No. 23 Maryland wrestling beat Navy, 18-15, staying undefeated to start the season.
Maryland came into the dual after a long layoff from their last match. Their last match was an upset victory over No.16 Pitt when Jaron Smith secured victory.
This match started with dueling decisions for the two teams. The third bout was where the Terps started to gain momentum.
No. 12 Jaxon Smith held complete control of the bout from the start. He earned an early 6-1 lead after the first period and never gave the lead-up. Smith won the bout 10-2 with the help of a riding point to put the Terps in front 7-3.
It looked like the Terps were bound to secure the heavyweight bout next as No. 20 Jaron Smith held a 5-4 lead late in the third period. Navy’s Grady Griess (No. 18) had a different outcome in mind. Griess lunged at Smith for one final attempt to earn a takedown; the attempt proved successful.
The loss pushed the score 7-6, and momentum started to fade from the Terps.
The momentum didn’t sway too much thanks to No. 23 Braxton Brown. Brown used a huge six-point third period to win his bout 13-1 and earn a second major decision for the Terps.
The next two bouts were all Navy. Navy’s Tyler Hunt earned a 7-3 decision win over Jackson Cockrell, and No. 17 Josh Koderhandt beat No. 29 Kal Miller to give the Midshipmen the lead for the first time.
The loss put the pressure on redshirt Freshman No. 19 Ethen Miller to come up big in his bout at the 149lbs weight class. Miller did just that, earning a dominant 17-4 major decision a victory head coach Alex Clemsen knew he was capable of.
“He’s [Ethen Miller] gonna go out, and he’s gonna try to rip your arm off and feed it to you. And if you don’t want to eat it, he’ll probably beat you with it, and then he’ll make you eat it. So, I thought he did exactly what he was capable of doing,” said Clemsen.
That win shifted the pressure to No. 20 Michael North to come up with a victory to put the match out of reach.
“A lot of pressure coming in because I knew I had to pull through for the team. But I mean, at the end of the day, it’s just you on the mat against your opponents,” said North.
North followed Miller’s performance with a 2-0 decision over No. 22 Andrew Cerniglia to give the Terps an insurmountable 18-12 lead.
The match was a close contest throughout with most of the bouts ending in decisions. The key to the Terps’ victory came via bonus points.
“Our guys knew that, that it could come down to bonus. It might be a five-five split and a bonus point or two could, could change it,” said Clemsen.
The Terps won three major decisions resulting the in the three extra points needed to win the duel. They also didn’t allow Navy to get any bonus points, which Clemsen says points to the fight of the team.
“I think not giving up any [bonus points] just shows that our kids are, are gritty, and they’re in shape and are physical, and they’ve got a lot of heart,” said Clemsen.
The win puts the Terps at 5-0 on the season, their best start since 2011. The win was the Terps’ first road victory against Navy since 2012.
Maryland will take a long hiatus from the mat. The Terps’ next match with come on January 1 when they wrestle in the Southern Scuffle in Tennessee.
