In past years for Maryland wrestling, winning multiple Big Ten dual matches in the same season was unlikely. Securing back-to-back conference dual victories was impossible.
But the Terps are a different unit this year. Two days after upsetting No. 10 Michigan, Maryland beat Michigan State in East Lansing, 27–11, for a program-best perfect start to Big Ten play.
Seven different Terps picked up wins on Sunday. Redshirt junior Braxton Brown extended his win streak to 10 and redshirt junior Ethen Miller remained undefeated at 157. Maryland also was able to pile on the bonus points — it picked up two major decision victories, a technical fall win and a fall win.
Dario Lemus records first Big Ten dual win
Maryland (7-5, 2-0 Big Ten) is still looking for a consistent option at the 141-pound class. Redshirt freshman Dario Lemus is one option — he was in search of a monumental victory on Sunday against Jaden Crumpler.
[Maryland wrestling defeats No. 10 Michigan, 19-18, in Big Ten opener]
Both wrestlers spent the first period feeling each other out, neither able to effectively find offense in a scoreless three minutes. Crumpler scored first in the second, notching an escape after starting on the bottom. Lemus answered late in the period, transitioning from an underhook to a deep single leg shot to force Crumpler down to the mat for a 3-1 lead.
Lemus rode out the rest of the period and started the third from the bottom, where he quickly escaped. His stout defense overpowered an offensive Crumpler, holding off the redshirt freshman for the remainder of the third to pick up his first decision victory in conference duals as a Terp.
Alex Uryniak hangs on for decisive victory
Redshirt junior John Martin Best entered the campaign as Maryland’s go-to option at the 165-pound weight class. But he suffered a season-ending injury in early December, leaving a hole for the Terps at 165. Freshman Alex Uryniak appears able to fill the vacancy.
Uryniak, after losing a tight decision to a ranked wrestler in his last match, went to work early against graduate student Jay Nivison. He got hold of a leg and dragged Nivison down to the mat, jumping on his back for an early takedown.
[Maryland wrestling goes 1-2 in quad meet against Binghamton, Columbia and Lock Haven]
Nivison escaped to get a point back, but couldn’t get anything going, with Uryniak keeping him scoreless for the rest of the period. While Nivison picked up another escape in the second, Uryniak stuffed all attempts for a 4-2 lead entering the final period.
Uryniak started the third on the bottom and escaped for a 5-2 advantage, then went on the defensive. Nivison came close to a few attempts, but Uryniak held him off in the final two minutes, getting deducted a point for stalling but taking the decision win.
Jaxon Smith picks up quick pin
Maryland’s talented 184-pound wrestler has had a brutal schedule as of late. Jaxon Smith has faced a gauntlet of ranked wrestlers, with multiple opponents being ranked in the top-20 at the weight class. Against Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten), Smith finally faced an unranked wrestler in redshirt junior Luke Daly.
Smith went after him immediately, walking Daly down to find underhooks about a minute in. The redshirt junior used them to throw Daly to his back, keeping him there with a tight hold for his third pin of the year.
