Recap and photo courtesy of Purdue Athletics
With the full lineup back in action, No. 17 Purdue powered its way past Maryland 28-10 in its first dual of the season at Holloway Gymnasium on Friday. The Boilermakers captured seven weights, picking up bonus points in four bouts, as they evened their record at 4-4 overall and 1-1 heading into the heart of the Big Ten Conference schedule. The Terrapins left still looking for their first win at 0-4, 0-1 Big Ten.
The first three weights went Purdue’s way in a dual that started at 125 pounds. Devin Schroder opened the action with a 9-1 major decision, his fourth of the season, over Brandon Clay. After missing South Beach Duals due to injury, Ben Thornton returned to the lineup with a strong showing. The 19th-ranked 133-pounder racked up the back points in a 17-2 (4:33) technical fall of Maryland’s Orion Anderson.
“Coming off of an injury, it is really just mental and being ready to go,” the redshirt senior from Stoddard, Wisconsin, said. “In order for me to be the best that I can be, I have to go out there with no hesitation. I tried to be as explosive as I can and a couple times during the match it came down to that. I was explosive, got the takedown and finished my work on top.”
It was the fifth technical fall of Thornton’s final campaign, a career high, as he improved to 13-3.
The ensuing match saw Nate Limmex (13-7) shutout Michael Doetsch 3-0, extending the Boilermakers’ lead to 12-0. No. 13 Griffin Parriott made it 15-4 going into the break thanks to a 9-6 win over Adam Whitesell at 157.
“I think anytime you can set a good tone it is a positive thing,” Purdue head wrestling coach Tony Ersland said. “Each guy is going to have their own battle to take care of. We always tell them to keep their mindset and their focus on their individual match, but I do think we set a good tone and carried it through the rest of the night.”
Dylan Lydy also returned to the lineup in commanding fashion after missing time during the South Beach Duals. The returning NCAA qualifier, who is ranked 14th at 174 pounds, disposed of Josh Ugalde 14-3 for his fourth major decision, taking his redshirt junior mark to 16-4.
No. 12 Christian Brunner provided fireworks at 197 pounds, pinning Niko Cappello in 3:40 to close out Purdue’s scoring efforts for the night. Prior to Brunner’s pin, Max Lyon defeated Kyle Jasenski 7-2.
“There’s a lot of confidence,” Ersland said. “Tonight was a confidence builder. When we have our lineup intact, they are a tough team to beat. They know that and they showed it again tonight.”
On Jan. 18, wrestling will be the first of three consecutive days of Purdue vs. Indiana at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers will aim for their ninth straight win over their in-state rival starting at 7 p.m. ET. #BeatIU weekend includes men’s basketball on Saturday, followed by women’s basketball on Sunday.
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