Heading into the “Throwdown on the Yorktown” event on Saturday, Maryland wrestling sought to continue its momentum after a pair of strong tournament showings.
The Terps did just that in their first two duals of the season, notching bonus points in eight of a possible 20 bouts as Maryland cruised past Gardner-Webb, 27-13, and The Citadel, 24-9, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Jaxon Smith secures bonus points in both contests
In No. 5 Jaxon Smith’s return to competition last weekend, the 184-pounder cruised to commanding victories in two of his three contests, notching wins by technical fall and major decision.
Saturday offered similar resistance, as Smith’s first bout against Gardner-Webb’s Hadyn Danals lasted all of 33 seconds.
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After tallying a takedown roughly 13 seconds in, Smith put both arms around the waist of Danals and drove his back into the mat. Smith finalized the pin just 14 seconds later, marking his shortest bout this season.
The pin marked one of five bouts in which the Terps secured bonus points against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
Smith’s second bout lasted the full seven minutes, but the score was not much closer. Smith remained aggressive in the opening period, tallying nearly half of his total points on a takedown and a near fall within the first 100 seconds.
He notched three more takedowns throughout the remainder of the match, resulting in an 18-4 win by major decision against The Citadel’s Brodie Porter.
125-pound struggles following strong start
Coach Alex Clemsen said Tuesday that both Tyler Garvin and Abram Cline would get an opportunity to wrestle in Maryland’s first two duals.
The two sophomores combined for a 13-2 record in the two prior tournaments. But Saturday’s bouts resembled more of what Maryland saw last season.
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Garvin got the nod in Maryland’s (2-0) opening dual against Gardner-Webb (3-2) and was aggressive in the first period, taking two leg shots within the first 60 seconds. Garvin got nothing from either shot and struggled the remainder of the bout. Senior Tyson Lane took the opening round, 6-0.
Cline’s second bout differed in style, but yielded the same result. He took a more conservative approach, picking up a stalling warning early in the opening period against The Citadel’s (2-3) Gylon Sims and spending all but 30 seconds of the following period earning riding time.
With the score even at one heading into a sudden victory period, Cline had an opportunity to secure a win. But Sims tallied a takedown near the edge of the circle to cement a 4-1 victory.
Branson John stays undefeated
With two bouts remaining against Gardner-Webb, Maryland had an opportunity to clinch the dual without relying on its inexperienced heavyweight room.
The right player for that task stepped onto the mat: No. 16 Branson John.
The 197-pounder boasted a 7-0 record heading into Saturday, with three wins coming by major decision. The sophomore ended the match 46 seconds into the third period with a 19-0 win by technical fall. The two bonus points gave Maryland a 23-13 lead and ensured no chance of victory for Gardner-Webb in the final round.
John’s second bout carried the same result. The California native scored a majority of his points late in the third period, securing a win by major decision. The victory gave Maryland a 17-9 team score, making the final bout a moot point in the final outcome.
