But the Terrapins wrestling team is still hungry.

With seven of their 10 starters returning from last season, including All-Americans junior Josh Asper and sophomore Spencer Myers and NCAA qualifiers senior Kyle John and senior Corey Peltier, the Terps enter this season ranked by InterMat as tied for No. 9 with Illinois.

“On paper, we’re pretty good,” coach Kerry McCoy said. “Our expectations never change. We always go out in the hunt for an ACC title and try to be one of the top teams in the nation, and this year, we got the guys on the team to do it.”

The Terps are already 3-0 this season after their Terrapin Duals matches with Johns Hopkins, Bloomsburg and Franklin & Marshall last Sunday. The team won 27 of its 30 total matches.

“Those were three big wins to start the season off the right way and we’re very excited about it,” said McCoy, who’s in his fourth season as coach. “We just got to keep that momentum rolling.”

Three starters graduated after last season — 133-pound Lou Ruland, 141-pound Jon Kohler and 174-pound Mike Letts — but McCoy’s biggest obstacle isn’t necessarily filling those positions, he said.

“We’ll see who’s going to step up, but it’s not so much finding who’s our No. 1 guy, but who’s our Nos. 2 or 3,” he said. “After that No. 1 guy, who’s going to fill in? That’s really important for us.”

John, who weighs in at the 157-pound class, said the process for preparing for the season hasn’t changed even as the team has set higher goals for itself than last year.

“We have a system down, and that system hasn’t changed,” said John, who is ranked as the No. 15 wrestler in the country, according to InterMat. “The ACC Championship is one of our goals, and we definitely want to go undefeated this year in dual meets and we want to place in the top five at NCAAs.”

For a program that has long strived to crack the sport’s elite crust, such goals may prove difficult. But, the 165-pound Asper said, given the team’s dominance in its opening weekend, they might not seem so far-fetched.

“I think we can do it if everyone wrestles to their potential and we keep getting better throughout the year,” said Asper, last year’s ACC Wrestler of the Year, who finished with a team-best 35-5 record last season and ranked No. 3 by InterMat.

As he surveyed his team warming up before a practice this week, McCoy’s enthusiasm for this season was obvious in his voice. He often came back to one word — “excited” — in describing his expectations for his Terps team.

And given the talent he has at his disposal, why not?

“I’m excited for what we have, what we’ve been building,” McCoy said. “Our guys are doing it right, on and off the mat. We’re excited about that, and we want to get as many people out as we can to showcase what we’ve been building and continue to build off of that.”

egan@umdbk.com

“Today was a great day,” said head coach Kerry McCoy. “We had some ups and downs, but overall I am happy with the team’s performance. Christian and Josh did a great job, but everyone contributed. Spencer and Geoffrey fought back after tough losses, and we improved from last year’s performance.  We will continue to build.”

The Terps won two individual titles on the day. Asper, ranked third by InterMat, improved to 7-0 on the season and won the 165-pound championship over No. 6 Scott Winston of Rutgers. In the 197-pound title match, Boley defeated No. 19 Dan Rinaldi of Rutgers to improve to 6-0.

Senior Kyle John, ranked 15^th, finished second at 157 pounds. John picked up two victories including one by fall over Rutgers’ Joe McCauley 21 seconds into the match which is the fastest of his career and the 10^th fastest fall in program history.

In addition to John, sophomore Shane Gentry and redshirt sophomore Jimmy Sheptock earned runner-up honors at 125 pounds and 174 pounds, respectively. Gentry won two matches, one by major decision and one by fall, before facing No. 3 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma in the final. Sheptock improved his record to 4-0 before losing a close final to No. 18 Greg Zannetti of Rutgers.

Sophomore Spencer Myers and freshman Geoffrey Alexander responded from early losses to finish third in their respective weight classes. Myers, ranked third at 285 pounds, was upset by Oklahoma’s Kyle Colling in the quarterfinals. Myers rebounded by winning all four matches in the consolation draw including a victory over No. 16 Elijah Madison of Oklahoma.

Alexander gained a measure of revenge by knocking off Clarion’s Joe Waltko in the third-place match after losing to Waltko in the quarterfinals of the main draw.

At the East Stroudsberg Open, freshman Shane Arechiga went 4-2 and finished fourth at 133 pounds. For complete results from the East Stroudsburg Open, clink the link at the top of the page.

