Maryland Wrestling goes 4-0, sweeps Terrapin Duals to open 2014 season

The season is here!

Maryland opened up their wrestling season by beating up on lesser teams in what has become the annual Terrapin Duals. We didn't learn much at all about the Terps but we should learn a great deal more when the season gets more serious when George Mason comes to town on Sunday. I put together some quick hits from each of the duals.

Some quick hits from the first dual against Hopkins.

Maryland got a forfeit in the first match of the dual and just kept winning. Geoffrey Alexander looked good in his return to the line-up after red-shirting last year. He picked up a pin for the Terps at 133. Shyheim Brown and Ben Dorsay picked up back-to-back technical falls at 141 and 149 to give Maryland a 22-0 lead. Justin Alexander, Geoffrey's younger brother, got his first start and win in a decision at 157.

After Tyler Manion's decision for Maryland at 165, the Terps led 28-0 going into the upper weights. Maryland had three pins in the upper weight classes at 174 (Josh Snook), 197 (Rob Fitzgerald) and heavyweight (Sean Twigg). The lone decision came from Arashdeep Gill at 184 pounds who got his first ever win as a Terp. When it was all said and done, Maryland had kicked off their season with a 49-0 shutout of Johns Hopkins.

Maryland vs. Johns Hopkins

125: Polacek winner by forfeit Maryland  6-0

133: Geoffrey Alexander fall over Vallis Maryland 12-0

141: Brown tech-fall over Escobar Maryland 17-0

149: Dorsay tech-fall over Grifa Maryland 22-0

157: Justin Alexander decision over Salera   Maryland 25-0

165: Manion decision over Sakmar Maryland 28-0

174: Snook fall over Forman Maryland 34-0

184: Gill decison over Johnson Maryland 37-0

197: Fitzgerald fall over Tilson Maryland 43-0

HWT: Twigg fall over Flannery Maryland 49-0

Some quick hits from the second dual against Kutztown

Just like they did in the dual against Hopkins, Maryland got off to a quick start against Kutztown. Josh Polacek recorded a fall in his first action of the season and both Geoffrey Alexander and Shyheim Brown got hard fought but comfortable decision wins to make it 12-0 going into the middle weights. Ben Dorsay picked up a forfeit at 149, Justin Alexander recorded his second decision of the day and Tyler Manion pinned Bo Candelaria to make the score 27-0 in favor of Maryland.

Maryland and Kutztown split the upper weight matches 2-2. Josh Snook got bonus points with a major decision before Andre Petroski, a transfer from UNC, pinned Gill to get Kutztown on the board. Fitzgerald answered back with a dominant major decision at 197 to push the score to 35-6 going into the final match. Ziad Haddad, the 2014 Division II Wrestler of the Year and defending national champion at heavyweight in Division II, scored a major decision over Ryan Kail to end the dual but it was another dominant victory for Maryland as they won 35-10.

Maryland vs. Kutztown

125: Polacek fall over Demarco Maryland 6-0

133: Geoffrey Alexander decision over Roper Maryland 9-0

141: Brown decision over Benvenuto Maryland 12-0

149: Dorsay winner by forfeit Maryland 18-0

157: Justin Alexander decision over Martoccio Maryland 21-0

165: Manion fall over Candelaria Maryland 27-0

174: Snook major decision over Wolfe Maryland 31-0

184: Petroski fall over Gill Maryland 31-6

197: Fitzgerald major decision over Clark Maryland 35-6

HWT: Haddad major decision over Kail Maryland 35-10

Some quick hits from Maryland's dual against Davidson.

Maryland got three wins to start their final dual of the day against Davidson. Josh Polacek and Daniel Sanchez both won close decisions and Billy Rappo got a pin in his first match of the season. Davidson halved the Maryland lead to six at the start of the middle weights when Kevin Birmingham pinned Ben Dorsay. Justin Alexander picked up a fall the very next match to push the lead back to 12 and Tyler Manion picked up bonus points with a major decision to make it 22-6 heading into the upper weights.

Snook got the upper weights started with a strong major decision win but Ryan Devlin topped Gill by decision to bring the score to 26-9 going into the final two matches of the dual. Fitzgerald got a major decision at 197 and Sean Twigg got a pin in the final match of the dual.

Maryland vs. Davidson

125: Polacek decison over Phillip Elias Maryland 3-0

133: Rappo fall over Runzo Maryland 9-0

141: Sanchez decision over McCord Maryland 12-0

149: Birmingham fall over Dorsay Maryland 12-6

157: Alexander fall over Palinksi Maryland 18-6

165: Manion major decision over Patrick Devlin Maryland 22-6

174: Snook major decision over Powers Maryland 26-6

184: Ryan Devlin decision over Gill Maryland 26-9

197: Fitzgerald major decision over Solcz Maryland 30-9

HWT: Twigg fall over Isola Maryland 36-9

Maryland vs. Alderson-Broaddus

Some quick hits from Maryland's last dual of the day against Alderson-Broaddus

Jhared Simmons made his first ever start for Maryland at 125 and got his first official win for the Terps with a major decision to start the last dual of the day. Billy Rappo got his second pin in his second match of the day for Maryland. Brown followed that up by pinning Chris Brent from a tilt position to make the score 15-0 going into the middle weights. Shane Arechiga won to open up the middle weights and Justin Alexander picked up his fourth win of the day with a 3-1 decision. T.J. Guidice won a close match to push the lead to 25-0 heading into the last four matches of the day.

Josh Snook got an 8-1 decision at 174 and Gill dropped his third match of the day by decision to Garrett Onderko. Rob Fitzgerald picked up his second pin of the day to go along with his two major decisions at 197 and Ryan Kail finished the dual in emphatic fashion by pinning Aerison Parrish.

125: Simmons major decision over Buchanan Maryland 4-0

133: Rappo fall over Powell Maryland 10-0

141: Brown fall over Brent Maryland 16-0

149: Arechiga decision over West Maryland 19-0

157: Alexander decision over Stednitz Maryland 22-0

165: Guidice decision over Shurina Maryland 25-0

174: Snook decision over Ohl Maryland 28-0

184: Onderko decision over Gill Maryland 28-3

197: Fitzgerald fall over Nester Maryland 34-3

HWT: Kail fall over Parrish Maryland 40-3