It took a complete team effort for the unranked Maryland Terripans to upset the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines in Friday night's Big Ten battle, but, because of the criteria rules, Maryland's Braxton Brown emerged as the hero for the Terps.
The junior 133-pounder took the mat early in Ann Arbor with his team trailing 4-0 after a major decision loss at 125 pounds, and he changed the course of the dual. Brown picked up a takedown in the first period, another takedown in the second and then put Michigan's Nolan Wertanen on his back for the fall and the six team points.
His pin would prove to be the difference after the dual ended 18-18 — before criteria. Brown was the only athlete to earn a pin, giving Maryland the win 19-18 via criteria, the biggest win in Alex Clemsen's tenure as head coach. Maryland's victory will be attributed to Brown's bonus points, but he needed four other guys to make this upset possible.
Braxton Brown doing Braxton Brown things!🐢💪 x
— Maryland Wrestling (@TerpsWrestling)
No. 29 Kal Miller and No. 6 Ethen Miller, Maryland dynamic brother duo at 149 and 157 pounds, stepped up against the Wolverines as well, beating No. 28 Derek Gilcher and No. 16 Chase Saldate by decisions to give the Terps a 12-7 lead into intermission.
Maryland dropped a decision at 165 pounds but gutted out two nail-bitter wins at 174 and 184 pounds from Branson John and No. 13 Jaxon Smith to put itself ahead 18-10 going into the toughest match of the night for Maryland: Michigan's No. 3 Jacob Cardenas vs. Maryland's Chase Mielnik. Cardenas overpowered Mielnik early in the first period, but he needed a pin to give his team its best chance heading into heavyweight. Instead, he secured a tech in the third period.
Maryland's 18-15 lead heading into heavyweight meant that as long as the Terps' NCAA qualifier No. 13 Seth Nevills didn't give up bonus points against No. 10 Josh Heindselman, Maryland would win on criteria.
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Heindselman earned the W in the defensive bout 4-2, but Maryland won the war.
The Terps, thanks to a complete team performance and the flash of one 133-pounder, proved, once again, they were a top-25 team, and they did it in enemy territory in upset fashion in Ann Arbor.
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