
Terps Upset No. 10 Michigan 19-18, Earn First Top-10 Win Since 2009
1/10/2025 9:50:00 PM | Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, MI — Maryland wrestling opened up the 2025 Big Ten season in impressive fashion, stunning the 10th-ranked Michigan Wolverines, 19-18, getting the winning point on criteria thanks to Braxton Brown's pin at 133.
It was Maryland's first win over a top-10 team since Nov. 20, 2009, when the No. 10 Terps defeated No. 4 Cornell in Ithaca, by a score of 18-17. It was the first time the Terps beat a top-10 team as un ranked opponent since Nov. 24, 2007 when they topped No. 5 Michigan, 18-16.
Brown, who later proved to be the hero with the pivotal pin, got the Terps on the board with a huge pin and a clutch six points. After dropping a close one at 141, Kal and Ethen Miller took back-to-back decision victories over ranked opponents to make it 12-7 at intermission. Ethen's win, over top-20 opponent Chase Saldate, moved him to 13-0 on the season.
True freshman Branson John secured the biggest win of his young career, getting a takedown in the final 40 seconds and riding out the rest of the period to secure a win and put the Terps ahead 15-10. Jaxon Smith followed the trend in the next bout, throwing his opponent to his back for the winning takedown right at the buzzer.
The final score was 18-18, but the Terps had the lone pin of the match, giving them the victory on criteria points, 19-18.
Full Results:
Up Next
It was Maryland's first win over a top-10 team since Nov. 20, 2009, when the No. 10 Terps defeated No. 4 Cornell in Ithaca, by a score of 18-17. It was the first time the Terps beat a top-10 team as un ranked opponent since Nov. 24, 2007 when they topped No. 5 Michigan, 18-16.
Brown, who later proved to be the hero with the pivotal pin, got the Terps on the board with a huge pin and a clutch six points. After dropping a close one at 141, Kal and Ethen Miller took back-to-back decision victories over ranked opponents to make it 12-7 at intermission. Ethen's win, over top-20 opponent Chase Saldate, moved him to 13-0 on the season.
True freshman Branson John secured the biggest win of his young career, getting a takedown in the final 40 seconds and riding out the rest of the period to secure a win and put the Terps ahead 15-10. Jaxon Smith followed the trend in the next bout, throwing his opponent to his back for the winning takedown right at the buzzer.
The final score was 18-18, but the Terps had the lone pin of the match, giving them the victory on criteria points, 19-18.
Full Results:
- 125: Christian Tanefeu major dec. (12-4) Tyler Garvin (Michigan 4, Maryland 0)
- 133: No. 14/15 Braxton Brown fall (5:45) Nolan Wertanen (Maryland 6, Michigan 4)
- 141: No. 12/9 Sergio Lemley dec. (6-3) Dario Lemus (Michigan 7, Maryland 6)
- 149: No. 29/32 Kal Miller dec. (4-3) No. 28 Derek Gilcher dec. (Maryland 9, Michigan 7)
- 157: No. 6/8 Ethen Miller dec. (4-2) No. 16/19 Chase Saldate (Maryland 12, Michigan 7)
- 165: No. 26 Beau Mantanona dec. (6-4) Alex Uryniak (Maryland 12, Michigan 10)
- 174: No. 32 Branson John dec. (5-4) No. 25 Joseph Walker (Maryland 15, Michigan 10)
- 184: No. 13/11 Jaxon Smith dec. (4-1) No. 19 Jaden Bullock (Maryland 18, Michigan 10)
- 197: No. 3/2 Jacob Cardenas tech fall (15-0, 4:54) Chase Mielnik (Maryland 18, Michigan 15)
- 285: No. 10/12 Josh Heindselman dec. (4-2) No. 13/14 Seth Nevills (Maryland 18, Michigan 18)
- ***the Terps earned a point on criteria for the pin at 133, making the final score 19-18 in favor of Maryland
Up Next
- The Terps will wrap up their weekend in Michigan when they face the Spartans in East Lansing on Sunday, Jan. 12. The dual will start at 1 pm and air on B1G+.
Players Mentioned
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