Preview: No. 22 Maryland wrestling looks to remain undefeated against Indiana

No. 22 Maryland wrestling (5-0) returns home on Monday for its first Big Ten dual competition of the season, where the Terps will face Indiana (4-1).

Maryland is undefeated on the year, with wins against American, Bloomsburg, Duke, then-No.16 Pittsburgh and most recently Navy in a close contest. This success has been recognized in the national rankings, where the Terps currently hold their highest rank of the year in the NWCA Poll.

“I think our staff’s done a really good job putting these kids in position to compete at a really high level,” coach Alex Clemsen said on the ‘Hear The Turtle’ podcast. “You just continue to remind them that this is why you came here, this is what you signed up for.”

Redshirt freshman Braxton Brown will wrestle for the Terps against junior Jacob Moran at 125. Brown is coming off a strong performance in the Southern Scuffle where he took home seventh place with five wins at the event. Brown is 10-2 overall on the season, and his performances have put him as an honorable mention in the Flowrestling rankings and 26th in the Intermat rankings. Moran last competed in a dual match against Ohio State, where he won a 4-3 decision. 

At 133, Maryland will look for production from either redshirt freshman Jackson Cockrell or sophomore Conner Quinn while facing No. 32 Henry Porter. Cockrell and Quinn have both struggled, with a combined record of 1-10 this season. The Terps are hoping Cockrell can bring his performance to the level he was at last year, when he went 22-10. Porter, who’s coming off a majority decision loss in his last match, is a tough matchup as a freshman for whoever the Terps choose to send out. 

Kal Miller will match up against No. 33 Cayden Rooks. Miller has had an excellent freshman campaign so far, never looking overmatched against elite competition on his way to an 8-4 record. The senior Rooks is a solid veteran competitor who poses a challenging task for the young Terp. 

No. 22 Ethen Miller will represent Maryland in a match with No. 33 Graham Rooks. The redshirt freshman is coming off a fourth place finish in the Southern Scuffle, where he won six-straight matches before finally going down in the third place match. The redshirt senior Rooks, who lost his last bout against one of the nation’s best at 149, will be one of Miller’s tougher opponents so far on the season. 

Redshirt junior Michael North, ranked No. 33, comes out for the Terps at 157. North has had an excellent season so far, with a 10-3 record along with a few wins over ranked competition. North will face junior Derek Gilcher, who’s coming off a decision win against a ranked opponent his last time on the mat. 

Either redshirt freshman John Martin Best or redshirt junior Lucas Cordio will look for a win at 165 for Maryland. Best and Cordio have taken turns for the Terps, with Best finding more success in their most recent action at the Southern Scuffle. Redshirt junior Nick South is their projected opponent. South is 4-4 on the season. 

Sophomore Dominic Solis goes up against No. 18 DJ Washington in a difficult matchup at 174. Solis is coming off a rough outing at the Southern Scuffle, where he lost two tightly contested decisions on his way to an early finish. Washington, who lost his last matchup while facing Ohio State, is 15-2 in his redshirt sophomore campaign. 

At 184, Chase Mielnik will attempt to stay hot for the Terps. The sophomore showed out at the Southern Scuffle, with three comeback wins in a row to put him in medal contention. Mielnik will face sophomore Drayton Harris, who’s coming off a fall loss and has a 5-12 record. 

No.11 Jaxon Smith will look to stay dominant for the Terps at 197. Smith obtained a fourth place finish at the Southern Scuffle, where he beat some strong opponents before being forced to bow out with a medical forfeit. The redshirt freshman will face senior Nick Willham, who won a majority decision in his last match. 

Jaron Smith, ranked No. 32, continues to represent the Terps at 285. The graduate student is having a strong year at heavyweight, with a 5-3 record and some powerful performances to earn a ranking among the nation’s best heavyweights. Smith will go up against Jacob Bullock, a senior in the middle of an excellent season in what’s sure to be a good matchup. 

“You signed up to wrestle in the best conference in America, you said you wanted to test yourself week in and week out, night in and night out,” Clemsen said on the ‘Hear The Turtle’ podcast. “Let’s go. Giddy up. We just continue to remind the guys you’re getting exactly what you wanted. Enjoy it. “

Action will start in the XFINITY Center Pavilion at 6:30 pm.