The Big Ten will come to College Park this weekend for the first time ever, with Maryland getting the nod to host the conference’s 2024 wrestling championships.
“This is the premier event from a conference championship standpoint in college athletics,” coach Alex Clemsen said. “There’s really no other spectacle like it … Big Ten wrestling is really the crown jewel of the conference outside of football, and I’m excited for our program to be on display.”
The Terps don’t have to travel to showcase their best wrestlers after their most successful Big Ten campaign. Many wrestlers have NCAA qualification on the line. Here’s a breakdown of where Maryland stands at each weight class heading into the Big Ten championships.
125 pounds: Tommy Capul, who holds the No. 13 pre-seed at the Big Ten tournament, would need a massive performance over the weekend to make the NCAA championships. Capul holds a record of 4-11 and has no ranked wins, which makes him a long shot for picking up an at-large bid from the committee.
Capul’s best chance is finishing in the top nine at 125 pounds, which would automatically qualify him for the NCAAs.
[Maryland wrestling will redshirt Kal Miller next year, continuing a successful strategy]
133 pounds: Braxton Brown has built an excellent resume and is in a position to qualify for the NCAAs without picking up an automatic Big Ten bid. He boasts three ranked wins and a top-20 ranking.
Brown, the No, 7 seed, lost close matches to Dylan Ragusin and Dylan Shawver in the regular season. Both hold higher seeds than Brown at the Big Ten championships. Getting revenge in potential rematches would boost Brown’s stock as he aims for a second straight NCAA championship appearance.
141 pounds: Kal Miller appears to be on the NCAA championship bubble’s favorable side entering the weekend. Miller, who made the NCAAs last year after a deep Big Ten championship run, is ranked 28th nationally and is the No. 11 seed coming into this year’s conference tournament.
If Miller wrestles to seed, he would finish with the final automatic bid. He has two wins over top-15 wrestler Cole Matthews and another pair of ranked wins. Those would help him pick up an at-large bid if he were to fall short of the automatic spot.
Miller will aim to generate offensive opportunities at the Big Ten championships. He’s currently on a four-match losing streak, during which he’s failed to secure a single takedown of his own.
“You got to take more swings and he just isn’t doing that right now,” Clemsen said. “I’d like to see him just get a few more opportunities and then he’ll convert a couple. Right now, it’s kind of law of averages.”
149 pounds: Ethen Miller’s hot streak puts him near the top of his weight class nationally. Five straight wins in dominant fashion, with three coming against ranked opponents, have skyrocketed Miller to a top-15 ranking and the No. 6 seed for the Big Tens.
Miller is all but guaranteed an NCAA championship spot as things stand. He’ll look to capitalize on the momentum from the end of his regular season and improve his championship seeding.
Miller will also eye potential revenge against his only two Big Ten losses this season, which came against opponents with a higher pre-seed than Miller’s this weekend.
“I got my mind in the right spot, and I’m just telling myself that I’m one of those guys that’s the top guy,” Miller said. “I gotta go out there and show it, and I think the spot that I’m at right now — Big Tens — I could see myself in the finals. Beating Gomez and then beating Rich. I think I can be a Big Ten champ this weekend.”
[Maryland wrestling overpowers Drexel on senior night, 27-15]
157 pounds: Michael North has the most to gain of any Maryland wrestler at the Big Tens. He recently dropped out of the rankings after a six-match losing streak. Five of those losses came against ranked opponents.
A strong showing could lead North to a top-nine finish and automatic bid. It could also provide a substantial enough resume boost to seal an at-large bid from the committee.
If all goes to plan for North in the final season of his college career, he’ll make the NCAA championship with a strong Big Ten showing.
165 pounds: AJ Rodrigues is a longshot to qualify for the NCAA championships. The true freshman has shown flashes this season with an 11-14 record, but he hasn’t notched a win against a Big Ten opponent in dual action so far. That’s an achievement he would need to have a chance to compete at the NCAAs.
174 pounds: Dominic Solis will look to repeat his sophomore year Big Ten performance, where he earned an automatic bid by finishing in the No. 7 seed. That’s likely Solis’ only path to wrestling in the NCAA championships. A 6-8 record in limited action and no ranked wins diminish his chances of receiving an at-large nod from the committee.
184 pounds: Chase Mielnik needs to finish in the top-eight this weekend for a NCAA appearance. His 7-16 record eliminates an at-large bid. But he’s coming off a season-best performance after a fall victory over Drexel’s Ethan Wilson. He’s previously orchestrated competitive scraps against ranked Big Ten opponents.
197 pounds: There’s only one thing that could boost Jaxon Smith’s stock this weekend: a first place finish. The fourth-ranked wrestler at 197 boasts a 15-3 record with multiple ranked wins. His most impressive came in an 8-2 decision against then-No. 3 and current No. 5 Tanner Sloan.
Smith’s biggest potential roadblock is Aaron Brooks. The Penn State senior is 14-0, with 11 of his wins coming by tech fall or fall. One of the three matches that went the distance was his scrap with Smith earlier this year.
285 pounds: Seth Nevills will appear in his first Big Ten championship since 2020 — his freshman year at Penn State. After a long journey to Maryland, he’s enjoying what is arguably his best collegiate season.
Since returning from injury on Feb. 11, Nevills has been dominant. A 3-0 record with a major decision, a tech fall and a top-10 win gives him positive momentum ahead of the championships. A top-seven finish or even a solid showing will give the graduate student his first NCAA tournament appearance.
