Adding onto an already strong offseason of transfer portal pickups for the Michigan wrestling team, graduate Shane Griffith announced Thursday that he will spend his final year of eligibility with the Wolverines.

Griffith — a 2021 NCAA champion, 2020 Hodge Trophy finalist and three-time NCAA All-American — spent five successful seasons wrestling in the 165-pound weight class at Stanford. In addition to his NCAA accolades, Griffith is also a two-time (2020, 2021) Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year and the 2020 Amateur Wrestling News National Rookie of the Year.

The New Jersey native was also considering Rutgers and Iowa as potential destinations for his sixth and final season, before ultimately choosing Michigan.

“I think Michigan is in the best place right now for me to give it one last run,” Griffith told NJ.com. “… definitely in team title contention so I think that will be a cool environment to go out in and have great guys push me to be the best I can be in my last year.”

Griffith joins what is shaping up to be a strong Wolverines squad for Michigan coach Sean Bormet. The Wolverines secured three All-American graduate transfers from Northwestern in April — Lucas Davison, Michael DeAugustino and Chris Cannon — and they will return All-Americans Cameron Amine and Will Lewan.

With Amine currently occupying the Wolverines’ 165-pound slot, there looks to be some shifting of wrestlers within weight classes — though unclear who will move where — to slide Griffith into Michigan’s lineup. No matter how it shakes out, Griffith will add even more strength to a Wolverines team that hopes to contend for a title next season.

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It seemed as though fifth-year senior heavyweight Mason Parris’s season could not get any better. 

Until it did. 

On Monday, Parris was voted the 2023 Dan Hodge Trophy winner, a prestigious honor given to the most dominant male wrestler in the country. Following an undefeated campaign that resulted in a National Championship trophy, Parris beat out Penn State’s three-time national champion Carter Starocci, who finished second in the voting, and Cornell’s four-time national champion Yianni Diakomihalis, who finished third.

Parris received 38 of 64 first-place votes from a panel of retired coaches, members of the media, a representative from each of the national wrestling organizations and former winners. Parris also won the fan vote, totaling 11,036 votes – nearly double the amount for second place Starocci who tallied 6,172. This added an extra five first-place votes to Parris’s total. 

“This is an unreal feeling,” Parris told WIN magazine on Monday. “To even be nominated is such an honor. To win it is such a great way to represent my family and my school.”

The Hodge Trophy uses four categories to determine a winner – record, dominance/bonus-point percentage, quality of competition and sportsmanship. This season, Parris boasted a 33-0 record, 21 bonus wins, 11 falls, three technical falls and seven major decisions. On his journey to a Big Ten and National title, Parris earned 17 wins over nationally-ranked opponents and went 10-0 against seven fellow All-Americans. 

The Big Ten – home to 61 qualifying wrestlers in the 2023 National Championship and 16 of the 31 total Hodge winners – remains the most challenging wrestling conference in the country. Despite this, Parris barreled through conference opponents, outscoring them 126-29 and winning via fall four times. 

Michigan coach Sean Bormet praised Parris’s poise throughout the season.

“If you look at the course of our season,” Bormet told WIN magazine. “He got tested a few times and went through some adversity, but he kept his composure. He did a great job staying focused on scoring the next point. All those little tests helped him keep building and feeding into his confidence.”

With a national title, conference championship and a .873 career winning percentage, Parris already cemented his place as a top wrestler in Wolverine history. 

Adding a Hodge Trophy on top of that could possibly earn him the title of the greatest.

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After three tough days of competition at the NCAA Wrestling Tournament, one Michigan wrestler remained in the finals — No. 1 heavyweight and fifth-year senior Mason Parris. And after his last seven minutes of wrestling as a Wolverine in which he overpowered No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State throughout the entire bout, Parris stood atop the podium. 

His lifelong goal of becoming a National Champion was achieved in the last match of his collegiate career. 

Parris was the runner-up in the 2021 NCAA championships his junior year, losing to the Nittany Lions’ Gable Steveson, who went on to win an Olympic gold medal later that summer. Parris would fall to Steveson in the Big Ten Championship final in 2020 and 2021, taking home All-American honors both years. But this season, Parris refused to come up short. 

Following a perfect 33-0 regular season, Parris didn’t slow down and dominated his opponents at every stage of the tournament. In the first four rounds of the tournament, he won two bouts via major decision and beat Iowa’s No. 4 Tony Cassiopi with a 16-1 technical fall in the semifinal. Preparing for the second national championship bout of his career, Parris rode the momentum he had built up in the previous rounds and remained poised.

