MINNEAPOLIS -- Senior heavyweight Youssif Hemida closed out the 2019 Big Ten Championships with a third-place finish following the conclusion of the event on Sunday. 

The finish makes Hemida Maryland's highest Big Ten placer since the Terrapins joined the conference, passing Ryan Diehl and Alfred Bannister, who both placed fifth at the 2017 and 2018 championships, respectively. Hemida had previously placed sixth and seventh in the last two conference tournaments. 

"I'm incredibly proud of what Youssif accomplished this weekend," head coach Kerry McCoy said. "Youssif has faced adversity this entire season, and this weekend was no different. Battling through the consolation bracket and finishing third is no easy task, but our confidence in him never wavered. We're very excited for what's ahead as he will try for a national title in a couple weeks." 

After closing out Saturday with three wins in the consolation bracket, Hemida continued his winning ways on Sunday. Squaring off with Northwestern's Conan Jennings in the consolation semifinals, the Mamaroneck, New York native secured a 4-1 decision to earn his spot in Sunday afternoon's third-place match. 

The third-place contest would serve as a rematch between Hemida and Wisconsin's Trent Hillger, who bested Maryland's heavyweight by a 5-3 final in a February dual. 

After a scoreless first, Hemida opened the scoring with an escape out of the second period restart. Hillger was able to get in on a leg shortly after, but Hemida defended it well and forced a stalemate. With no points either way in the remainder of the period, Hemida entered the final frame up a point. 

Hillger, however, was able to tie things up with an escape of his own to start the third. After a scoreless minute, Hemida got in on a leg and powered through Hillger to secure a tough takedown that would serve to be the difference in the contest. 

Hemida topped a trio of ranked wrestlers over the course of the weekend: seventh-ranked Hillger, 11th-ranked Chase Singletary (OSU) and 14th-ranked Jennings. He also entered the weekend unseeded, placing higher than five of the eight pre-seeded wrestlers on the way to his automatic qualification to the NCAA Championships. 

Hemida now owns the highest finish in a conference tournament since current associate head coach Jimmy Sheptock placed first at 2014 ACC Championships. He is also the first three-time Big Ten place winner in program history. 

The returning All-American will now look ahead to the 2019 NCAA Championships, which will be held from Mar. 21-23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hemida will look to become the eighth wrestler in program history to earn multiple All-American honors.