Long-time stalwarts of the ACC, Maryland wrestling's storied history of success dates back to the beginning of the program in 1939. For decades Maryland wrestling has featured standouts on and off the mat. Maryland's wrestling team has amassed an impressive 644 dual wins since the program's inception in 1939. The team was nearly unbeatable in a remarkable 20+ year stretch from 1951-72 when the program went 137-68-8 (.662) and won 22 consecutive conference titles.
When you hear the names Douglas, McDaniel, Krouse, McHugh, Santoro, McCoy, and Clemsen, you know that there has always been an elite mentor and educator leading some of the toughest and most hardworking student-athletes in College Park.
Prior to joining the Big Ten in 2014, the Terrapins wrestling team won more ACC team championships than any other school in the conference, winning their 24th ACC title in 2012. The 2012 ACC championship is the Terps' fourth in the past five years. The Maryland wrestling team was dominant in the ACC throughout the 1950s and 1960s and returned to claim two more conference titles in the late 2000s.
Maryland has finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships each year since the 2010 season and produced multiple all Americans since 2009, a school record. Two-time NCAA champion and two-time Olympian Kerry McCoy was head coach for eleven years until 2019. Maryland has had over 200 ACC Champions, 2 NCAA National Champions, and 18 NCAA All-Americans. In 2010 Hudson Taylor became Maryland's first three-time all American with his fourth-place finish at 197 pounds. Spencer Myers became Maryland's first freshman in 2011 when he earned all American status with his sixth-place finish at heavyweight.
Maryland wrestling boasts the success of its 20 All-Americans.
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The school mascot is an anthropomorphic turtle named "Testudo".
Transition to the Big Ten Conference
To be the best, you have to beat the best... and the Big Ten conference is home to the best college wrestling in the nation. Big Ten programs have won 24 NCAA Wrestling team championships in the last 30 years - including the last 16. There's no question that the conference has dominated the college wrestling landscape, as Big Ten powerhouses top the rankings year-after-year. However, in its first season in the Big Ten, Maryland failed to win a Big Ten dual meet.
Recent Success and Leadership
Under Clemsen, the Maryland wrestling program has reached its highest levels in the past decade, with each of his four teams showing marked improvement and growth from the year before. The 2022-23 campaign was the most successful season in recent memory, as Maryland finished with a 10-9 record, the most dual wins since the 2012-13 season. In April 2019, former Edinboro wrestler and Missouri assistant Alex Clemsen was named head coach.
It was a balanced effort, but Maryland’s top wrestlers were unable to reach the finals, which has never happened in program history.
Last year, Brown failed to recover in the fifth-place match and ended the tournament on a losing note. Smith and Brown, Maryland’s top wrestlers, were expected to compete for an individual championship this weekend. But freshman Branson John strung together multiple impressive performances this weekend to clinch an NCAA appearance.
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All six qualified for the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia from Mar. The Terps surpassed that mark before the first day ended. Jaxon Smith finished fourth, Braxton Brown ended in fifth, Ethen Miller and Branson John took sixth, and Seth Nevills and Kal Miller ended in seventh.
Braxton Brown's Performance
Braxton Brown dominated Michigan’s Nolan Wertanen 13-2 via major decision in the round of 16. He faced Intermat’s No. 15 ranked wrestler, Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee, in the ensuing round. After a scoreless first period, Brown took control. But Brown’s run ended in the semifinals. The junior advanced to the consolation semifinals to face Penn State’s Braeden Davis. A narrow 9-7 loss sent Brown to the fifth-place game. He trailed 4-2 in the third against Rutgers’ Dylan Shawver.
Branson John's Impressive Run
The freshman lost his next match in the quarterfinal round, but responded well. Baumann secured the first takedown, but John answered in the second with a takedown of his own.
Jaxon Smith
The two were evenly matched through the first three periods and sudden victory, but Smith broke the stalemate in the tiebreakers. The No. 1 184-pound wrestler in the country awaited, though.
Spotlighting Maryland's Mindset | 'Expect To Win' | Maryland Wrestling | On the Mat
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