Maryland wrestling hasn’t had much success at conference championships since joining the Big Ten.
The Terps have never had a Big Ten finalist, let alone a champion. Their best showing came last year, when they finished 10th out of 14 schools with 39 total points and four placers — all program bests.
Those marks could change this weekend. Maryland’s average seed is 8.8, an improvement over last year’s 9.5. The Terps also have two top-three seeds in redshirt juniors Braxton Brown and Ethen Miller, the latter of which is Maryland’s first No. 1 seed since joining the Big Ten.
The tournament is stacked with talent. The weight class with the fewest ranked wrestlers is 141 pounds, which still has nine — including three wrestlers in the top six. With a majority of the competition being ranked, every match is a grind, especially considering wrestlers participate in multiple matches per day.
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But the daunting task ahead of them didn’t change how the Terps practiced. Maryland’s wrestlers say that their preparation, outside of a lighter wrestling week, was similar to that of a normal dual or tournament.
“I’d say it doesn’t really change, mentally or physically,” Miller, a 157-pounder, said. “Go match by match, wrestle as tough as you can. And. you know, win or lose, you just got to keep fighting.”
That sentiment is shared by 174-pounder Branson John, one of Maryland’s more talented freshmen.
“I’d say it’s been the same,” John said. “Don’t treat it anything differently, going through the same mindset.”
John is one of the four Maryland freshmen competing at the conference championships for the first time. Most of the Terps’ starters have experience in previous seasons. Six have competed in the event, and four finished on the podium last year.
“We’re getting older, maturing. Mentally, we know we can do it and we want to be champs, so we just got to go and show it,” Miller said. “I think you learn a lot over the course of the years for sure.”
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For the first-timers, their teammates have been integral in preparing them for their toughest tournament to date.
“[They’ve helped] in every way that they can,” John said. “They’ve been there, they’ve been through it. So having guys [to] lean on like that, it helps.”
This weekend will be both challenging and pivotal for Maryland. In some cases, a single loss can make or break your season, determining whether you compete in Philadelphia at the NCAA Championships or watch from the sideline.
“No one’s going to shy away from you. Everybody wants to beat you,” Miller said. “You gotta know that they’re gonna put their best effort in every match, so how can I break that first guy? Or how can I break the next guy?”
