The Terrapins wrestling team relied on 133-pound Tyler Goodwin at the season-opening Terrapins Duals through the Grapple at the Garden held in New York City on Nov. 29. The team was happy with his success at the weight class, but it wasn’t coming from where they expected.

Before the season, 133-pound Geoffrey Alexander was slated to start. But the redshirt senior entered the season struggling to manage a neck and shoulder injury he says originated from “normal wear and tear.” In managing the injury, Alexander didn’t participate in practices and competition.

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The Pittsburgh native couldn’t stand watching from the sideline.

So Alexander made some adjustments to his preparation. For one thing, he cut down on clashing with the coaching staff and began listening to all of their advice.

“I may try to fight sometimes,” Alexander said, “but they know what they’re doing for me.”

Last week, coach Kerry McCoy limited Alexander to one live match during practice while the other wrestlers each participated in two. It wasn’t what Alexander wanted, but he had faith that McCoy was acting in his best interests.

And on Friday, Alexander was the only Terp to capture a victory during the team’s meet against Rutgers.

“He’s bought into coaches more,” McCoy said. “He’s doing everything the right way, and he’s been doing it for a while now.”

With his coaches constantly in his ear, the 16th-ranked Alexander has found success since returning to competition at the Nittany Lion Open, where he won two bouts by a combined score of 30-4. His next match, a 6-2 victory over then-No. 9 Eric Montoya of Nebraska, began a streak of five consecutive dual-meet victories.

“Since I’ve come back, I’ve just felt things come easier to me, and I’m able to do what I want to do,” Alexander said.

Alexander’s victories have been especially impactful amid the struggles of his fellow captains, 141-pound Alfred Bannister and 157-pound Lou Mascola. This was evident against Rutgers, as both Bannister’s and Mascola’s losing streaks continued.

Beyond his recent success on the mat, Alexander has continued to excel as a leader, McCoy said. Alexander has seen the Terps transition from the ACC to the Big Ten and has spent five years on the campus.

“Guys know they can come to him and he’s there to talk,” McCoy said. “He has a huge influence on the team.”

According to Alexander, one of his 165-pound teammates texted him the other day looking for advice. So Alexander grabbed his phone and helped him out.

“I try to help anyone, no matter what,” Alexander said. “Just doing what I can to make them feel better.”

With his college career winding down, Alexander hopes to savor his remaining experiences both on and off the mat. In the end, though, Alexander has loftier goals. He wants to end up on the podium at the NCAA Championships.

“I have a little [under] two months to go now, and my goal is to end up on the podium at all costs,” Alexander said. “I’m going to do it 110 percent, and there’s no doubt in my mind I’ll be on that podium at the end of the year.”