RESULTS

Team

1. Oklahoma 182
2. Maryland 174.5
3. Rutgers 163
4. Army 125.5
5. Clarion 91
6. American 65
7. Brockport 36.5
8. Buffalo 12

125 Pounds

Shane Gentry (MD) tech. fall over Ronald Hicks (Clarion), 17-0
Shane Gentry (MD) fall over Taylor Golba (Buffalo), 2:31
Shane Gentry (MD) dec. Thomas Williams (American), 5-4
Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) dec. Shane Gentry (MD), 6-3 (Championship)
Jenkins Monzey (MD) fall over Mike Soria (Buffalo), 3:15
Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) major dec. Jenkins Monzey (MD), 10-0
Jenkins Monzey (MD) fall over Tyler Marlow (Brockport), 8-5
David White (Army) dec. Jenkins Monzey (MD), 7-4

133 Pounds

Geoffrey Alexander inj. def. over Corey Borshoff (American)
Joe Waltko (Clarion) dec. Geoffrey Alexander (MD), 5-3
Geoffrey Alexander (MD) major dec. James McCabe, 14-1
Geoffrey Alexander (MD) dec. Curt Thompson (Brockport), 7-0
Geoffrey Alexander (MD) dec. Danny White (Rutgers), 8-5
Geoffrey Alexander (MD) dec. Joe Waltko (Clarion), 9-7 (Third Place)
Jordan Thome (Army) fall over Kenneth Collado (MD), 4:15
Mike Demarco (Rutgers) major dec. Kenneth Collado (MD), 15-1

141 Pounds

Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) dec. Lou Mascola (MD), 3-1
Lou Mascola (MD) dec. Danny O’Malley (MD), 6-3
Lou Mascola (MD) dec. Devin Cook (Clarion), 5-1
Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) dec. Lou Mascola (MD), 3-0
Lou Mascola (MD) fall over Conor Hanafee (Army), 6:47 (Fifth Place)
Danny O’Malley (MD) dec. Eliah Golding (Brockport), 3-1
Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) dec. Danny O’Malley (MD), 8-2

149 Pounds

Ben Dorsay (MD) fall over Tanner Shaffer (American), 0:36
Ben Dorsay (MD) dec. Daniel Young (Army), 7-5
Nick Lester (Oklahoma) major dec. Ben Dorsay (MD), 10-1
Ben Dorsay (MD) dec. Justin Deangelis (Oklahoma), 9-4
Daniel Young (Army) dec. Ben Dorsay (MD), 4-0 (Third Place)
Justin Deangelis (Oklahoma) major dec. Danny Orem (MD), 15-5
Danny Orem (MD) dec. Ryan Bilyeu (Army), 7-4
Daniel Young (Army) major dec. Danny Orem (MD), 14-0

157 Pounds

Matt Lester (Oklahoma) tech. fall over Domenic DeRobertis (MD), 15-0
Mark Havers (Clarion) dec. Domenic DeRobertis (MD), 6-5
Kyle John (MD) fall over Joe McCauley (Rutgers), 0:21
Kyle John (MD) dec. Paul Hancock (Army), 9-4

Matt Lester (Oklahoma) dec. Kyle John (MD), 8-2 (Championship)

165 Pounds

Josh Asper (MD) tech. fall over Doug Hamann (Rutgers), 17-0
Josh Asper (MD) dec. Justin James (Brockport), 12-5
Josh Asper (MD) dec. Pat Graham (Oklahoma), 9-2
Josh Asper (MD) dec. Scott Winston (Rutgers), 6-0 (Championship)
Chase Nelson (Oklahoma) fall over Nick Lobue (MD), 1:17
Alex Smith (Army) major dec. Nick Lobue (MD), 14-0

174 Pounds

Jimmy Sheptock (MD) tech. fall over Brendan Ard (Rutgers), 16-1
Jimmy Sheptock (MD) dec. Collin Wittmeyer (Army), 8-2
Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) dec. Jimmy Sheptock (MD), 5-2 (Championship)

