Maryland wrestling falls to No. 1 Penn State, 47-3

Maryland wrestling welcomed No. 1 Penn State to the main floor of Xfinity Center on Sunday. This match was the toughest opponent for Maryland the entire season, and the Nittany Lions came out swinging, winning 47-3.

The Terps returned home for the first time in over two weeks after an up-and-down weekend at Harvard and Brown. Maryland’s loss at Harvard is still under appeal as a result during the heavyweight match, when the Crimson wrestler was supposed to be disqualified for five stallings, but it wasn’t called on the mat, so the match is still a loss for the Terps.

After Brandon Cray won a close 3-2 bout in the 125-pound class, Penn State swept the rest of the dual, including five straight pins from the 149-pound class to the 184-pound class. That five-match stretch included Penn State’s five best wrestlers: four No. 1-ranked wrestlers and a No. 2 in their respective weight classes.

No. 6 heavyweight Youssif Hemida fell in the dual’s final match, a top-10 bout against No. 8 Nick Nevills. Hemida lost in a close 4-1 decision, dropping to 20-2 on the season.

The one positive for the Terps was Cray, who won his fourth match in a row, a good sign for the Terps moving forward for the rest of the season into the postseason. It was also Cray’s first conference dual win and the Terps’ first conference win in the 125-pound class.

Maryland, in the loss, remains winless in the Big Ten, and is still looking for its first conference dual win since the 2015-16 season.

The Terps go back on the road to Champaign, Illinois, to face off against No. 14 Illinois on Sunday.