Maryland wrestling (3-4) returns to College Park Sunday to face the top-ranked Penn State (6-0) following a loss at Indiana.
In their fourth Big Ten matchup of the year, the Terps face an uphill battle against heavyweight Seth Nevills’ former team. The Nittany Lions are undefeated so far this season, logging victories against both Big Ten teams that overcame Maryland this season.
This dual meet will be the first this season where Jaxon Smith is an underdog to his opponent based on Intermat rankings. Both No. 1 Aaron Brooks and No. 5 Jaxon Smith are undefeated this season in dual meets, with Smith securing a victory against Indiana on Jan. 22 that would have allowed Seth Nevills to at least tie the meet with a victory of his own in the heavyweight division.
Sunday’s contest will likely see the rematch between Kal Miller and Penn State senior Beau Bartlett. Last season, Bartlett defeated the then-true freshman Kal Miller by 5-2 decision. This season, No. 17 Miller has been impressing in dual meets, but No. 2 Bartlett is fighting to be at the top of the NCAA 141-pound weight class.
Braxton Brown was the only Terp to secure a victory against Penn State last year, doing so in the 125-pound slot against then-freshman Gary Steen. This year, as a 133-pound wrestler, he will be competing against No. 5 Aaron Nagao. This year, Nagao has two losses, both to top ten wrestlers.
No. 1 174-pound Carter Starocci has missed time for Penn State this season due to injury, making a 2022-23 season rematch between himself and Dom Solis unlikely. Solis, who lost by 4-1 decision last week at Indiana, will likely be the Terps representative against Penn State, although it is unclear if and when Starocci will return.
In their shutout victory over Michigan State on Jan. 21, Penn State only had four wrestlers on their roster who were ranked outside the top ten. Maryland currently rosters just one top ten wrestler (Smith), and will be looking for its first ranked victory to snap a two-match losing streak.