184 Pounds

Wil Brown (Army) dec. Rob Fitzgerald (MD), 7-6
Derek Stanley (Army) dec. Rob Fitzgerald (MD), 2-1
Thomas Barriero (American) inj. def. Alex Pagnotta (MD), 5:52
Ty Snook (MD) dec. Nick Milano (Clarion), 3-0
Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers) dec. Ty Snook (MD), 4-3
Ty Snook (MD) dec. Derek Stanley (Army), 6-4
Thomas Barriero (American) dec. Ty Snook (MD), 4-3 TB1 (Third Place)

197 Pounds

Christian Boley (MD) dec. Alex Thomas (Clarion), 8-6
Christian Boley (MD) dec. Paul Glover (Brockport), 3-1
Christian Boley (MD) dec. Dan Rinaldi (Rutgers), 8-6 OT (Championship)
Dallas Brown (MD) major dec. Philip Steinburg (Army), 14-2
Dan Rinaldi (Rutgers) dec. Dallas Brown (MD), 10-4
Alex Thomas (Clarion) dec. Dallas Brown (MD), 3-2
Orion Ross (Army) dec. Dallas Brown (MD), 8-7 (Fifth Place)

285 Pounds

Kyle Colling (Oklahoma) dec. Spencer Myers (MD), 2-0
Spencer Myers (MD) dec. Blake Herrin (American), 2-1
Spencer Myers (MD) dec. Elijah Madison (Oklahoma), 2-1 TB1
Spencer Myers (MD) fall over John Wilkinson (Brockport), 1:00 (Third Place)
Elijah Madison (Oklahoma) dec. Frank Schaafsma (MD), 6-0

“We won 27 out of 30 [matches] today,” said head coach Kerry McCoy. “We didn’t wrestle the way we wanted to wrestle necessarily in every one of our matches, but to come out and win 27 out of 30 matches is not bad.”

Against Johns Hopkins, the Terps won six matches by fall or technical fall, and won two matches by major decision to beat the Blue Jays 51-0. Sophomore Shane Gentry turned in a strong performance to kick off the duals for the Terps. At 125 pounds, Gentry earned a 9-0 major decision over Paul Bewak. Alexander followed Gentry and defeated Adam Stevens by technical fall at 133 pounds, and Mascola beat Paul Marcello by major decision at 141 pounds. Senior Kyle John, Asper, redshirt sophomores Jimmy Sheptock and Christian Boley all earned victories via fall, and redshirt sophomore Ty Snook earned a 16-0 technical fall over Ben Finelli to close out the dual.

The second match of the day pitted the Terps against Bloomsburg and featured several close matches. A decision decided every match except two. Gentry earned a takedown and two near-falls to take a 4-0 lead over Sean Boylan, and held on to win 6-3. At 141 pounds, redshirt sophomore Danny O’Malley won his first match of the season by a 5-3 decision over Matt Rappo.

The featured match of the dual was at 157 pounds between No. 10 John and No. 17 Frank Hickman. Neither wrestler earned a point in the first period. John opened the second period with an escape and finished the first period leading 1-0. Hickman scored a reversal early in the third period, but John scored an escape to tie the match at two. Just before the end of the third period, Hickman scored a takedown and held off John to win 4-3, and cut the Maryland lead to 9-6.

“Kyle John’s match was a heart-breaking match,” said McCoy. “He wrestled real well and just gave up one position and ended up losing the match giving up the takedown right there at the end. It was a great match.”

At 165 pounds, Asper increased the Maryland lead to seven after a major decision over Kevin Hartnett. Sheptock, Snook and Boley closed with wins by decision and sophomore All-American Spencer Myers finished the dual with a 13-3 major decision as Maryland defeated Bloomsburg 26-6.

The Terps finished the event with a 39-3 victory over Franklin and Marshall. At 125 pounds, sophomore Jenkins Monzey nearly pinned David Hershberger late in the third period, but instead earned a 21-5 technical fall. Maryland won the next three matches by decision, before John rebounded to defeat Eric Norgard by technical fall via three 3-point near-falls in the second period.

At 174 pounds, senior Corey Peltier pinned Matt Fullowan with 51 seconds remaining in the first period after Asper earned a 21-6 technical fall over Colin Lahiff. Redshirt sophomores Alex Pagnotta, Boley and Dallas Brown finished the afternoon with major decision victories.

