Circumstances surrounding the Terrapins wrestling team have changed since 133-pound Geoffrey Alexander arrived on the campus as a freshman in 2011.
That season, the Terps went on to win their third ACC Championship in four seasons. Alexander, then ranked No. 10 in the country, finished second in the tournament and earned All-ACC honors in his inaugural campaign with the team.
But midway through Alexander’s career, the Terps moved to the Big Ten, the nation’s premier wrestling league. While Alexander qualified for his third NCAA tournament in 2014-15, the Terps have one win in 18 conference meets over the past two seasons.
And on Saturday, Alexander’s ride will come to a close. Along with four other seniors, Alexander will wrestle in his final team dual when the Terps host Rider.
“It’s incredible that there’s so little time left,” Alexander said. “Feels like I just arrived the other day, and now we’re here.”
This weekend’s bout also marks the final dual for the team. The Terps begin postseason play March 5 with the start of the Big Ten Championships before hopefully sending wrestlers to compete in the NCAA Championships later that month.
But first, the Terps (5-12) will have to face off against the Broncs (10-9), who have been under the helm of coach Gary Taylor for 37 seasons. The Broncs also feature two ranked wrestlers compared with one from coach Kerry McCoy’s squad.
For many Terps, the dual will be the last time those on the team are together as a unit. After months of hard work and training together, the journey is nearing the end.
“It’s hard to believe it’s already the final dual of the season and our last time with the seniors,” 197-pound Garrett Wesneski said. “I think we’re all going to miss them.”
The Terps plan to make Saturday about their graduating teammates. They’ll honor the seniors before the dual, and McCoy plans on inserting a number of seniors into the lineup.
“It’s Senior Day, so we try to get as many seniors a chance to compete as possible,” McCoy said. “Obviously, we don’t want to sacrifice the dual, but we want to make sure our seniors are ready.”
One option would be to put in 149-pound Shane Arechiga, who is 9-10 on the season through five open tournaments, for freshman starter Wade Hodges. At 174 pounds, meanwhile, McCoy may opt for Josh Snook.
Another wrestler McCoy could opt for is 184-pound Mark Colabucci, who returned from injury about two weeks ago in triumphant fashion with a 17-2 technical victory over Austin Harrison of George Mason on Sunday.
Aside from those grapplers, the Terps will also hope their veteran starters — Alexander and 157-pound Lou Mascola — can end their home careers strong. The two have led the Terps throughout an often-troubling season, and this dual could provide both wrestlers with a chance to gain momentum going into the postseason.
While Mascola and Alexander are sentimental about wrestling in front of the Xfinity Center crowd for the final time, they’d rather not focus on that right now. It’s a conference crown and an NCAA title that they’re locked in on.
“We both have similar goals, if not the same goals,” Mascola said. “And we’re going to get where we want to be at the end of the year.”