“I wasn’t really nervous at all,” Parris told The Daily. “I was very confident in myself and felt really good and believed in my abilities.”

In the final bout, Parris’s confidence was on full display. Going up against a familiar foe in Penn State’s No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet, whom Parris defeated for the Big Ten title just two weeks prior, Parris was in full control the entire seven minutes. Thirty seconds into the match, Parris defended a leg attack from Kerkvliet and scored a takedown on a fireman’s dump before riding Kerkvliet out in the period and garnering 2:30 of riding time. Parris started on the bottom in the second period, earning an escape point – and Kerkvliet only scored on a stalling call near the end of the third period. But by then, the match was over. 

“That stalling call didn’t really faze him,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet told The Daily. “Mason has had great composure and great mat and match awareness all season, which I think really shined at the NCAA championships. He was one of the most dominant competitors of all weight classes.”

Parris came back with a vengeance after missing half of last season with a herniated disk and finishing sixth at the 2022 NCAA tournament. This year, he put in extra time in the weight room to rebuild his strength. Parris looked for redemption against those he lost to last year, including Kerkvliet who defeated him three times. 

“I wasn’t at my full potential last year,” Parris told reporters after his win. “This year I wanted to come out and show I was the best. I really had something to prove and I wanted to get revenge on all those guys that I could.”

And finally, in the last match of his collegiate career, Parris got the revenge he coveted.

As a team however, the Wolverines placed sixth with eight wrestlers competing and three being named All-Americans. Ninth-ranked fifth-year senior Will Lewan placed seventh at 157 pounds after falling to No. 7 Bryce Andonian from Virginia Tech, earning All-American honors. 

No. 11 165-pound senior/junior Cameron Amine finished fourth after winning his way through the consolation bracket —  even beating the 2021 champion No. 9 Shane Griffith from Stanford to earn an All-American recognition.

“I’m super proud of our guys,” Bormet said. “I thought they put a tremendous effort on the mat. All eight guys that we had competing at the NCAA championships scored points and were in the round of 16. They competed with a tremendous amount of heart and really represented Michigan wrestling well.” 

Michigan will graduate key wrestlers this year, but Parris isn’t going far. He will remain in Ann Arbor to train for the Olympic trials in five weeks as a member of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, with a goal to make the US World team. 

And in a familiar setting with the same coaching staff, Parris will hope to take the first step to add an Olympic medal to his trophy case –  alongside his newly garnered NCAA plaque. 

The post Mason Parris clinches heavyweight title, three Michigan wrestlers earn All-American honors at NCAA tournament appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Home to the last 15 National Championship teams, the Big Ten was sure to showcase its talent during its conference championships this weekend in Ann Arbor. And while the host Michigan wrestling team finished in fifth place, there was plenty to smile about for the Wolverines, mainly because of Mason Parris. 

After a tough showing on Saturday, No. 1 heavyweight and fifth-year senior Mason Parris was the only wrestler from Michigan (11-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) that made it to the finals. Tied for sixth place with 64 points, it was unlikely for the Wolverines to catch up to the 120 points held by first-place Penn State (16-0, 9-0). However, that didn’t stop Michigan from putting up a fight. 

“I’m proud of these guys everyday,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “Especially today, coming back from a tough round last night with a lot of strength and a lot of character…The Big Ten is absolutely the best (conference). I’ll say it loud and proud.”

With two wrestlers – 157-pound redshirt senior Will Lewan and 184-pound graduate student Matt Finesilver – taking third place, four others earned a spot on the podium. With their performances, seven Wolverines earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament in Tulsa two weeks from now. 

But even so, the weekend built up to one event: the heavyweight final. 

Facing a familiar competitor in the Nittany Lions’ Greg Kerkvliet, who is ranked second in both the nation and tournament, Parris had an opportunity to finally win a Big Ten title. In the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, Kerkvliet beat Parris in the third-place match with an 18-2 major decision win. Parris, who had missed more than half of the 2022 season with a herniated disk, used the summer to regain his strength and redeem himself in the 2023 championship in front of a home crowd. 

“There’s been a lot of developments this year,” Parris said. “A lot of my training is getting my confidence back from my injury last year and working my butt off. I think I’m the best version of myself right now, but there’s a lot more to do.”