RESULTS

Maryland 51, Johns Hopkins 0

125: Shane Gentry (MD) major dec. Paul Bewak, 9-0 (4-0)

133: Geoffrey Alexander (MD) tech. fall over Adam Stevens, 20-3 (9-0)

141: Lou Mascola (MD) major dec. Paul Marcello, 10-2 (13-0)

149: Ben Dorsay (MD) dec. Christian Salera, 7-1 (16-0)

157: Kyle John (MD) fall over Matt Fusaro, 6:38 (22-0)

165: Josh Asper (MD) fall over Walt Mayfield, 1:13 (28-0)

174: Jimmy Sheptock (MD) fall over Evan Johnson, 4:17 (34-0)

184: Ty Snook (MD) tech. fall over Ben Finelli, 16-0 (39-0)

197: Christian Boley (MD) fall over Kyle Stauffer, 2:20 (45-0)

285: Spencer Myers by forfeit (51-0)

Maryland 26, Bloomsburg 6

125: Shane Gentry (MD) dec. Sean Boylan, 6-3 (3-0)

133: Geoffrey Alexander (MD) dec. Nick Wilcox, 12-10 (6-0)

141: Sean O’Malley (MD) dec. Matt Rappo, 5-3 (9-0)

149: Bryce Bulser (B) dec. Ben Dorsay, 4-1 (9-3)

157: Frank Hickman (B) dec. Kyle John 4-3, (9-6)

165: Josh Asper (MD) major dec. Kevin Hartnett, 15-7 (13-6)

174: Jimmy Sheptock dec. Mike Dessino, 9-3 (16-6)

184: Ty Snook (MD) dec. Mike Mirra, 17-16 (19-6)

197: Christian Boley (MD) dec. Richard Perry, 5-1 (22-6)

285: Spencer Myers (MD) major dec. Zac Walsh, 13-3 (26-6)

Maryland 39, Franklin & Marshall 3

125: Jenkins Monzey (MD) tech. fall over David Hershberger, 21-5 (5-0)

133: Kenneth Collado (MD) dec. Robert Ruiz, 6-5 (8-0)

141: Richard Durso (FM) dec. Lou Mascola, 8-5 (8-3)

149: Ben Dorsay (MD) dec. Andre Murano, 6-3 (11-3)

157: Kyle John (MD) tech. fall over Eric Norgard, 16-0 (16-3)

165: Josh Asper (MD) tech. fall over Colin Lahiff, 21-6 (21-3)

174: Corey Peltier (MD) fall over Matt Fullowan, 2:11 (27-3)

184: Alex Pagnotta (MD) major dec. Matt Latessa, 13-3 (31-3)

197: Christian Boley (MD) major dec. Isaiah Cromwell, 19-5 (35-3)

285: Dallas Brown (MD) major dec. Alex Henry, 9-1 (39-3)

Kerry McCoy, head coach at the University of Maryland, talks about the infusion of social media in wrestling, his program, recruiting and what he thinks about his program this season.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –

The Terps return two All-Americans in junior Josh Asper and sophomore Spencer Myers along with NCAA-qualifiers seniors Kyle John and Corey Peltier.

At 165 pounds, Asper is ranked third by InterMat, Amateur Wrestling News, TheOpenMat and W.I.N. Magazine. Named ACC Wrestler of the Year, Asper finished 35-5 last season, the most wins on the team, and 19-0 in dual meets.

Myers is tabbed as the No. 3 Heavyweight in the country. TheOpenMat and W.I.N. Magazine ranked Myers fourth, while Amateur Wrestling News placed him fifth.

At 157 pounds, John is the 10th best wrestler in the country according to InterMat, but the Coopersburg, Pa., native is ranked seventh by Amateur Wrestling News, TheOpenMat and W.I.N. Magazine.

Peltier is ranked 15th at 174 pounds. Peltier, the defending ACC champion, went 22-10 in the 2010-11 season.

While the Terps are 11th in the InterMat poll, Maryland checked in at No. 10 in W.I.N. Magazine, and No. 16 according to TheOpenMat.

The Terps season begins Sunday, Oct. 30, with the annual Red and Black Wrestle-Offs.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland wrestling team has selected seniors Kyle John and Corey Peltier, and junior Josh Asper as team captains for the 2011-12 season head coach Kerry McCoy announced Friday.

“I am very happy with our captains,” said McCoy. “These guys represent the essence of our program. They are hard workers in the classroom, the wrestling room and in the community. These guys are the perfect group to lead us this year.”

