College Park, MD -- Each week during the 2022-23 season a Maryland student-athlete, who has shown excellence on and off the playing field, will be selected as the Solomon Eye Physicians & Surgeons Terp of the Week.
This week's Solomon Eye Physicians & Surgeons Terp of the Week is redshirt freshman, 197-pounder
Jaxon Smith of Maryland wrestling.
Maryland wrestling had a huge day on the final day of the 2023 Big Ten Championships, highlighted by a third-place finish for Smith, who had already earned an automatic qualification to NCAAs the day before. Sixth-seeded Smith took down reigning NCAA runner-up No. 5 Jacob Warner (IOWA) thanks to a takedown in sudden victory to put himself in the third-place match, setting up a rematch with Illinois' third-seeded Zac Braunagel. Smith and Braunagel headed to sudden victory for the second time this tournament, and this time Smith came out on the right side with a smooth single-leg takedown. Smith's finish is the highest for a Terp at the Big Ten championships since Youssif Hemida's third-place finish in 2019.
Jaxon Smith will now head to Tulsa, OK for the NCAA Championships on March 16-18. He will be joined by other automatic qualifiers,
Ethen Miller and
Kal Miller, as well as likely wild card selections
Braxton Brown and
Jaron Smith.
