Terrapins wrestler Alfred Bannister took the mat against No. 10 Tommy Thorn of Minnesota on Jan. 8 in a battle that proved a key part of the La Plata native’s struggles. The 141-pounder battled closely with Thorn, but couldn’t top the ranked foe. The only mark he left on Thorn was a gashed nose.

It marked Bannister’s fifth loss in six matches, prompting coach Kerry McCoy to switch him out of the Terps’ lineup and replace him with Billy Rappo. An elite recruit, Bannister hasn’t experienced losing much in his career, something that has been evident to McCoy.

Bannister has taken his most recent three losses seriously. He’ll look to bounce back Friday when the Terps travel to No. 12 Rutgers.

“It’s a good thing for me,” Bannister said. “If you’re not the hardest on yourself, who will be? If you don’t look yourself in the mirror and honestly point out what’s wrong with yourself, no one else is going to do it for you.”

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Bannister’s string of defeats started at the Grapple at the Garden on Nov. 29 when he dropped two bouts. He missed some time after with a stomach illness, and when he returned, he couldn’t seem to get himself back on track.

Though it might not be easy to do against the Scarlet Knights (11-3, 2-2 Big Ten), who boast No. 6 Anthony Ashnault at 141 pounds, Bannister is trying to keep a positive outlook.

“Looking forward, I have to believe in everything I’m doing, and how it’s going to help me,” Bannister said.

Bannister, a captain in his redshirt freshman campaign, isn’t the only Terps leader who has endured struggles recently. Captain Lou Mascola, who wrestles at 157 pounds, has dropped two straight dual meets.

And similar to Bannister’s, Mascola’s attempt to turn things around won’t come easy. He will battle No. 17 Richie Lewis, another of Rutgers’ six ranked wrestlers.

As two of the main leaders on the squad, the duo plays a key role when it comes to influencing the other wrestlers on the team. While their losses can potentially push their teammates forward and show them that talent isn’t everything, some on the team also know how discouraging it can be to see your leaders fail.

“They have a pretty big influence,” 125-pound Jhared Simmons said. “When they win it gets us pretty hyped, but when they lose, we get down about it. It’s all about being a family, being a team and picking each other up.”

If the Terps (4-9, 1-5) are to turn around their season and upset the Scarlet Knights, or any other conference foe, McCoy believes it will be critical for Bannister and Mascola to find consistency.

Still, the eighth-year coach doesn’t feel the need to push either of them, having faith in their hard work and commitment. He often describes Mascola’s grappling as “a roller coaster,” and is more interested in Mascola wrestling smarter and with more intention.

“If you just make the right decision and not the mistake, it flips the match,” McCoy said. “We zig when we should’ve zagged.”

Plus, McCoy has maintained this is the part of the season for the Terps to work through their issues. Throughout the past few months, McCoy has reiterated that his worry isn’t about the success his wrestlers find in January or February, because all that matters is wrestling well in March when the NCAA championships roll around.

“This is just part of our peaking process,” McCoy said. “Doesn’t matter what the score at the Rutgers dual is if we don’t perform at the end of the year. It’s all about March.”