University of Minnesota Athletics
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Pat Smith Set for 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling
4/18/2024 12:30:00 PM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS – Former Gopher wrestler Pat Smith is set to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling this weekend with eyes on the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics later this summer.
The two-day event runs Friday and Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. Action begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT with the Challenge Tournament preliminaries, quarterfinals and consolation rounds. The semifinals and finals take place Friday night beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday features the final best-of-three championship series starting at 9 a.m. CT and continuing at 5:30 p.m. Peacock and USA Network will provide streaming and linear coverage, while TrackWrestling will have live results.
Representing Minnesota Storm RTC, Smith has earned the No. 5 pre-seed at 67 kg in Greco-Roman and is scheduled to face No. 12 Peter Ogunsanya in the opening round, barring any changes after weigh-ins.
Smith qualified for the Trials after a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Senior Nationals in December. He is looking to reach the Olympics for the first time in his career after finishing as runner-up in 2016 and fourth in 2021.
His international career is highlighted by four Pan American championships, (2015-17 and 2022), three at Final X (2019 and 2022-23), as well as titles at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials and 2017 U.S. Open.
At Minnesota, Smith went 57-32 from 2010-15 with an Olympic redshirt year in the 2011-12 campaign. He was a four-year letterwinner and two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Along with Smith, Gopher Wrestling Club member Taylor Lamont will also compete in Greco-Roman at 60 kg. Gopher Wrestling Club will also be represented by three athletes in Freestyle. Daniel DeShazer will compete at 57 kg, while Hayden Zillmer and Trent Hillger are both set to take to the mat at 125 kg.
The two-day event runs Friday and Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. Action begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT with the Challenge Tournament preliminaries, quarterfinals and consolation rounds. The semifinals and finals take place Friday night beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday features the final best-of-three championship series starting at 9 a.m. CT and continuing at 5:30 p.m. Peacock and USA Network will provide streaming and linear coverage, while TrackWrestling will have live results.
Representing Minnesota Storm RTC, Smith has earned the No. 5 pre-seed at 67 kg in Greco-Roman and is scheduled to face No. 12 Peter Ogunsanya in the opening round, barring any changes after weigh-ins.
2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Greco-Roman 67 kg bracket based on pre-seeds. 🇺🇸#WrestlingTrials24 | #MTUSA pic.twitter.com/tQlkkJFRG9
— USA Wrestling (@USAWrestling) April 15, 2024
Smith qualified for the Trials after a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Senior Nationals in December. He is looking to reach the Olympics for the first time in his career after finishing as runner-up in 2016 and fourth in 2021.
His international career is highlighted by four Pan American championships, (2015-17 and 2022), three at Final X (2019 and 2022-23), as well as titles at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials and 2017 U.S. Open.
At Minnesota, Smith went 57-32 from 2010-15 with an Olympic redshirt year in the 2011-12 campaign. He was a four-year letterwinner and two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Along with Smith, Gopher Wrestling Club member Taylor Lamont will also compete in Greco-Roman at 60 kg. Gopher Wrestling Club will also be represented by three athletes in Freestyle. Daniel DeShazer will compete at 57 kg, while Hayden Zillmer and Trent Hillger are both set to take to the mat at 125 kg.
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