Maryland wrestling (1-0) started the 2023-2024 season with a win on the road against American (0-1), defeating the Eagles, 30-7.
The bout started with a major upset when redshirt sophomore Braxton Brown fell to junior Jack Maida in a 13-3 major decision. Brown led in the first period, but he never scored more than one takedown. Brown was ranked at No. 15 coming into the match, with Maida ranked at No. 30.
King Sandoval put the Terps on the board with a 6-3 decision win against Max Leete. Leete traded takedowns with Sandoval, but gave up two escapes and riding time. Leete showed an uptick in offensive effort in the final thirty seconds of the bout, but it was not enough to get the takedown.
Sophomore Kal Miller rode a hot start in the first period against Ethan Szerencsits en route to a major decision to give the Terps the lead. The match ended with 45 seconds left in the third period after Miller secured the final takedown at the edge of the mat.
Redshirt sophomore Ethen Miller took his own first period hot start against Ryan Zimmerman to earn a major decision. Miller led Zimmerman 12-3 after the first period, and only added four points including ride time to end the bout 16-3.
Eagles true freshman Kaden Milheim proved to be a difficult opponent for redshirt senior Michael North, but after he was held to just 4-0 after two periods of the 157 pound bout, North secured a second takedown and ride time to earn the 8-1 decision.
Redshirt sophomore John Martin-Best defeated junior Breon Phifer in the 165-pound bout, spending most of the fight securing riding time and throwing Phifer back onto the mat. The score was 3-1 after two periods, but a ten-point third period plus ride time was enough for Best to turn a close match into a 14-3 major decision.
Junior Dominic Solis had to fend off a comeback effort from redshirt sophomore Lucas White in the 174 pound bout. The Terps’ co-captain had a 7-1 lead after two periods, but White threatened to turn the fight on its head after securing a takedown and a two-count near-fall. Solis held onto the win with a reversal and ride time to secure the 10-6 decision.
Eagles graduate student Connor Bourne handed Maryland its only other defeat of the night, dropping redshirt junior Chase Mielnik in the 184-pound bout. Bourne got off to a fast start, taking down Mielnik within the first few seconds and never looking back. Mielnik never took Bourne down, and American earned the 8-3 decision.
The 197-pound bout between redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smith and redshirt freshman Liam Volk-Klos never went beyond the first period, as Smith secured a 15-0 technical fall. All Volk-Klos could do was fend off Smith’s attempts to score a fall, and he never got out from under Smith’s hold.
Graduate student Seth Nevills won his first ever heavyweight bout as a Terp, defeating graduate student Will Jarrell. The two wrestlers were evenly matched throughout the bout, with Nevills scoring the lone takedown late in the third period. He won the decision 6-2.
Maryland’s next meet will be the Tiger Style invite In Kansas City, Missouri.