Parris’s work was evident as he led for most of the bout, attacking Kerkvliet with a fireman’s carry 45 seconds into the first period. He garnered more than a minute of riding time which Kerkvliet brought down to 56 seconds before Parris earned an escape in the third period. After tallying his second stall warning late in the third and surrendering a penalty point, the bout went to overtime. This fact surprised Parris, who thought he had won. 

“I had no idea I had that stall called,” Parris said. “The match ended, I looked at the clock and it was 3-3. I just had to take a deep breath and gather myself. It was what it was.”

As raging cheers filled the stadium, Parris rode the energy of the home crowd. Sprawling on a Kerkvliet shot and fighting for a go-behind takedown, Parris became the first Michigan wrestler to earn a Big Ten heavyweight title since Airron Richardson in 1998. 

While the Wolverines were unable to defend last year’s conference title, Parris accomplished one of his biggest goals for the year, but is still not satisfied. 

“I don’t want to fall short anymore,” Parris said. “It’s my time to get that national title and I’m going to do everything possible to do it.”

And the situation is lining up for him to do so. At the Big Ten Championship in 2020, Parris finished second to No. 1 Gable Stevenson of Minnesota. In 2021, Parris was runner-up to Stevenson in the conference final. During the National Championship just two weeks later, Parris once again earned second place to Stevenson.

With Stevenson gone, it is finally Parris’s time to earn gold. According to him, he will settle for nothing less than first.

The post Mason Parris takes home heavyweight title, Michigan places fifth at Big Ten Tournament appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

After the No. 11 Michigan wrestling team closed out the regular season at Crisler Center with a 30-9 team win against Central Michigan on senior night, Mason Parris’s first response wasn’t to hug his parents. It wasn’t to celebrate with his teammates. It wasn’t even taking time to bask in the glory of an undefeated regular season worthy of his No. 1 heavyweight ranking.

Instead, he signed autographs for the dozens of kids who spent the entire match cheering his name. 

“He’s what defines a student-athlete,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “(Studying) civil engineering, and his great overall work ethic on and off the mat, he’s just been a great leader. I think he’s going to be one of the most dominant wrestlers we’ve had in the history of our program. And I think his legacy is going to be determined as he continues to finish the season off in March”

Parris had nine takedowns and used a variety of singles, doubles, carries and go-behinds to earn a 20-7 major decision win over the Chippewas’ Bryan Caves. Accumulating 3:58 in riding time, Parris maintained complete control of the bout, only letting Caves escape so that he could record another takedown. Parris’s win finished off his perfect 25-0 season and garnered 17 wins of seven points or more, adding to his college career record of 50-4.  

“The main focus this year is to be national champions,” Parris said. “I’ve done everything to this point that I’ve wanted to do and my confidence has been increasing every week. I’m taking that momentum into the Big 10 (Championships) and then to Nationals.”

Parris’s parents Mark and Shay beamed with pride as they talked about their son’s accomplishments. Shay, wearing a pin of four-year-old Mason in his first year of wrestling, expressed her goals for Mason’s future. 

“First and foremost, I want him to do what makes him happy and to stay healthy,” Shay Parris told The Daily. “I’d like to see him reach his dreams (of winning) the Big Ten and the NCAA, making the world team, and making the Olympic team, because that’s what he wants to do.”

Mason’s close-knit family has been by his side throughout his athletic career, with his parents never missing a single match no matter the distance. His father Mark, a former inside linebacker at Ball State, coached him in football and wrestling growing up. In high school, Mason was a four-year varsity letterman in football, wrestling and shotput. As a three-star football recruit and the number one heavyweight in the nation out of high school, Mason had offers from dozens of schools for both wrestling and football. 

“He just got so good at everything,” Mark said. “Wrestling is more of an individual sport, so (Mason) could have a say in the outcome and determine that. But you know, it went so fast. We’re so proud of him. He’s just a good kid.”

Although Mason Parris’s career as a Wolverine may be coming to an end soon, one thing remains clear: he is just getting started.

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Coming off of a big win against No. 22 Indiana, the No. 11 Michigan wrestling team continued its dominance in its final regular season meet with a win over Central Michigan. 

