After beating Lehigh last weekend, the No. 23 Terrapin wrestling team hosts Rider and Rutgers at Comcast Center tomorrow while trying to retain its newfound spot in the team rankings.

The Terps started scheduling both schools in 2004. They lost to Rider and Rutgers in 2004 and 2005 before beating both solidly last season.

With one win over a top-five team (Michigan) and another over a traditionally strong squad (Lehigh) this season, the Terps will try to stay hot this weekend.

“The guys are really starting to see the value of hard work,” said coach Pat Santoro. “Hopefully it will pay off for us this season.”

At 5-3, the Terps have won three of their last four dual matches after going 2-2 to start the season. The recent wins have helped the Terps climb up into the rankings.

“It’s great for the program, and it’s a start, but it’s still early,” Santoro said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before March, and obviously we’d like to get even higher.”

If the Terps hope to continue rising in the rankings, they will need redshirt junior Josh Haines, No. 20 in the 184-pound weight class, to rebound from last weekend’s Lehigh match.

Haines was an early season leader for the team and won the ACC Wrestler of the Week honors three weeks ago after the Terps placed third at the Body Bar Systems Invitational.

Haines also contributed to the Terrapins’ narrow 18-16 defeat of No. 5 Michigan two weeks ago. He stunned the No. 3 wrestler in the country in his weight class, Michigan’s Tyrel Todd, 4-1.

However, Haines struggled Sunday against Lehigh’s David Craig, who is ranked No. 14 in his weight class. Haines’ loss to Craig didn’t hurt the Terps too much, as the team still recorded a strong win over the Mountain Hawks, but they’ll need him to wrestle well if they hope to beat both New Jersey teams tomorrow.

The Terps take on the Broncs first, who are led by Don Fisch, a returning All-American, who placed fifth in the 141-pound weight class at last years NCAA Division I wrestling championships. He will likely take on Terp sophomore Jon Kohler, who lost to Jeff Santo of Lehigh 8-6 in his last match.

Rider has three other returning NCAA qualifiers ranked in the top 30 in their weight classes: T.J. Morrison, Doug Umbehauer and Zac Cunliffe. The Terps will need to be at the top of their game to take on these tough opponents.

The Terps will then take on the Scarlet Knights. Against Rutgers, the team will need to look out for Steve Adamcsik, the redshirt senior who is 12-4 this year and is ranked No. 19 in the 141-pound weight class. He also will likely face Kohler, who will face the toughest challenge of any Terp wrestler this weekend, with matches against two top-25 opponents.

It’s going to be a trying weekend not only for Kohler, but for the Terrapin team as a whole as they look to prove that their recent success – against Rider and Rutgers last year and in the rankings this season – is not a fluke. But Santoro expressed confidence in the team.

“We’re proud of their hard work; we’re seeing improvements every day,” said Santoro.

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