At 165 pounds, Asper finished the 2010-11 season with a team-leading 35-5 record and earned All-American status. The Parkton, Md., native won the ACC championship and was named ACC Wrestler of the Year.

John, an All-ACC selection in 2011, recorded 32 wins last season and finished second in the conference at 157 pounds earning a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

A 2011 All-ACC selection at 184 pounds, Peltier won his first conference championship last season and was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Individual All-Academic team. Peltier finished the season with a 22-10 record.

The Terps are scheduled to compete in the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, Northeast Duals, Nittany Lion Open and the Midlands Invitational. Among some of the notable dual meet non-conference opponents are Central Michigan, Northern Iowa, American, Navy and George Mason.

“I think this year’s schedule is going to be very challenging,” said McCoy. “I think we did a good job of getting a good mix of traditional powerhouses and also creating an opportunity for our guys to go out and get some exposure to achieve the desired national rankings and the exposure needed to qualify for nationals. We wrestle traditional power Central Michigan at the Northeast Duals. It is always exciting to go back to that event. We have some great teams coming in for the Terrapin Duals. We go to Midlands again which is always a great event, and will see Iowa, Iowa State and other top programs. It’s going to be a great year, I’m excited about it.”

Maryland unofficially opens up the season on Oct. 30 with the Red and Black Wrestle-Off IntraSquad. One week later, the Terps open the season at home by welcoming Johns Hopkins, Bloomsburg and Franklin & Marshall for the Terrapin Duals.

Following the Terrapin Duals, the team heads to Brockport, N.Y., for the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Nov. 12. This event will feature The University of Oklahoma and Rutgers University as well as many nationally ranked wrestlers.

The Terps head back to upstate New York for the Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y., on Nov. 26. Maryland will face Northern Iowa, Bucknell and traditional wrestling power Central Michigan.

The first week of December offers two challenging events. The Terrapins return to Comcast Center to meet local rival American in a dual meet on Dec. 2, and then travel to University Park, Pa., for the Nittany Lion Open on Dec. 4.

The following week Maryland travels north to Philadelphia, Pa., to face Ivy League foe Pennsylvania.

The Terps close out 2011 with a trip to Northwestern University and the prestigious Midlands Invitational on Dec. 29 and 30 to face many of the nation’s top wrestlers and top wrestling programs.

Following the trip to Evanston, Ill., Maryland travels to Morgantown, W. Va., on Jan. 6 to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Two days later, Maryland opens their ACC campaign against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

After a short layoff, the Terps return to the mat on Jan. 20 for the highly-anticipated rivalry dual meet against Navy in Annapolis, Md. The Terps must recover quickly as they welcome N.C. State to the Comcast Center on Jan. 22.

Two ACC rivals are on tap to close out January. Maryland travels to North Carolina on Jan. 27 and meets Virginia on Jan. 29.

The Terps close out their home schedule against Duke on Feb. 12, and travel to Fairfax, Va., to meet George Mason on Feb. 16.

After two weeks off, Maryland heads to Chapel, N.C., for the ACC Championships. The Terps will be looking to defend their conference title and win the event for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

The season concludes in St. Louis, Mo., with the NCAA Championships. Maryland’s qualifiers will travel to St. Louis to compete on March 15 – 17.

May 3, 2011

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland wrestling team celebrated its third conference championship in four seasons and its third consecutive top-20 finish nationally Saturday night at the team banquet.

This year’s senior class, which consists of Owen Duffy, Patrick Gilmore, Jon Kohler, Dex Lederer, Mike Letts, Bradley Nielson, Lou Ruland, Will Sharbaugh, Tommy Sitar, Pat Strizki and manager Sam Bell, was also honored with individual presentations.

“This year’s team accomplished many great things and I am very proud of them,” said head coach Kerry McCoy. “The banquet was a great event that enabled us to showcase the incredible season.”

Thought of by many to be rebuilding, the Terps exceeded expectations by winning the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, placing 18th at the NCAA Championship and having three All-Americans in Letts, sophomore Josh Asper and true freshman Spencer Myers.

Maryland led the conference with six wrestlers being named to the All-ACC wrestling team. Asper and Myers were recognized as they were named Wrestler of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year, respectively.

Associate Athletic Director Ziz Abdur-Ra’oof honored Maryland’s 20 letter winners in the 2010-11 season.

Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Corliss Fingers was also on hand to present awards for weight-room performance.

Asper was awarded the John C. McHugh Outstanding Wrestler of the Year honor for the first time after going 35-5 and placing sixth nationally. A Parkton, Md., native, Asper didn’t lose a single dual match this season and also was perfect in matches determined by pinfall or major decision. Asper, who also won the Curt Callahan Mental Toughness Award, led the Terps with team-highs in wins (35), dual wins (19), major decisions (11) and pins (7).

The Kevin R. Kearns Award, given to the senior wrestler who has contributed the most to the program at Maryland, was awarded to Letts. A senior captain, Letts placed placed seventh at the NCAA Championships after rebounding from a 2010 season which was cut short due to injury. Letts leads Maryland’s active roster with over 120 wins in his career and is the only Maryland wrestler to medal in international competition.

Below is the complete list of banquet award winners:

Letter Winner Awards
Shane Gentry, Ben Dorsay, Spencer Myers, Danny O’Malley, Justin Cash, Domenic DeRobertis, Danny Orem, Eric Beverly, Jimmy Sheptock, Kyle John, Alex Pagnotta, Ty Snook, Christian Boley, Dallas Brown, Brian Marcoux, Josh Asper, Owen Smith, Corey Peltier, Ryan Gray, Pat Strizki and Joey Boone
Senior Letter Awards
Dex Lederer, Tommy Sitar, Owen Duffy, Lou Ruland, Jon Kohler, Mike Letts and Bradley Nielson
Iron Terps (Given to the individual with the greatest improvement)
Cleans- Dallas Brown and Brian Marcoux (35 lbs.)
Bench- Jimmy Sheptock (70 lbs.)
Strength Index- Owen Smith (73 lbs.)
Squat Ty Snook (129 lbs.)
Vertical Jump- Ty Snook (4.5 inches)
Toll Payer Award
Mike Letts and Josh Asper
Redshirt of the Year
Mark Hartenstine and Jenkins Monzey
Freshman of the Year
Spencer Myers
Most Improved Award
Corey Peltier
Tom Norris Unsung Hero Award
Kyle John and Jon Kohler
Curt Callahan Mental Toughness Award
Josh Asper
Kevin R. Kearns Award
Mike Letts
John C. McHugh Outstanding Wrestler of the Year Award
Josh Asper

John, Wrestling Squad Honored at President’s Cup Brunch

Junior Kyle John and the entire wrestling team were honored Sunday at the President’s Cup Brunch, held at the Riggs Alumni Center.

John, the ACC Scholar-Athlete Wrestler of the Year, earned one of just 10 ICA Community Service Awards, given to student-athletes who excelled in public service to the community.

The wrestling team picked up CHAMPS/Lifeskills Cup honors for its academic and athletic excellence, commitment to career and personal development and commitment to community service. The squad has now earned the cup for the second consecutive year.

Duffy, an Art Studio major, was also recognized for having the highest GPA on the team (3.69) for the second year in a row

April 26, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Maryland junior Kyle John has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year and one of four Terps to make the 2010-11 All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team, the conference announced today.

“I am very proud of guys’ efforts,” said head coach Kerry McCoy. “They do great jobs on and off the mats. For Kyle to earn Scholar-Athlete of the Year is awesome. He puts so much into school and it is great for him to be recognized for his effort.”

John, a Coopersburg, Pa., native, also picked up All-ACC honors on the mat this season after finishing runner-up at the conference championship and qualifying for the 2011 NCAA Tournament. At 157 pounds, John was 31-11 on the year, including a 15-4 mark in dual bouts.

Maryland wrestlers have now earned Scholar-Athlete honors in three of the last four years, with Hudson Taylor earning the top honor in 2008 and 2010.

The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in 2007 to be awarded annually to the top upperclassmen student-athletes in their respective sports. Candidates for the award must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their career as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.

A civil engineering major, John earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team for the second consecutive year.

John is joined on the academic team by three teammates: Dex Lederer (Sr.; Business Management), Corey Peltier (Jr.; Elementary Education), both two-time honorees, and Lou Ruland (Sr.; Biology).

To be eligible for the ACC All-Academic Team consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.

By Chris R. Vaccaro | Email the author | April 28, 2011