The AU wrestling team dropped a 23-14 decision to the University of Maryland in a battle between two nationally ranked teams Dec. 2 at College Park.
The Eagles came into the bout at No. 7 in the InterMat rankings, while Maryland entered the match at No. 20 in the country.
The Eagles trailed early, as Shane Gentry defeated AU’s Thomas Williams 2-1 in a hard-fought match at 125 pounds.
After Maryland’s Geoffrey Alexander beat Chris Brienza at 133 pounds, the Eagles found themselves in a quick 8-0 hole.
But AU would not back down, and two strong victories from No. 9 Matt Mariacher (141 pounds) and Kevin Tao (149 pounds) cut the deficit to one, at 8-7.
Mariacher took down Frank Goodwin 7-4, and Tao followed with a 12-4 major decision against Ben Dorsay.
With the score tight, No. 4 Ganbayar Sanjaa stepped to the mat for the Eagles against No. 16 Kyle John in one of the most anticipated matches of the day.
Sanjaa came up big for AU in the 157-pound bout, earning a clutch 14-6 major decision and propelling AU into the lead for the first time all afternoon at 11-8.
But the Terrapins quickly reclaimed the lead in the 165-pound match. AU’s Sean McCarty fought hard against No. 2 Josh Asper, but Asper recorded the technical fall over McCarty and gave Maryland a 12-11 advantage.
Phillip Barreiro (174 pounds) attempted to give AU some momentum with a victory over No. 17 Jimmy Sheptock, but Sheptock earned the technical fall at 17-2.
Immediately afterwards, Maryland’s Ty Snook defeated Thomas Barreiro 8-3 in the day’s 184-pound match. Snook’s triumph allowed the Terps to extend their lead to 20-11 and head into the final two bouts in great position to collect the victory.
The day’s second-to-last matchup featured No. 8 Daniel Mitchell competing for the Eagles for the first time this season. Mitchell faced a tough opponent at 197 pounds in No. 20 Christian Boley, and nearly earned the victory.
But a late takedown by Boley gave the Maryland grappler a 7-6 victory and extended the Terps’ lead to 23-11.
The final bout of the afternoon was another matchup of ranked opponents, as AU sent Ryan Flores, the nation’s top heavyweight, to the mat against No. 10 Spencer Myers. Flores earned a strong 7-3 victory, sending the Eagles home on a positive note despite the loss.
The Flores-Myers matchup marked a rematch of the NWCA All-Star Classic Nov. 21, a bout Flores won 11-2.
Despite the loss, there were several positives to take away for the Eagles. Three of AU’s four ranked wrestlers earned victories in their matches, while Mitchell looked strong in his first action of the season and should be a huge part of the team going forward.
The Eagles will look to rebound Dec. 10 when they take on George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.