No. 1 fifth-year heavyweight Mason Parris completed his perfect 25-0 regular season, along with pins from No. 11 redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Dylan Ragusin and No. 28 redshirt junior 141-pounder Cole Mattin. Those key showings along with solid performances from the rest of the team propelled the Wolverines (11-4 overall) to a 30-9 victory over the Chippewas (6-9). 

The Wolverines asserted their dominance on the mat early, with a strong performance from No. 17 graduate 125-pounder Jack Medley. Followed by back-to-back pins by Ragusin and Mattin, Michigan led 16-0 heading into the fourth bout. 

For Mattin, his pin Sunday night came with extra meaning. Coming back from four weeks of injury, he accentuated his Senior Night with a win. Considering he is graduating, it could be his last meet at Crisler Center. 

“Believe it or not this is my first varsity win in this building,” Mattin said. “I’m just glad to get a win, especially in a fashion like a pin in front of my family and all the people who have supported me for the past year.” 

The Chippewas’ responded in the fourth, 149-pound bout, with Jimmy Lovett’s decision win over No. 24 redshirt freshman Chance Lamer. That breath did not last long though, as No. 14 redshirt senior 157-pounder Will Lewan won a hard fought bout 8-3 to put the Wolverines up 19-3 heading into the intermission.

No. 4 redshirt senior 165-pounder Cameron Amine also capped his senior season with a victory, winning his bout with an impressive lunging takedown as the clock wound down in the third to put himself up 3-1. The takedown brought both the bench and the crowd at Crisler to their feet, and reinforced Michigan’s momentum. 

Central Michigan put a brief stop to that momentum in the sixth, 174-pound bout, with No. 32 Alex Cramer beating redshirt sophomore Joseph Walker in an 8-7 overtime win, which brought the Chippewas up 22-6. The Wolverine’s No. 8 graduate 184-pounder Matt Finesilver ended his last regular season in a dominant fashion, allowing no points in a 10-0 win. 

Redshirt sophomore Brendin Yatooma lost the 197-pound bout to junior Cameron Wood in tight fashion, 4-2, giving Central Michigan its third win of the night. However, it was too little too late for the Chippewas as Parris won the final bout by major decision, giving Michigan the team win, 30-9. 

With his last regular season coming to an end, Parris reflected on his time on the team, and the impact his parents have had on his career.

“It’s great to be able to go out and represent not only myself but them for all the work they’ve put in also for me.” Parris said. “I just hope to leave being a leader, a role model, working hard and showing all these guys what it means to be a Michigan man.” 

After struggling in conference competition during the season, the Wolverines will need all the confidence they can get heading into the Big Ten Tournament. With twelve of the Big Ten’s fourteen schools in the top 25 in the nation, the tournament will be competitive as ever. 

Now only two weeks away, their eyes are locked on the prize.

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Coming off a tough loss on Friday against No. 2 Iowa, graduate 125-pounder Jack Medley, No. 1 fifth year heavyweight Mason Parris and redshirt senior 157-pounder Will Lewan led a chain of success for a necessary win leading into the postseason. 

And their performances led No. 9 Michigan (10-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) to a win at home against No. 22 Indiana (7-5, 3-5), in an impressive finish to their Big Ten schedule, 23-18. 

The Wolverines produced a slow start with redshirt senior 174-pounder Max Maylor getting pinned early in the first period. Following Maylor was a bout of a win from both No. 8 graduate 184-pounder Matt Finesilver and redshirt sophomore 197-pounder Brendin Yatooma taking a late loss in the third period 2-5. 

Going into the fourth bout, the energy was not just wanted, but needed for Michigan to end with a win. Wrestling in this clutch position was Parris. He had a quick start to the match, scoring a takedown within the first 30 seconds of the first period. He extended his undefeated season to a record of 23-0 with a major decision win of 17-4. While wrestling is an individual sport, Parris understands how valuable the team environment is. 

“I love all the guys on my team, they’re all my brothers,” Parris said. “I want them to win just as much as I want myself to win.”

With Parris’ win fresh on the team’s mind, Medley planned his comeback from his bout against the Hawkeyes last Friday. He took a hard loss, falling 11-2, but came back to Ann Arbor and won 23-11. After the first period, Medley led 2-0, but in the second period went on an offensive streak creating a sizable gap of 9-4. His bout put Michigan in the front for the first time all day, leading 11-9 going into the sixth bout.

“It was great to see Jack Medley really let his offense shine tonight,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “He scored multiple times with leg attacks and front headlock attacks. I think it was a great boost for him and definitely a great boost for the team going into intermission.”

