Ethen Miller made it clear that he wanted to be challenged after Maryland wrestling’s match with Iowa on Feb. 2.
“I’m just excited to wrestle the best guys,” the 157-pounder said. “I think it’s gonna be fun to go out there and score a bunch of points and get good matches … I want to take out more dudes [and] keep my record going.”
Miller was 17-0 at the time, but he hadn’t faced the best. His only current top-10 opponent was Purdue’s No. 7 Joey Blaze, who was No.18 when they met. Sunday’s dual against Penn State and No. 1 Tyler Kasak gave him the opportunity to change that.
A week after proclaiming his desire to wrestle the best, Miller did — and remains undefeated. The redshirt junior had his hand raised against Kasak after an accidental head clash forced the Penn State sophomore to injury default in the second period.
[Maryland wrestling falls to No. 1 Penn State, 35-10, for fourth straight loss]
The match was a toss-up before the default. Kasak had a 1-0 lead from an escape after starting the second period on the bottom, but Miller had just gotten deep on a shot before Kasak kicked free.
The victory over Kasak puts Miller in an interesting position in the Big Ten. He’s the only remaining undefeated 157-pounder, but he’s only faced two of the six other Big Ten wrestlers ranked in the top 10 .
Miller still has to get through Blaze again on Feb. 14. His first bout against the Boilermaker was a competitive, high-scoring affair where Miller pulled out an 11-9 decision — and he has only improved since then. A win could clinch him the top seed in the Big Ten tournament, while a loss would make things tough for the seeding committee.
[Maryland wrestling could have its first All-American under coach Alex Clemsen]
Going into the tournament as the top seed would be a boost to Miller’s chances of becoming a conference champion. He’d have a first-round bye and would most likely avoid seeing Kasak or Iowa’s Jacori Teemer until the championship bout.
An impressive performance at the Big Tens would have a ripple effect on the rest of Miller’s season. He’d gain more experience against high-ranked opponents and a favorable seed at the NCAA championships, putting him in a better position as he looks to become Maryland’s first All-American wrestler since 2018 — and potentially the Terps’ first champion since 1969.
“I’m just proud that he’s showing how talented he is, and he’s showing a really good version of himself,” coach Alex Clemsen said. “I still don’t think he’s the best version of himself, which I like, because it’s Feb. 7, not Mar. 22, so I know there’s still a little more to squeeze out of him.”
