COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Still not quite done with the 2021-22 season, the Terps completed their dual slate and are now preparing for the 2022 Big Ten Championships. Before then, we take a look at some key successes from Maryland's latest season.
Killer Kyle
Redshirt senior captain
Kyle Cochran has made his name known around college wrestling with his breakout performance this season. Highlighted by his 2022 Southern Scuffle Championship, Cochran has set career-highs with 22 victories this season and a current ranking of 8th in the nation by InterMat.
A leader off the mat, Cochran is the embodiment of the #TurtlePower ideology and has helped guide young teammates through their journey.
King Pin
An accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler,
King Sandoval has slung opponents onto their backs consistently all season. Sandoval earned his NCAA-best 13th pin of the season in Friday's Senior Day against Columbia. While he's tied with Air Force's Wyatt Hendrickson with 13 falls, Sandoval has spent nearly eight minutes less time on the mat than Hendrickson during those pins.
Read more on
NCAA.com.
Dual Dubs
With six dual victories, the team has achieved the most wins for the program since they reached nine in the 2013-14 season. That makes it the best dual performance under Coach
Alex Clemsen and during the program's time competing in the Big Ten.
Among those duals, the Terps downed two nearby rivals: Navy and American.
Redshirt Rampage
Bolstered by the No.8 recruiting class in the nation last year, the Terps' freshman have found success while redshirting. Among the best has been
Jaxon Smith who recently won his weight class at the UVA Round Robin. He had the Terps' fastest pin of the season in
8 seconds.
Others such as
Ethen Miller,
Adrien Cramer,
Jackson Cockrell, and
Braxton Brown have also found great success as they prepare for the limelight.
Seniors Standout
Maryland's most consistent wrestlers this season have all been veteran seniors. With five in the starting lineup, the Terps will sorely miss their leaders on and off the mat. The list includes
King Sandoval,
Danny Bertoni,
Kyle Cochran,
Jaron Smith, and
Zach Schrader.
The seniors closed out their careers at XFINITY Center Pavilion going a combined 5-0 on Friday, and a combined 9-1 on the entire weekend.
- TERPS -