Entering the Red and Black Wrestle-Offs on Sunday, the Maryland wrestling coaching staff had already released its list of projected starters for the start of the season. However, the event was a chance for a few wrestlers to fight for a spot.
Of the 10 weight classes that compete, the Terps showcased five of their starters, three of whom are listed as co-starters.
Tyler Goodwin (133-pound weight class) and Justin Alexander (157-pound weight class) justified their first-string selections with victories over Jhared Simmons and Jakob Restrepo, respectively. Redshirt senior Billy Rappo earned the decision over Brandon Walker in their bout, and he will begin the season as the starter in the 141-pound class, coach Kerry McCoy said, as Alfred Bannister, the other co-starter in that class, is injured.
Perhaps the Terps’ closest battle comes in the 197-pound weight class, with co-starters Garrett Wesneski and David-Brian Whisler taking their match to overtime. Whisler earned the 6-4 decision with a takedown and highlighted the duo’s competition.
“They did a good job of getting after it, scoring points, going to overtime,” McCoy said. “They’re both really good and it was kind of one of those where, who made a mistake first, or who capitalized on the opportunity first. There was a scramble on the edge there, [Whisler] got the winning takedown, and it could have very easily gone the other way.”
Though Whisler earned the victory, Wesneski has an edge in experience. He won 27 matches in a redshirt season two years ago before competing in the Big Ten last year. In his third year with the program, Wesneski believes that experience could be instrumental this season.
“It’s going to be huge going into this year, just because, getting a year of wrestling, traveling, the experience as a whole,” Wesneski said at media day last week. “I’m just going to be ready this year because I know what to expect.”
Wesneski, though, has faced problems with confidence in the past. Injuries and mental focus were both issues for the Canton, Pennsylvania, native last year. Wesneski said he lost a lot of close matches last year and didn’t take those losses well, carrying his frustration into practice. However, that attitude is something he has worked on over the summer.
“My main thing was just working on mentality,” Wesneski said. “Going into this year, I have a whole new mentality, and that’s basically enjoying this. You’ve got five years to do this. I’m going to enjoy it and put in the work, so I have no regrets. Whatever happens, happens.”
The battle between Wesneski and Whisler, a redshirt freshman who went 8-3 in his first college season, is ongoing. Regardless of who gets the nod, McCoy is happy to have the competition in the class.
“It’s good to have two good guys competing that are going to push each other and make each other better,” McCoy said.