The momentum from Medley’s bout did indeed create a boost for the Wolverines with two back-to-back wins following him. Redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Dylan Ragsuin took an early first period fall, but still won the bout with a pin. Redshirt junior 141-pounder Pat Nolan earned the second win in the last minute of the third period. The arena and the entire Michigan sideline rallied behind him in the last 30 seconds of his bout to pull a 4-3 win. 

The push to cement the win for the Wolverines came from Lewan. Going scoreless through the first period, he was in a 1-1 tie leading into the matchup for sudden victory. Staying at 1-1, the bout went into a tiebreaker that involved a challenge from both teams and two reviews on takedown calls. After the eventful callings, Lewan won the bout in a reversal within the last five seconds, creating a chain reaction of cheers from both the bench and Cliff Keen Arena. 

Winning this dual puts Michigan into better standing heading into the highly competitive Big Ten tournament. The majority of the teams in the Big Ten are currently ranked in the top 25, and the Wolverines have struggled this year against top competitors such as Penn State and Iowa. With the postseason getting closer, graduate student Medley is choosing to embrace his final moments on the team rather than focusing on the pressure ahead. 

“It’s a mindset of soaking in every moment I have left wrestling in a Michigan singlet,” Medley said. “I love this university and I love representing Michigan. I’m looking forward to having some really good preparation for these last few weeks.”

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In Big Ten wrestling, it’s difficult to win — even more so when top wrestlers are sidelined with injuries.

No. 9 Michigan needed a conference win against No. 22 Indiana on Sunday in order to gain momentum heading into the postseason. Following a fall victory by No. 12 135-pound redshirt sophomore Dylan Ragusin and a pair of major decisions by both No. 1 heavyweight fifth-year senior Mason Parris and No. 18 125-pound graduate student Jack Medley, the Wolverines proved they are ready for the challenging path that lies ahead. 

Despite having six of its starters ranked in the top 30 of its weight classes, Michigan was on the verge of going .500 in conference play with a loss to the Hoosiers. But after Friday’s disappointing loss to No. 2 Iowa, the Wolverines proved they had made the necessary adjustments to get a statement win, 23-18. 

“We are just trying to continue to build the guys up,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “Mentally we’ve had some tough duals, we had some of our starting guys out of the lineup. So, you know, we’re trying to get healthy first and foremost.”

Injuries have torn through the Wolverines’ starting lineup. No. 22 149-pound redshirt freshman Chance Lamer, No. 4 165-pound redshirt sophomore Cameron Amine, and No. 27 141-pound redshirt junior Cole Mattin have missed time this season despite being starters. Lamer has missed more than three weeks before returning to Friday’s meet against the Hawkeyes, but he did not step onto the mat against Indiana. 

But the Wolverines’ next-man-up mentality showed the depth of their roster. Redshirt junior Pat Nolan stepped up in the 145-pound bout in place of the usual starter, Mattin, securing a crucial decision win that pushed Michigan’s lead into double digits. 

Parris, the Wolverines’ captain, expressed the importance of positivity when injuries are hurting the starting lineup.

“It’s a team sport, but it’s also individual at the end of the day,” Parris said. “We’ve got to rally around these guys and keep them supported, keep them up, keep everything positive. And we’ve had a little bit of injuries this year and trying to overcome that has been difficult but … now we’re looking at the long term goal of being Big Ten champs and NCAA champs”.

With Parris at the helm, newcomers starting to find their rhythm and benefiting from hosting the conference championships, Michigan has a shot at winning the Big Ten Tournament. 

Winning against a conference opponent in Indiana may be the spark that Michigan needs to make a serious tournament run, especially if it can get healthy in the meantime.

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On the road in Iowa, No. 9 Michigan struggled just to get on the board.

It wasn’t until the eigth matchup of the night, when graduate student Matt Finesilver — weighing in at 184 pounds — worked his way to a 15-0 technical fall, that the Wolverines could breathe a sigh of relief.

However this moment of success was ultimately fleeting. Michigan (9-4 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) faced off against No. 2 Iowa (14-1, 7-1) at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena this past Friday, ultimately faltering in all but two matchups and losing 33-8. 

“We’re just trying to get the best 10 guys available on the mat to compete,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said, noting that the Wolverines struggled with injuries. 

