There were few positives from the Maryland wrestling team’s loss to Penn State on Sunday. The Terps lost nine of 10 bouts, including five via pins.

However, 133-pounder Billy Rappo earned the Terps’s lone victory. The redshirt senior is 9-6 in duals and is pushing toward a good seed at the Big Ten Championships and a possible NCAA tournament berth.

Coach Kerry McCoy said Rappo “keeps on plugging away” after Rappo defeated Indiana’s Garrett Pepple on Feb. 3. He followed that win with victories over Northwestern’s Jason Ipsarides and the Nittany Lions’ Triston Law last weekend.

“Bill is just continuing to roll,” McCoy said after the Northwestern match. “We want to keep it going. He’s in a good position to finish strong this year, get to the conference tournament and do some big things.”

[Read more: Maryland wrestling finished winless in the Big Ten after its 45-6 loss to Penn State]

Undefeated No. 15 149-pounder Alfred Bannister and heavyweight Youssif Hemida (10-6 in duals) have received attention for their performances this season, and Rappo joins them as the only other Terp with a winning record in the Big Ten at 5-3 in conference action.

The Holland, Pennsylvania, native began the season at 141 pounds, going 3-3 in duals before dropping a class to 133 pounds, in which he has won five of seven bouts, only falling to No. 7 Stevan Micic of Michigan and No. 1 Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State.

McCoy said Rappo, the team’s only senior, has faced adversity in his career while changing weight classes. He was recruited at 125-pounds, and has switched multiple times.

Despite that, McCoy has been impressed with Rappo’s leadership as a captain this season.

“A lot people have reasons to complain, but nobody has more reasons to complain than Bill,” McCoy said. “But he puts his nose to the grindstone every day and just comes in and works, and that’s going to pay off.”

So far, it has paid off. Along with being one of the Terps’ best wrestlers this season, Rappo was included in last week’s NCAA coaches’ panel rankings, which are used as part of the selection process for the NCAA tournament, which begins March 16.

Rappo is ranked No. 32 in that poll, but has had a difficult schedule, facing six total ranked grapplers in duals at 141 and 133 pounds, plus two more at the Midlands Championships in December. Despite the team struggling, Rappo has his sights set on the postseason.

“I’ve been giving it my all this whole season and it’s not done yet,” Rappo said. “We’ve still got a good portion left, and it’s the most important part of the season. That’s where I really want to put my stamp on it. Be an All-American, leave my legacy.”