After a season in which it finished 1-8 in Big Ten action, the Maryland wrestling team wants to improve. To do so, the Terps expect to rely on a large contingent of young grapplers.
In coach Kerry McCoy’s ninth year with the program, the Terps are aiming to improve on last year’s 12th place conference finish. They expect 133-pound redshirt junior Tyler Goodwin and 149-pound redshirt sophomore captain Alfred Bannister, who earned spots in the InterMat Wrestling polls this week and won their respective divisions at the Southeast Open on Nov. 6, to lead the team this season.
“Last year, Geoff [Alexander], Lou [Mascola] and Dawson Peck were in and out of the rankings,” McCoy said Tuesday. “So to start off the season with two newer, younger guys, it’s pretty good.”
David-Brian Whisler joined Goodwin and Bannister with a first-place finish in the 197-pound division two weekends ago. Plus, 184-pound Youssif Hemida, also a captain, and 285-pound Jaron Smith earned second-place honors.
The five finalists were underclassmen, following the pattern the Terps displayed last year, when they started six freshmen at least once. With that experience, the Terps are optimistic about their teammates’ abilities in the early stages of their college careers.
“I’m really excited for this year,” Rappo said after the team’s wrestle-offs Oct. 30. “We can do some big things. We’ve still got a young team, but I’m looking forward to leading this team and helping them move higher in the Big Ten.”
“It’s great that they had that experience getting out there in the Big Ten as freshmen,” redshirt freshman 165-pounder Josh Ugalde said at media day in late October. “But we also had a good amount of our freshmen redshirt and get that experience and get bigger, get stronger, get better. We’re going to be tough this year with the freshmen that we have and with a year under our belts.”
Rappo is expected to start, as Bannister, who wrestled in the 141-pound class last year, moved to 149 pounds, though he could transition between classes. Junior 125-pounder Michael Beck will be the starter in that class, while Goodwin highlights the lower weights.
Several middleweight spots are still in contention, too. McCoy said four or five grapplers are competing for the 157-pound spot, while Ugalde faces pressure at 165 from freshman Spencer Woods and redshirt sophomore Patrick Gerish.
Plus, the starter at 174 pounds is in limbo because sophomore Brendan Burnham may redshirt after offseason shoulder surgery. Garrett Wesneski and David-Brian Whisler are also competing for the starting spot in the 197-pound class.
With three weeks before the Big Ten schedule begins, the squad’s look will continue to develop, the Terps said. However, McCoy wants the Terps to focus on daily improvements in a season they hope to improve their conference record.
“It’s taking it one day at a time, trying to get better every day,” McCoy said. “The thing that I’ve said most with these guys is to recognize the work they’ve been doing, and not just recognize that they’re working hard, but putting a purpose to it. When you do that, you know it’s going to pay off; it’s going to have a result.
“Keep putting the work in, recognize that we’re doing good stuff, and that gives you the feeling that, yes, you do deserve to go out and be successful.”