Notable absentees included 165-pound junior Cameron Amine, 197-pound sophomore Brendin Yatooma and 174-pound senior Max Maylor.

Spencer Lee gave the Hawkeyes the immediate lead in the 125-pound weight class, beating graduate student Jack Medley 11-2 to kick off a difficult night for Michigan.

Senior Will Lewan initially kept up with 157-pound opponent Cobe Siebrecht and even scored the first point with a quick escape. However Siebrecht subsequently did the same to even the score. It came down to sudden victory, where Siebrecht riled up the home support with a scramble that secured him the win. In the 165-pound weight class, freshman Alex Wesselman also took on Iowa’s No. 7 Patrick Kennedy, who secured his third fall of the season after 2:31.

No. 8 ranked Matt Finesilver broke the Wolverines’ streak of losses with a 15-0 technical fall against Drake Rhodes in the eighth match. The Michigan wrestler put on a dominant performance, scoring 10 points over three separate leg turks. With an additional pair of four-point near falls, Finesilver ensured his victory over Rhodes, who had no response to Finesilver’s offense.

The night culminated in a heavyweight 285-pound showdown between No. 1 ranked senior Mason Parris and No. 3 ranked Tony Cassioppi.

Parris came out of the gate explosive, finishing off two single leg takedowns to score four points early. However Cassioppi put Parris in neutral danger position late in the second period, scoring two points from the takedown to bring the score to 5-4.

Cassioppi started the third period with an escape to tie the score, and then quickly established a two-point lead with a second takedown. It looked for a moment as if Michigan’s night would go from bad to worse as the Carver-Hawkeye arena erupted, chanting “Tony! Tony!”

Parris eventually denied Cassioppi the victory, however, luring him in before swiftly jumping behind him and riding out the remaining minute to maintain his undefeated record this season, winning 9-7.

Parris and Finesilver’s victories were the bright spots in an otherwise bleak night for the Wolverines. Nevertheless, Michigan’s injuries remain a concern for remaining matchups.

“We’re looking to get back to full strength, be as healthy as we can for the postseason,” Bormet said.

If there is anything to take away from the Wolverine’s loss to Iowa, it’s that there is still a lot of work to do before the postseason arrives.

The post Michigan wrestling struggles on the road against No. 2 Iowa appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Big Ten wrestling remains at the top of the world – or at least the wrestling community. Five teams ranked in the country’s top 11 will do that, especially when No. 1, 2 and 3 are in the same conference. 

So even in a conference meet, when No. 3 Michigan (9-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) hit the mats against an unranked Maryland (8-6, 0-5), hiccups are expected. But the Wolverines prevailed, as they did Sunday, by a final score of 44-5.

Redshirt junior Pat Nolan started the match on the right note for Michigan with a hardfought 3-1 decision. The Wolverines rode the momentum of the 3-0 lead Nolan gave them to a dominating win. Redshirt sophomore Fidel Maylor comfortably won with a major decision in the second match of the afternoon to boost Michigan’s lead to 7-0. Redshirt senior Will Lewan then added a quick six with a pin, though redshirt freshman Alex Wesselman was subsequently pinned to give the points right back.

Redshirt senior Alex Maylor won in a minor decision, adding three more for the Wolverines. Though only a minor victory, and thus seemingly insignificant, Maylor’s win represented a major momentum shift, especially after a Mayland pin. Trailing most of the match, Maylor took the lead late in the second period, and held on for a narrow 10-7 win. Though a closer victory than the 17th ranked Maylor would have liked, a gritty win may have been exactly what Michigan needed after a Terrapin pin.

“You’ve got to go out there and get a job done,” Maylor said. “And we expect everybody else on the team to do the same.”

The Wolverines won two of the next five matches by tech fall, one from graduate student Matt Finesilver and one from fifth year Mason Parris. Two Maryland forfeits added to the lopsided score, coming against redshirt sophomore Brendin Yatooma and graduate student Jack Medley. Michigan closed the meet with a fitting pin from redshirt sophomore Dylan Ragusin, giving the Wolverines a resounding 44-5 final tally. 

“I’m thankful we had the opportunity to get right back on the mat and compete today,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said, referencing Michigan’s loss on Friday. “It’s usually just a couple of things, you know, talking about our mindset going into some of those matches we lost (and how to correct it).”

The Wolverines look to continue this dominance in conference play amidst a season in which a National Title is a real possibility.

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