COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After a 4-0 showing at the Terrapin Duals, the Maryland wrestling team will take on local foe George Mason at the XFINITY Pavilion Sunday. Action is scheduled to being at 2 p.m.

"After a good start I am looking forward to keeping the momentum going this weekend," head coach Kerry McCoy said. "We may have to make some adjustments with our line up against George Mason so it will be a a good test for our guys. The Binghamton open is a great event and I expect our guys to get some great competition and improve on the results from last weekend."

Scouting the Opposition

• George Mason enters Sunday's contest after finishing 2-1 at the Cavilier Duals. The Patriots defeated VMI (25-6) and Anderson (35-6) before dropping its final dual, 34-6, to Virginia. Jake Kettler picked up three wins at heavyweight to lead the team.

• Kettler was a national qualifier two seasons ago. The Minnesota transfer is an accomplished Greco Roman competitor, qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Trials.

• Joe Russell enters his fourth season as head coach after serving as an assistant at Minnesota.  Russell is 16-45 during his tenure and has coached three national qualifiers. He helped Minnesota produce 11 individual national champions and 31 Big Ten champions in his time as an assistant. 

LEADING IT OFF

• Maryland began its season with a dominent performance at the Terrapin Duals. The Terps defeated Johns Hopkins (49-0), Kutztown (35-10), Davidson (36-9) and Alderson-Broaddus (40-3). Terp grappers went 35-5 overall. 

• Rob Fitzgerald, Josh Snook and Justin Alexander all flourished in startings roles, going a combined 12-0. Fitzgerald notched two pins over the course of the day. 

• The Terps were bonus point machines on their home mat, earning extra team points in 26 matches. Fitzgerald led the way with 20 bonus points.

BROWN DELIVERS

• Sophomore Shyheim Brown picked up where he left off from last season, dispatching three opponents at the Terrapin Duals. 

• Brown had a breakout 2013-14 campaign at 141 pounds. The Pennsylvania native qualified for the NCAA Tournament and rose to as high as No. 8 in the nation. 

REDSHIRT NO MORE

• After serving a redshirt season last year, Geoffrey Alexander reentered the Terps' lineup and went 2-0 at the Terrapin Duals.

• A two-time NCAA qualifier, Alexander dominated open competition at 133 pounds last season to the tune of a 25-2 recordand four open tournament titles. He is a consensus top-15 133-pounder entering the season.

• Alexander won three matches at national during his sophomore campaign and finished second at the ACC Championships in his true freshman season. 

Brotherly Love

• Tyler and Frank Goodwin, both NCAA qualifiers, will play big roles for the Terps this season.

• Tyler, the only Maryland true freshman to compete in a dual last season, will move down to 125 pounds after making nationals at 133 last season.

• Frank Goodwin is expected to move back down to challenge Shyheim Brown for the starting spot at 141 pounds. Goodwin qualified for NCAA's at 141 in 2013 after starting at 149 pounds last season. 

myers matters

• Spencer Myers, currently playing for the Maryland football team, will be an anchor in the Terps' lineup. An All-American, Myers has qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of his varsity seasons. He went 24-6 last year and is a two-time ACC Champion.

• Sean Twigg or Ryan Kail will handle the heavyweight load until Myers finishes his football commitments.

hall of fame status

• Head Coach Kerry McCoy was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2014 in July in Stillwater, Okla.

• A two-time national champion at Penn State, McCoy was also inducted into the NACDA/John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation Hall of Fame alongside University of Maryland Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson.

New Starters

• Multiple grapplers made their dual-match debut at the Terrapin Duals. Jhared Simmons (125), Daniel Sanchez (141), Justin Alexander (157), Arashdeep Gill (174/184). Rob Fitzgerald (197), Ryan Kail (285) and Sean Twigg (285) all saw action, going a combined 14-4. 

• Six (Simmons, Sanchez, Alexander, Gill, Kail and Twigg) are redshirt freshman.

OPENING STATEMENT

• Newcomers Alfred Bannister and Dawson Peck both notched fourth place finishes at the Clarion Open last weekend.

• Bannister, a highly touted recruit from LaPlata, reached the semifinals at 141 pounds before falling to No. 2 Mitchell Port of Edinboro. “Baby J” captured four Maryland state titles as a prep.

• A transfer from Chattanooga, Peck nabbed four wins in the heavyweight bracket before dropping his third place bout. Peck was an NCAA qualifer last season. 

• The Terps will feature a slew of wrestlers at this weekend's Binghamton Open. The grappers slated to travel to New York are listed below. 

Attached
125 Jhared Simmons*
133 Billy Rappo
141 RJ De George
133 Christopher Reilly 
141 Daniel Sanchez
157 Justin Alexander*
165 TJ Guidice
174 Arashdeep Gill
197 Dylan Devine

Unattached
125 Tyler Goodwin
125 Michael Beck
133 Anthony Genco
141 Alfred Bannister
141 Jacob Trybus
141 Brandon Walker
149 Matt Pente
149 Toby Hague
157 Patrick Gerish
165 Inan Sikel
184 Chanse Menendez
197 Garrett Wesneski
285 Sean Twigg* or Ryan Kail*

*If not at Maryland

Strong Slate

• The Terps will take on 10 teams included in the preseason Intermat Dual Meet Division I Poll. Eight of those are Big Ten squads, with No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Iowa and No. 5 Penn State all visiting College Park for dual matches this season.

• The Terps will travel to No. 7 Nebraska, No. 11 Illinois, No. 14 Wisconsin. No. 15 Pittsburgh and No. 16 Northwestern.

• Nine of Maryland's opponents finished with the Terps in the top-20 of the 2014 NCAA Championships. Pittsburgh (22nd), Duke (29th), Rutgers (34th), Hofstra (t-40th), Navy (t-40th) and Harvard (58th) rounds out the NCAA team placings.

Enter Eiter

• Former Penn head coach Rob Eiter is in his first season as an assistant coach, joining fifth-year assistant Mike Catullo and volunteer assistant Josh Asper on the coaching staff.

• Eiter produced four All-Americans in his six years at the helm. Eiter also served the Quakers as an assistant for three seasons.

• A 1991 graduate of Arizona State, Eiter's glittering interational credentials are highlighted by an eigth-place finish at the 1996 Olympics Games in Atlanta. Eiter also was a standout international coach, guiding the 1999 United State women's team to a first-place finish at the World Championships.

MARYLAND MAT CHAT DEBUTS 

• Maryland Mat Chat, the official podcast of the Maryland Wrestling team, debuted this week. Head coach Kerry McCoy was joined by veteran wrestling journalist Jason Bryant to review the Terrapin Duals, discuss the new additions to the coaching staff and preview Sunday's clash with George Mason. 

 

WRESTLING PROGRESS REPORT 11/7/14

 

Media Madness

• Head coach Kerry McCoy and select Maryland wrestlers faced the cameras at Maryland wrestling's first ever media day on Oct. 7.

• McCoy's discussed a wide variety of subjects at his press conference. His comments can be viewed below.

 -Maryland-