Recap: Maryland wrestling falls to No. 22 Michigan State, 37-9

The Big Ten is one of the deepest conferences in the country for wrestling. As hard as it is to compete when fully healthy, it’s almost impossible when dealing with injuries to some of a team’s best wrestlers. 

That was the case for Maryland wrestling Friday night, as it was defeated by No. 22 Michigan State, 37-9. The Terps are going through a rough patch where they’ve lost three straight while dealing with injuries to some of their best wrestlers. The loss marked the highest number of regular starters that missed a dual match this season, as redshirt freshman Ethen Miller and Jaxon Smith, and redshirt junior Michael North all sat out. Their three weight classes had a combined point differential of -17 for the Terps. 

No. 12 Braxton Brown continues to be a bright spot for Maryland. The redshirt freshman got to work early in his match with No. 17 Tristan Lujan, taking a 2-1 lead in the first with a single leg takedown. In the second, Brown held his lead at 2-1 by staying on top, and a third period escape along with the riding time gave him the 4-1 victory. Brown’s 13th straight dual win in as many dual matches gave Maryland a 3-0 lead to open things up. 

At 133, the Terps were represented by sophomore Conner Quinn. Quinn, still searching for his first win, was faced with a difficult challenge in No. 14 Rayvon Foley. Foley overwhelmed Quinn, taking an early lead and he continued to generate offense on his way to a 17-2 tech fall win that gave Michigan State a 5-3 lead. 

No. 33 Kal Miller went up against redshirt junior Jordan Hamdan at 133. After a scoreless first, Miller started on top in the second. After obtaining 1:10 of riding time, he was hit with stalling, and then Hamdan got an escape to take the lead. Miller got an escape in the third, but he couldn’t find a takedown as Hamdan obtained a 2-1 decision win to expand the Spartans’ lead to 8-3. 

At 149, freshman Joe Fisk wrestled for Maryland, filling in for the injured Miller. Against redshirt junior Peyton Omania, Fisk was powerless to stop Omania’s relentless attack. Omania continued putting points on the board until he eventually obtained a 17-2 tech fall win to bring Michigan State’s lead up to 13-3. 

Redshirt freshman Kevin Schork continued to stand in for North at 157.  Schork had his work cut out for him against one of Michigan State’s best in No. 13 Chase Saldate. Schork was overmatched from the beginning, as Saldate controlled Schork on the ground after an early takedown in the first to get a quick pin. The fall win sent the Spartans’ lead to 19-3. 

Redshirt freshman John Martin best competed for the Terps in a matchup with No. 25 Caleb Fish at 165. In the first, both wrestlers felt each other out in a scoreless period. Fish decided to go on the offensive in the second, getting a takedown while Best responded with an escape to take a 2-1 lead heading into the third. There, Fish got an escape point and held Best off to take the 3-1 decision win and put Michigan State up 22-3. 

No. 33 Dominic Solis battled for Maryland at 174. Going up against freshman Ceasar Garza, the sophomore fell behind early due to a Garza takedown in the first. Solis battled back in the second with a quick escape, but Garza got a second takedown that Solis quickly escaped to hold a 4-3 lead as the match headed to the third. There, Garza got an escape and kept Solis in check to hang on to a 5-3 decision win that brought the score to 25-3. 

At 184, sophomore Chase Mielnik faced No. 13 Layne Malczewski, looking to break out of a long losing streak that started Nov. 18. He’ll have to look a little longer after suffering a fall loss to Malczewski. Malczewski got a takedown from the first, and then controlled Mielnik into the fall to grow the Spartans’ lead to 31-3. 

After a Maryland forfeit at 197 to make the score 37-3, No. 25 Jaron Smith ended the night for the Terps. Wrestling against Ryan Vasbinder, the graduate student had his way, getting a slick single leg takedown in the first to take the lead and encountering little resistance in the second on his way to pinning Vasbinder to make the final score 37-9, in favor of the Spartans. 

Maryland will be back in action on Sunday with a dual meet against No. 3 Michigan.