University of Maryland Athletics

Wrestling 3/5/2026 3:36:00 PM

Maryland Wrestling Set for Big Ten Championships

Maryland Terrapins (5-9, 0-8 B1G)

March 7-8

Bryce Jordan Center

Session I (10 am ET): First Round, Quarterfinals,Wrestlebacks (BTN)
Session II (5 pm ET): Consolation Matches, Wresltebacks (B1G+)
Session II (7 pm ET): Semifinals (BTN)
Session III (12 pm ET): (Consolation Semifinals, 7thPlace Matches) (B1G+)
Session IV (4:30 pm) ET: 1st, 3rd, & 5th place

BTN/B1G+

COLLEGE PARK, MD —The Terps head into the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in State College, Pa., with 10 wrestlers set to compete and two seeded in the top five as they look to make noise at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. Coverage will be on Big Ten Network and B1G+.

Branson John leads the way as the No. 4 pre-seed at 197 pounds after posting a 22-5 regular-season record, while Carter Young is No. 5 at 149 pounds with an 11-2 mark.

Braxton Brown secured the No. 8 pre-seed at 133 pounds (16-6), giving Maryland three wrestlers seeded in the top eight. Other pre-seeds for the Terps are Abram Cline (No. 14 at 125), Dario Lemus (No. 11 at 141), Mekhi Neal (No. 13 at 157), AJ Rodrigues (No. 13 at 165), Seth Digby (No. 14 at 174), Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (No. 12 at 184) and Joey Schneck (No. 12 at 285).

Maryland turned in its best performance since joining the conference at the last season's Big Ten Wrestling Championships, finishing eighth with a program-record 54.0 team points. The Terps pushed six wrestlers to top-eight podium finishes — their most in the Big Ten era — and qualified six for the 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the program's highest total since 2011-12. Among those was Brown, who placed fifth at 133 pounds and returns to the lineup this season.

Where we've been...

Maryland enters the post-season finishing the regualr season with a 5-9 overall record earning dual wins over Gardner-Webb, the Citadel, Morgan State, American, and Drexel.
Maryland finished the 2025–26 Big Ten dual season 0–8 against one of the nation's toughest conference schedules. Despite the team record, the Terps produced multiple ranked wins and several individual highlights throughout league action.
At 197 pounds, Branson John led the way with multiple conference victories, including a pin over a top-10 opponent from Ohio State Buckeyes and a ranked win against Minnesota. John consistently scored team points in dual competition and secured bonus points in key matches.
Carter Young added several ranked wins at 149 pounds, defeating ranked opponents from Wisconsin Badgers, Purdue Boilermakers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He also earned a major decision in conference action.
At 133 pounds, Braxton Brown recorded multiple Big Ten dual wins, including a sudden-victory decision over a ranked Rutgers opponent, and finished with one of Maryland's top conference win totals.
The Terps also received conference victories from wrestlers at 141, 157, 174 and heavyweight during the Big Ten slate.

Braxton Brown Takes Down Drexel Wrestler

Braxton Brown recorded multiple Big Ten dual wins, including a sudden-victory decision over a ranked Rutgers opponent, and finished with one of Maryland's top conference win totals.

20-Win Branson

Branson John has delivered a breakout season for the Terps, competing at 197 pounds for the first time after qualifying for the NCAA Championships at 174 as a freshman last year. John currently holds a 22–5 record and has surpassed the 20-win mark for the first time in his career. He leads the team in total wins (22) and continues to pace the lineup in bonus-point production with multiple major decisions, technical falls and falls on the year.
He burst into the national rankings at 197 pounds following the Southeast Open, where he captured a highly competitive bracket with wins over ranked opponents in Minnesota's Gavin Nelson (11–4 decision) and West Virginia's Rune Lawrence (12–2 major decision). John entered the rankings at No. 22 and climbed as high as No. 16 during the season, adding another ranked win over Navy's Payton Thomas at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic.
John's production has carried into Big Ten competition, where he owns multiple conference victories, including a fall over Northwestern's Alex Smith, an 8–4 decision against Wisconsin's No. 28 Wyatt Ingham, a 4–1 decision over Minnesota's No. 25 Gavin Nelson, and a statement pin against Ohio State's No. 10 Luke Geog. He enters the postseason with 22 victories, including double-digit bonus-point wins, and has established himself as one of the Big Ten's top contenders at 197 pounds

John currently holds a 22–5 record and has surpassed the 20-win mark for the first time in his career.

About the Terps

The Terps are coming off one of their most successful seasons since joining the Big Ten. Maryland set program records for points and individual placers at the Big Ten Championships, recorded its highest team finish, and secured the most regular-season dual wins in program history. A signature moment came with a victory over No. 10 Michigan — the program's first win over a top-10 opponent since Nov. 20, 2009.
At the NCAA Championships, Maryland matched its highest team point total and finish since 2014. Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds, becoming the program's first All-American since 2019. The Terps qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships — their most since 2012 — including returners Braxton Brown, Branson John, and Jaxon Smith, while also setting a new program record for Big Ten dual victories.
Head Coach Alex Clemsen enters his seventh season leading the program, joined by associate head coach Nick Brascetta. Assistant coach Ethan Laird returns for his third season, while Cole Matthews has been promoted to assistant coach in his second year with the Terps.

Jaxon Smith of Maryland Wrestling on the Podium of the NCAA National Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday March 22, 2025.Allison Mize/Maryland Terrapins

Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds last season.

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Players Mentioned

Braxton Brown: 133 lbs; Redshirt Senior

Abram Cline: 125 lbs; Sophomore

Branson John: 197 lbs; Sophomore

Dario Lemus: 141 lbs; Redshirt Sophomore

Mekhi Neal: 157 lbs; Sophomore

Joey Schneck: HWT; Redshirt Sophomore

Jaxon Smith: 184 lbs; Redshirt Senior

Sepanta Ahanj-Elias: 197 lbs; Freshman

Seth Digby: 174 lbs; Freshman

AJ Rodrigues: 165 lbs; Junior

Players Mentioned

Braxton Brown
: Redshirt Senior
: 133 lbs

Abram Cline
: Sophomore
: 125 lbs

Branson John
: Sophomore
: 197 lbs

Dario Lemus
: Redshirt Sophomore
: 141 lbs

Mekhi Neal
: Sophomore
: 157 lbs

Joey Schneck
: Redshirt Sophomore
: HWT

Jaxon Smith
: Redshirt Senior
: 184 lbs

Sepanta Ahanj-Elias
: Freshman
: 197 lbs

Seth Digby
: Freshman
: 174 lbs

AJ Rodrigues
: Junior
: 165 lbs