COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland (0-0) will compete in its second consecutive Sunday open tournament this weekend, when the squad enters wrestlers at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open. The event is hosted at the Events Center on the campus of Binghamton University in Vestal, N.Y. The Bearcat Open features wrestlers from some of the top teams in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, including Brown, Cornell, Harvard, Penn State, Lehigh and Rutgers.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHEAST
- Redshirt junior Tyler Goodwin (133) and redshirt sophomore Alfred Bannister (149) starred for the Terps in the squad's season debut on November 6, each defeating a ranked opponent while winning their respective brackets at the Southeast Open.
- Goodwin beat 18th-ranked Jamal Morris of NC State in the semifinals, knocking off the Wolfpack grappler in a wild 17-16 match.
- In his career debut at 149 pounds, Bannister defeated No. 17 Michael Pongracz of Chattanooga 7-6 en route to a 5-0 day.
- In all, the Terps produced three champs, two finalists, a third place, a fourth place and a fifth place finish on the day.
- UMD's third champion was redshirt freshman David-Brian Whisler (197), who won five straight matches in the 197-pound bracket to start his season. Whisler was 8-3 in his first season for the Terps, and has a chance to surpass his true freshman win total in the first month of the season.
- True freshmen Brandon Cray (125) and Alex Vargas (125) finished third and fourth (respectively) in the 125-pound freshmen/sophomore bracket. After Vargas topped Cray 9-4 at wrestle-offs, Cray evened the series with a 10-7 decision over Vargas in the third place match
- Not to be overlooked, redshirt freshman Danny Boychuck (157) rattled off five wins (including four bonus point victories) to finish fifth in the field of the 157-pound freshman/sophomore division.
Terps in the polls
- Tyler Goodwin and Alfred Bannister both debuted in the InterMat Wrestling Individual rankings on November 8. Goodwin is tabbed as the No. 14 133-pounder in the country, while Bannister made his first career appearance in the weekly rankings at No. 17 in the 149-pound weight class.
- Goodwin and Bannister are also ranked in the Track Wrestling individual rankings at #15 and #16 (respectively)
- Goodwin was ranked 20th in the nation at 133 pounds in TheOpenMat.com Preseason Individual College Wrestling Rankings. He was a 2013-14 NCAA qualifier and went 7-2 last year for the Terps, including his first two career Big Ten victories over Minnesota's Sam Brancale (F: 4:27) and Purdue's Cody Pae (Dec, 11-7). Goodwin's only losses a season ago came at the hands of eventual All-Americans.
Terps face cameras on media day
- The Maryland wrestling team welcomed members of the local media to its practice on October 27 for media day. Head coach Kerry McCoy gave his preseason press conference, while media members watched the team's open practice at the XFINITY Center. Click here to see what coach McCoy had to say.
Get Your season tickets!
- Season and single-match tickets are now on sale for the 2016-17 season. The Terps will host six teams over five days throughout the course of the season, including five Big Ten matches at the XFINITY Center. Head to ter.ps/WrestlingTix to secure your tickets today.
next up
- The Terps will prep for their first dual matches of the season next Suinday, November 20 when the team competes in the Cavalier duals. Maryland will first face Lock Haven at 11:00 am before battling Virginia at 3:00 pm.
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