Norwich Pee-Wee Wrestler Kole Downey is a NYWAY State Champion. (Submitted Photo)

SYRACUSE – The 2023 New York Wrestling Association for Youth (NYWAY) State Wrestling Championship was held on March 25th and 26th in the Exposition Center at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York. Hundreds of young wrestlers who placed in the top four from eight regional qualifiers across the state participated.

The eight qualifying regions were: Northern, Capital, Hudson Valley, Long Island, Central, Southern Tier, Western and Far West. NYWAY’s mission is to continue to be a homegrown, grassroots organization that is striving towards the growth of wrestling for athletes and their families in the State of New York. Their goal is to increase participation in the sport of wrestling to ensure more student-athletes graduate wrestlers.

Kole Downey, a ten year old fourth grader at Perry Browne in Norwich, qualified in the Southern Tier region. He advanced to Syracuse, where he defeated Hayden Osborne from the Far Western Region in the quarterfinals by fall in 30 seconds. In the semifinals, he stopped Sabitino Smi from the Western Region by a fall in 2 minutes and 24 seconds. In the finals, he met Cole Trumble from the Capital Region and pinned him in 1 minute and 33 seconds. He became the 2023 State Champion for his age and weight group by pinning everyone he faced in the tournament while not allowing a point to be scored against him!

Kole is the son of Amanda and Joe Downey of Norwich.