Downey makes weight at Final X: Rutgers and secures men’s freestyle World Team spot at 86 kg
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Patrick Downey celebrates his 2019 U.S. Open title. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – By making weight at 86 kg this afternoon, Patrick Downey (Cranbury, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) earned a spot on the 2019 U.S. Senior World Men’s Freestyle Team, which will compete at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan in September.
Downey won the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in May to qualify for Final X: Rutgers. He was also the 2019 U.S. Open champion at this weight class.
2018 World champion David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) announced on May 24 that he would not be competing at Final X: Rutgers due to injury. Taylor had qualified for Final X: Rutgers by winning a World medal in 2018, advancing directly to Final X.
On Thursday, the deadline for a World medalist to request an extension for his best-of-three series due to injury passed, meaning Taylor would not be able to compete against Downey later this summer for the No. 1 position in his weight class and the spot on the U.S. Senior World Team. Taylor will be No. 2 on the U.S. Freestyle National Team for 2019-20. He injured his knee at the Beat the Streets Benefit in New York City in early May.
Downey was a 2012 Junior World silver medalist. He has moved to New Jersey and is training with the New Jersey Regional Training Center, which is based at Princeton and Rutgers University.
“I am happy to be here. I want to wish my opponent David Taylor a speedy and healthy full recovery. Nobody wanted to wrestle him and have that match more than I did. With that being said, I hope the scale is not too heavy tomorrow and I am ready to become a World champ,” said Downey at Friday’s press conference.
Pat Downey, Cranbury, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
College: Iowa State, Iowa Central CC High School: Glen Burnie, Md. (North County) Born: August 7, 1992
• 2019 U.S. Open champion
• 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• Third at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament
• 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion
• 2012 Junior World silver medalist
• Fifth at 2017 U.S. Open
• Seventh in 2018 U.S. Open
• 2012 UWW Junior Nationals champion
• 2011 Junior Nationals champion
• Fifth at NCAA Championships for Iowa State
• NCJAA National champion for Iowa Central CC
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – By making weight at 86 kg this afternoon, Patrick Downey (Cranbury, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) earned a spot on the 2019 U.S. Senior World Men’s Freestyle Team, which will compete at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan in September.
Downey won the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in May to qualify for Final X: Rutgers. He was also the 2019 U.S. Open champion at this weight class.
2018 World champion David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) announced on May 24 that he would not be competing at Final X: Rutgers due to injury. Taylor had qualified for Final X: Rutgers by winning a World medal in 2018, advancing directly to Final X.
On Thursday, the deadline for a World medalist to request an extension for his best-of-three series due to injury passed, meaning Taylor would not be able to compete against Downey later this summer for the No. 1 position in his weight class and the spot on the U.S. Senior World Team. Taylor will be No. 2 on the U.S. Freestyle National Team for 2019-20. He injured his knee at the Beat the Streets Benefit in New York City in early May.
Downey was a 2012 Junior World silver medalist. He has moved to New Jersey and is training with the New Jersey Regional Training Center, which is based at Princeton and Rutgers University.
“I am happy to be here. I want to wish my opponent David Taylor a speedy and healthy full recovery. Nobody wanted to wrestle him and have that match more than I did. With that being said, I hope the scale is not too heavy tomorrow and I am ready to become a World champ,” said Downey at Friday’s press conference.
Pat Downey, Cranbury, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
College: Iowa State, Iowa Central CC High School: Glen Burnie, Md. (North County) Born: August 7, 1992
• 2019 U.S. Open champion
• 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• Third at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament
• 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion
• 2012 Junior World silver medalist
• Fifth at 2017 U.S. Open
• Seventh in 2018 U.S. Open
• 2012 UWW Junior Nationals champion
• 2011 Junior Nationals champion
• Fifth at NCAA Championships for Iowa State
• NCJAA National champion for Iowa Central CC
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