No. 4 ranked Ohio State travelled east to take on the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday, but the Buckeyes had to battle back to defeat the Terps 30-12 after a slow start.
Maryland took an early 6-0 lead as the Buckeyes forfeited at 125. No reason was given for Jose Rodriguez’ absence from the match.
Top-ranked Nathan Tomasello remained perfect on the season with a 15-5 major decision over Billy Rappo at 133 lbs. Tomasello improves to 10-0 on the season and pulled the Buckeyes to within two points heading into 141.
At 141, No. 14 Luke Pletcher had a workman-like effort on his way to a 16-7 major decision over Maryland’s Jhared Simmons. Pletcher was able to score takedowns with relative ease, which is imperative as the Buckeyes prepare for a brutal conference schedule in the next two weeks. Pletcher momentarily gave the Buckeyes an 8-6 lead heading into 149.
The anticipated match between No. 5 Micah Jordan and No. 15 Alfred Bannister didn’t come to fruition and Blake Riley-Hawkins represented the Buckeyes at 149 while Adam Whitesel wrestled for Maryland. After a back and forth affair, Whitesel was able to pin Riley-Hawkins, regaining the lead for Maryland 12-8.
Jake Ryan was able to get another win under his belt as he snuck by with a close 3-2 decision over a tough Justin Alexander at 157. Ryan improves to 10-7 on the season and pulled the Buckeyes to within one halfway through the dual.
Cody Burcher also notched another one in the win column with a 6-2 decision over Patrick Gerish. Following the victory, Burcher improves to 14-8 on the season. The Buckeyes took a 14-12 lead with Burcher’s decision victory.
Top-ranked Bo Jordan was not in the lineup for the Buckeyes, but Justin Kresevic stepped in to secure the 3-2 decision over Josh Ugalde at 174. Kresevic gave the Buckeyes a 17-12 lead with just three matches remaining.
Myles Martin showed why he is ranked in the top ten with a 16-6 major decision over Maryland’s Sam Rowell at 184. Martin utilized a number of quick takedowns to give himself some breathing room in the match.
Speaking of takedowns, No. 5 Kollin Moore didn’t want to be outdone by Martin, so he put on a takedown clinic of his own against fellow Ohioan David-Brian Whisler at 197. Moore logged yet another major decision on the season with a 17-7 victory and secured the match for the Buckeyes with a 25-12 lead.
In the final match of the day, top-ranked Kyle Snyder demonstrated that heavyweight matches don’t have to be 2-1 snoozefests when he met Maryland’s Youssif Hemida. Snyder scored yet another tech fall and defeated Hemida 22-7 early in the third period. With the win, Snyder moves up to 6-0 on the season. After Snyder’s tech fall, the Buckeyes earned the 30-12 victory.
The Buckeyes will be in action next friday when they travel to Iowa City to take on the No. 3 Hawkeyes in what is sure to be an exciting match. The match will air live on BTN at 8 PM on Friday night. Check back with Eleven Warriors later in the week for a full preview of the match between top five teams.
| Wt | Result | Team score |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | Michael Beck (M) wins by forfeit | Maryland leads 6-0 |
| 133 | #1 Nathan Tomasello (OSU) major decision over Billy Rappo (M) 15-5 | Maryland leads 6-4 |
| 141 | #14 Luke Pletcher (OSU) major decision over Jhared Simmons (M) 16-7 | Ohio State leads 8-6 |
| 149 | Adam Whitesel (M) pin Blake Riley-Hawkins (OSU) | Maryland leads 12-8 |
| 157 | Jake Ryan (OSU) decision over Justin Alexander (M) 3-2 | Maryland leads 12-11 |
| 165 | Cody Burcher (OSU) decision over Patrick Gerish (M) 6-2 | Ohio State leads 14-12 |
| 174 | Justin Kresevic (OSU) decision over Josh Ugalde (M) 3-2 | Ohio State leads 17-12 |
| 184 | #10 Myles Martin (OSU) major decision over Sam Rowell (M) 16-6 | Ohio State leads 21-12 |
| 197 | #5 Kollin Moore (OSU) major decision over David-Brian Whisler (M) 17-7 | Ohio State leads 25-12 |
| HWT | #1 Kyle Snyder (OSU) technical fall over Youssif Hemida (M) 22-7 | Ohio State wins 30-12 |
