The Terps achieved some program firsts this year but left plenty of room for improvement.
By Brinkley Smith
Although Maryland wrestling’s dual meet record didn’t match that of the previous year, its 2023-24 season featured many prideful moments. However, captains Jaxon Smith and Dom Solis know the work required to keep building the program is far from done.
“There are some lessons we learned and have identified that we have already begun to attack for next season,” Smith said, reflecting on the season.
The Terps achieved several program firsts this season. For the first time since joining the Big Ten, they achieved not just one, but two regular-season conference dual wins. The first came against Northwestern, 29-15, and the other against Michigan State, 28-15. Next season, Maryland hopes to bring that number to three or more league victories.
Maryland’s season was also highlighted by hosting the Big Ten championships in College Park for the first time. With home-mat advantage, the Terps set program bests in the tournament by placing 10th and scoring 39 team points. Four Terps also placed at the event, which added to the team’s momentum heading into the last event of the season — the NCAA championships.
Five Terps punched their ticket to Kansas City, Mo., for the national championships. But ultimately, only four — Braxton Brown, Ethen Miller, Jaxon Smith, and Seth Nevills — secured a spot in the third session, and none landed on the podium.
“We had the talent to get it done this year, but we fell just shy of it,” Solis said.
Smith will be a redshirt junior next season and has consistently been Maryland’s highest ranked individual wrestler. It’s been over five decades since a Maryland wrestler placed first at the NCAA championships, but Smith continues to set the bar high for himself. “Going into next season, next year, my goal is to be a national champion,” he said.
With several seniors set to graduate this spring, the offseason will be a time for the Terps to prepare and shape themselves for a new season. They proved that they belong in the best conference in collegiate wrestling, but have ambitions of reaching far greater heights.
“I think everyone has something different they need to work on,” Solis said. “Overall, though, more wrestling is going to get us better at wrestling.”