Preview: Maryland wrestling gets set for weekend matches against Purdue and No. 1 Penn State

Maryland wrestling (8-7, 0-6 Big Ten) will look to break out of a five-match losing streak this weekend, when it takes on Purdue (4-9, 0-6 Big Ten) at and No. 1 Penn State (13-0, 6-0) Big Ten on the road.

Friday’s dual against Purdue is senior night for the Terps. Maryland will be celebrating Jaron Smith, Lucas Cordio and Zach Spence. Out of the three, Smith has been the only consistent starter for the Terps this year. This weekend, the graduate student will look to contribute to Maryland’s first Big Ten win since his freshman year in his last two Big Ten duals as a Terp against a Boilermakers squad who has dropped its last seven duals and a Penn State unit that holds the Nation’s top rank.

Kicking things off for the Terps at 125 will be either No. 17 Braxton Brown or the redshirt junior Spence. The redshirt freshman Brown has been untouchable in dual meets this season for the Terps with a 14-0 record. Whoever Maryland sends out will be tasked with defeating Purdue’s No. 3 Matt Ramos and Penn State’s Marco Vespa. The redshirt sophomore Ramos is 24-3 and 11-2 in duals, while the sophomore Vespa is 0-4 in all action this season. 

Redshirt senior King Sandoval will represent Maryland at 133. Sandoval made his return for the Terps last week, dropping a 12-0 majority decision to No. 15 Joe Heilmann where his extended time away from the mat was evident. He’ll look to shake off the rust in matchups with Purdue redshirt freshman Dustin Norris and Penn State junior Baylor Shunk. Norris holds an 11-12 record, while Shunk lost his only match this season. 

At 141, freshman Kal Miller will wrestle for the Terps. Miller has struggled in recent weeks, with five-straight decision losses. 

“I’m putting my foot down, no more moral victories,” coach Alex Clemsen said. “He’s a young kid, he’s had plenty of time to grow up, he’s been fighting his older brother his whole life, he should never be overwhelmed, he should never be overpowered.” 

Miller will look to break out against Purdue’s No. 13 Parker Filius and Penn State’s No. 6 Beau Bartlett. The graduate student Filius is 15-7, while the junior Bartlett is 16-1.

No. 18 Ethen Miller will compete for Maryland at 149. The redshirt freshman has had a big season for the Terps, with a 22-5 overall record. Miller has been a proficient point scorer in the middle of the lineup, with 12 of his 22 wins coming by either majority decision or technical fall. He’ll look to continue rolling against Purdue’s 4-11 Jaden Reynolds and Penn State’s No. 13 Shayne Van Ness, with a 12-4 overall record.

Redshirt junior Michael North will battle for the Terps at 157. North reentered the lineup last week after a brief injury hiatus, dropping a 7-2 decision. He’ll look to get back in the win column  facing off against Purdue’s No. 6 Kendall Coleman and Penn State’s No. 8 Levi Haines. The redshirt senior Coleman is 24-3, while the freshman Haines is 15-1 with six majority decision wins. 

At 165, either redshirt freshman John Martin Best or Cordio will come out for the Terps. Best is 5-12 with a 2-4 record in Big Ten duals, while the redshirt senior Cordio is 4-7 and 1-2 in all dual action this season. Whoever Maryland sends out will go up against Purdue’s Cooper Noehre and Penn State’s No. 9 Alex Facundo. The junior Noehre has an 8-11 record, while the redshirt freshman Facundo is 13-2.

Sophomore Dominic Solis will represent Maryland at 174. Solis is on a losing streak, dropping his last five contests to bring his record down to 9-9. He’ll look to right the ship in matchups with Purdue junior Macartney Parkinson and Penn State junior Carter Starocci. Parkinson is 9-12, while Starocci holds the No. 1 overall rank with a 13-0 record. 

At 184, Redshirt junior Kevin Makosy will wrestle for the Terps. Makosy, who made his return last from an injury sustained Nov. 5, looked no worse for wear in a 6-3 decision loss. Makosy will face Purdue redshirt freshman Ben Vanadia and Penn State junior Donovon Ball. Vanadia is 10-13, while Ball is 10-3.

No. 17 Jaxon Smith will look to rejoin the Maryland lineup at 197. The last time the redshirt freshman Smith wrestled was Jan. 14 against Virginia, and he’s been kept out with injuries since. 

“He’s close, real close,” Clemsen said. 

If Smith can return, he’d face Purdue redshirt freshman Hayden Filipovich and Penn State No. 3 Max Dean. Filipovich is winless in Big Ten dual action this season, while the senior Dean is the reigning NCAA National Champion at 197. 

No. 25 Jaron Smith will close out his Big Ten career for the Terps against Purdue’s Hayden Copass and Penn State’s No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet. Smith has demonstrated incredible growth in his eight years for Maryland, improving every year and picking up tons of huge wins for the Terps at 197 before transitioning smoothly to heavyweight this year. Smith will be pushed in his last two matches, as Copass is 6-5 and Kerkvliet is 11-1. 

The Purdue match will begin Friday night at 7:00 p.m., while the Penn State match will start at 1:00 pm on Sunday.