Nov. 4, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Saturday night at American University's Bender Arena, Josh Asper defeated two-time All-American Jordan Blanton of Illinois, 3-1 in overtime, in front of a sold out crowd of 3,376 as part of the NWCA All-Star Classic.

Asper, a two-time All-American at 165 pounds the last two seasons, made his competitive debut at 174 against Blanton, who finished fourth at the 2012 NCAA Championships. After three periods could not separate the two wrestlers, Asper scored a takedown in overtime to win 3-1.

“It was an awesome crowd. It is great to be around the corner from Maryland with all of our fans,” said Asper. “It felt great to get my first win at 174.”

With the win, Asper remained undefeated in the annual showcase. The Parkton, Md., native is 3-0 and has appeared in this event more than any other Maryland wrestler in program history.

Asper begins this season ranked fourth by InterMat at 174 pounds. Blanton is ranked second.

The Terps begin their regular season Sunday against Johns Hopkins at 12:30 p.m., and West Virginia at 2 p.m. Both matches are at Comcast Center.