Norway, Oct. 2-10

Minnesota Storm wrestler Pat Smith set to compete on October 7-8

Shortly after one of the greatest Olympic performances in the history of USA Wrestling, the United States is sending an experienced and talented team to the Senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway, October 2-10.

Eight of the nine U.S. wrestlers who won Olympic medals at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 decided to also compete at the World Championships, giving Team USA an amazing foundation for success in Oslo. In addition, the other 22 team berths were determined during a competitive Senior World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb., September 11-12.

The competition will be held at Jordal Amfi in Oslo, Norway. The event starts with men’s freestyle competition October 2-5, women’s freestyle action October 4-7, and Greco-Roman wrestling October 7-10.

The combined U.S. team includes 10 Olympic medalists including four who have won an Olympic gold medal. The group also has eight past Senior World champions, who have won a combined 18 World titles. A total of 12 of the team members have won a Senior World medal, and they have combined for a total of 36 Senior World medals. Continue reading at teamusa.org →

In COVID-19 era, former Gophers wrestler Pat Smith juggles need for competition and compliance

It can be hard for Minnesotans to keep up with the state’s COVID-19 regulations, which have shifted and changed throughout the pandemic. Multiply that by four or five, and you’ll get a taste of what Pat Smith is trying to decipher.

The former Gopher from Chaska is resuming his globe-hopping ways, heading to Europe as he pursues an Olympic berth in Greco-Roman wrestling. That requires some extra preparation in the era of coronavirus. In between workouts, Smith has been educating himself on testing mandates in Croatia, mask rules in Sweden and what’s open and closed in France.

“I have to know entrance requirements for each country, and the protocols in connecting airports,” Smith said. “It’s definitely interesting. From what I can tell, I have to make sure I get a COVID test right before each one.”

The next place Smith visits will be Nice, France, for this weekend’s Henri Deglane Grand Prix. Smith is among 33 U.S. athletes participating in the tournament, which includes freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling. The Greco-Roman bracket is Sunday, with Smith competing at 77 kilograms (169.8 pounds). Continue reading at startribune.com →

Chasing medals must wait for Minnesota’s Olympic hopefuls

With the Tokyo Games now in 2021, local Olympic hopefuls reset dreams

Tori Dixon had begun to feel it was inevitable. With the sporting world essentially shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, and a rising chorus of voices pushing for the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed, the Burnsville native had started to accept the fact that her Summer Games dream might be deferred.

She was still holding out hope, though, when she woke up Tuesday morning.

“Then I saw my phone was blowing up,’’ said Dixon, a member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team and a former Gopher. “And I read the news.

“Everyone had a million questions, but I was still trying to process what was going on. It was like a bomb dropped, and you just had to pick up the pieces.” Continue reading at startribune.com

Tony Nelson Wins Gold at 2020 Pan-Am Championships

Gophers alum and two-time NCAA Champion Tony Nelson (’14) took home the 125kg gold medal at the 2020 Pan-American Championships on Monday.

Nelson won three straight matches before getting an injury default in the gold medal match over Amarveer Dhesi of Canada. Nelson’s run began with a 2-2 criteria win before a 4-0 shutout in the following round and a semifinal pin in 70 seconds to advance. He was one of six American champions on the day.

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University of Minnesota Coaches Clinic set for October 25th

Headlining wrestling clinicians include Brandon Paulson, Sean Russell, and Pat Smith

The University of Minnesota wrestling team, led by Brandon Eggum and his staff, will once again host a coaches clinic this fall. The event will take place on Friday, October 25, 2019, at the Bierman Field Athletic Building in Minneapolis, Minn (516 15th Ave SE). The clinic offers professional instruction on the fundamentals and techniques of coaching wrestling and is open to all interested participants and fans of the sport.

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