Maryland wrestling coach Kerry McCoy described 133-pounder Tyler Goodwin as one of the team’s more influential members before the season, and Goodwin validated his coach’s affection with a first-place finish at the Southeast Open in Roanoke, Virginia, on Sunday.
Alfred Bannister, who competed in the 149-pound bracket and 197-pounder David-Brian Whisler joined Goodwin as winners in their respective weight classes and divisions. Heavyweight Youssif Hemida and 184-pounder Jaron Smith also reached the final but took second place.
Goodwin, a redshirt junior, went 7-2 last season and spent time ranked in the InterMat top-20. After working to improve this offseason, Goodwin saw the Southeast Open as an opportunity to see his progress.
“I’m looking forward to seeing where I am compared to other teams, not the people I’ve been training with every day,” Goodwin said Wednesday.
The Gambrills native went 5-0 Sunday. After winning his first two matches, Goodwin went up against No. 18 Jamal Morris of North Carolina State in the semifinals. Goodwin defeated Morris, 17-16, in a back-and-fourth match before earning 7-2 victory over American’s Esteban Gomez Rivera to win the title.
Goodwin competed in open competition, one of two divisions at the event, along with Bannister and Hemida. Whisler and Smith competed in the freshman/sophomore division. Goodwin then earned a 6-4 decision over Appalachian State’s Matt Zovistoski in sudden victory. Whisler had an identical 6-4 sudden victory decision in his final over Army’s Jeremiah Imonode.
Hemida and Smith both fought their way to a final but fell short. Hemida could not defeat Duke’s Jacob Kasper, while Smith was no match for Edinboro’s Dakota Geer, who took a 13-2 major decision. This was the first competition of the year for the two sophomores, as neither participated in the wrestle-offs.
Alex Vargas and Brandon Cray, both 125-pounders, reached the semifinals in the freshman/sophomore division before defeats pitted them against each other in a fight for third place. Cray took the 10-7 decision over Vargas, who defeated Cray in Maryland’s wrestle-offs a week before.
Sophomore Brendan Burnham, a 174-pounder making the leap from the 165-pound weight class, went 1-1 in the event. Burnham, who also underwent shoulder surgery last season, said he’s been working to get into the shape to compete in a heavier weight class.
“I’m kind of light for the weight class right now,” Burnham said on the team’s media day Oct. 27. “In a perfect world I’d like to be a little bigger, but the season’s here and I’m getting there. I’m in the weight room a little more than the other guys.”
Though a total of 25 Terps wrestled, several grapplers who did not compete in the wrestle-offs were also absent at the competition Sunday. McCoy said Maryland was bringing everyone that was healthy, but 125-pounder Michael Beck, 149-pounder Shyheim Brown and 165-pounder Josh Ugalde all did not compete. The three were each listed as projected starters before the season.
