As Maryland wrestling’s season winds down, the highest-ranked Terps are peaking at the right time.
Maryland completed its Big Ten slate last week. Now, the Terps have one remaining dual against Drexel and action at the F&M Last Chance Invite to cap their regular season. The Big Ten Championships will serve as the last opportunity for Maryland wrestlers to boost their seeds ahead of the NCAA tournament in March.
Jaxon Smith, Braxton Brown, Seth Nevills and Ethen Miller have all impressed in recent weeks, improving their resumes for their impending NCAA tournament seeding.
Smith has been a force for the Terps this season, and his rankings have reflected that. Smith started the season ranked eighth at 197 pounds, but has climbed up to fifth on the NCAA coaches’ ranking, fourth on InterMat and third on FloWrestling.
Over the last month and a half in Big Ten competition, Smith has dominated almost all of his opponents. He finished with a record of 6-1 in conference duals, with his only loss in a competitive match coming against Penn State’s Aaron Brooks — an undefeated wrestler this season who holds the top spot at 197 pounds in every major ranking.
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Smith is also 6-3 against ranked opponents, a record that will boost his NCAA seeding and aid his quest to become an All-American — an achievement he was one loss away from last season.
Brown has been one of Maryland’s most consistent wrestlers since moving up a weight class. At 133 pounds, he’s beaten No. 13 Vinnie Santaniello, No. 18 Domenic Zaccone and No. 20 Tyler Wells — all resume-boosting performances. His most recent match was a 9-6 loss to No. 9 Dylan Shawver in a competitive scrap, but Brown had won four straight before that bout.
Brown will have a few more chances to improve on his body of work this season, most notably at the Big Ten Championships. InterMat’s rankings have four wrestlers in the Big Ten ahead of Brown at 133 pounds, three of whom Brown has already competed against this year.
Nevills’ activity this year has been limited due to injuries, but positive results in his last two matches have given him a needed boost as the season winds down.
[Maryland wrestling has a healthy lineup after battling injuries earlier in the season]
A 12-0 shutout win over Josh Terill and a 4-2 win over No. 10 Yara Slavikouski, the highest-ranked opponent Nevills has beaten in his five-year collegiate career, have improved his resume and shown that he’s ready for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
No Terp has improved their potential NCAA Championships seeding more in recent weeks than Miller. He climbed from 17th to 12th in the rankings during his recent five-match winning streak. Every victory came in commanding fashion.
He faced three top-25 wrestlers during that recent run. He beat two of them by major decision.
But Miller will face even tougher tests in the coming weeks. InterMat ranks five wrestlers in the Big Ten ahead of him at 149 pounds, each of whom he could face at the Big Ten tournament.
A win over any of them would help Miller generate momentum ahead of the NCAA tournament, something each of Maryland’s best wrestlers will look to do in the final weeks of the season.
