Las Vegas, NV – Jaxon Smith took home second place in the illustrious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, widely regarded as the most competitive regular season tournament. 

Smith started Day Two in the semifinals where he put on an impressive showing in knocking off top-seeded and third-ranked Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State. Smith got the match's scoring started with a super duck takedown. In the second period, he converted an impressive feet-to-back mat return that resulted in four near-fall points and gave him a commanding 7-1 lead that he never surrendered, taking the match by way of an 8-2 decision. Sloan is a four-time ANCAA qualifier and was the 2022-23 NCAA runner-up at 197 pounds. 

That propelled him into the championship match where he faced NC State's second-seeded and fifth-ranked Trent Hidlay. Smith battled hard, but a Hidlay takedown was the difference, as Smith fell 5-2.

Full Team Results

(133) King Sandoval

• RD 32: No. 10 Julian Cheblove (Arizona State) TF (16-1) Sandoval
• Consi 16 #1: Dustin Norris (Purdue) dec. (9-3) Sandoval

(149) No. 11 Ethen Miller

• RD 32: Miller dec. (5-1) Michael Zarif (Binghamton)
• RD 16: No. 12 Quinn Kinner (Rider) SV fall (7:53) Miller
• Consi 16 #2: Derek Raike (Ohio) TF (16-1) Miller

(165) Gaven Bell

• RD 32: No. 7 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) fall (2:04) Bell
• Consi 32: Guillermo Escobedo (Cal State Bakersfield) MD (11-2) Bell

(184) Chase Mielnik

• RD 32: No. 20 Dylan Fishback (NC State) TF (18-3) Mielnik
• Consi 16 #1: Quayin Short SV (Wyoming) dec. (7-4) Mielnik

(197) No. 9 Jaxon Smith 

• RD 32: Smith dec. (7-1) Ben Vanadia (Purdue)
• RD 16: Smith dec. (4-3) No. 23 Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa)
• Quarters: Smith advances by MFF over No. 9 Luke Surber 
• Semis: Smith dec. (8-2) No. 3 Tanner Sloan (SDSU)
• Finals: Trent Hidlay (NCST) dec. (5-2) Smith

(285) No. 19 Seth Nevills

• RD 32: Nolan Neves (Columbia) dec. (6-3) Nevills
• Consi 16 #1: Nevills dec. (2-0) Kevin Zimmer (Wyoming)
• Consi 16 #2: Nevills fall (6:34) Antonio Ramos (Air Force) 
• Consi 8 #1: No. 22 Boone McDermott (Oregon State) fall (2:38) Nevills

Up Next

• The Terps will participate in their final competition of the 2023 year when they travel to Baltimore, MD to face Morgan State on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 3 pm. The Bears are returning to the wrestling mat after a 24-year hiatus and are the only HBCU to offer wrestling at the NCAA Division I Varsity Level.