After 14 dual meets this season, the Terrapins wrestling team still hasn’t settled on a consistent lineup, a result of injuries and inexperience on the team.
The increased number of shake-ups has left some Terps in a strange position, where they’re unsure whether they’ll be competing in the upcoming match. While they’d like to devote their full attention to their next opponent, they sometimes find themselves confused with the unknown.
“I feel just a little off,” 141-pound Billy Rappo said. “You’re still unsure, you’re not totally ready to go.”
So when No. 6 Michigan visits College Park on Friday night for the first time since the 1970-71 season, the Terps will have to overcome that uncertainty in hopes of pulling off the upset. The Wolverines won the teams’ last meeting, 28-10, on Jan. 5, 2014.
Michigan has only started 15 wrestlers in duals this season compared to the Terps’ 20. Of the 10 weight classes, the Terps have started multiple grapplers in eight of them, with 157-pound Lou Mascola and 197-pound Garrett Wesneski being the only wrestlers to hold on to their spots all season.
While the constant switching between wrestlers leaves the door ajar for animosity and resentment to grow between the Terps, coach Kerry McCoy hasn’t seen that happen. Instead, he hopes it drives them to work harder to earn their spot.
“Everyone wants to be the guy and go out and wrestle,” McCoy said. “It’s more disappointment, but they know they’re trying to help the team. They should be upset, but it should motivate them to get the spot.”
McCoy said that if a wrestler performs well in practice and matches, he’ll reward them with more playing time.
“Typically at this point, you know who your lineup is,” McCoy said. “It’s a day-to-day situation, we’ll see how the guys are working and performing in competition. If one of those guys separates himself, we’ll see it.”
With the Big Ten championships a month away, McCoy hopes the Terps’ final four dual meets clear some of the lineup confusion. McCoy has no specific date in mind, but he recognizes it would be best to settle into something with the end of the regular season approaching.
“We want to have our lineup set, because qualifying spots for national tournament and rankings are up for stake,” McCoy said. “You want to get a guy who’s just set on knowing he’s going to be in a position to win a Big Ten title. Ideally, you’d want to everyone set by mid-January at latest.”
But until then, some of the Terps will have to be on their toes, waiting for McCoy to call their names and send them onto the mat. For 149-pound Ryan Diehl, he’s happy to finally be eligible to compete after sitting out last season after transferring from Liberty, but he agrees with Rappo that a consistent lineup is preferable.
“That would be better, just getting the same line, because with experience it helps,” Diehl said. “When you have that constant, same thing over and over again, it works out for the best.”
Still, Rappo has been able to draw some positives from it. While his competitor, 141-pound Alfred Bannister, came into the season an undisputed starter and captain, Bannister’s injuries have opened the door for Rappo to snag his spot.
“It starts in the wrestling room, getting those extra workouts in,” Rappo said. “And then when I get my chance to wrestle for the Big Ten matches, just put out all my effort and come out with a win; show that I’m the one to start at 141.”
