Belting out a new classic

It's a life-size belt, hand-crafted and bejeweled with yellow, pink, purple, green, red and blue sequins and studs. Only it doesn't sit at the waist of Kim Kardashian. Nor was it designed by Snooki, the bedazzle queen herself.

No, it's the trophy the No. 20 Terrapins wrestling team hopes to keep in College Park tomorrow night.

When the Terps face No. 7 American at Comcast Pavilion in what's become known as the Battle of the Beltway, a local rivalry featuring the region's two best programs, the winner will have the privilege of claiming unlimited bragging rights, and, of course, the belt.

"It's definitely something that we can build pride off of and be happy that we are the top program in the area, so that's what we look to," coach Kerry McCoy said. "You can't be the top program in the country if you're not the top program in the area. So that's something that we use to springboard into later success."

The belt currently rests in the hands of the undefeated Terps (6-0) after the team managed a 19-17 victory over the Eagles in February. They kept the coveted prize in the wrestling room at Comcast Pavilion until it was moved into the wrestling office and, ultimately, the storage closet.

"This year, we'll probably hang it up for a little bit, but as the season progresses, put it away and focus on the rest of the season," McCoy said. "It's a trophy. So when you go out there and you compete, you can put a notch in the belt, no pun intended, but it's a reminder of that big battle with that team and that we won it."

The trophy, not to be used as an actual fashion accessory, was created for last year's meet at American (0-3) by Jim Johnson, a university alumnus and wrestling official. A couple years ago, McCoy said, the coaching staff talked about getting a belt for the tournament, but it wasn't until February's Battle of the Beltway that it came to fruition.

"We talked about getting a belt, like a WWF or WWE or boxing championship belt," McCoy said. "A lot of football teams have the ax or the trophy or the sledgehammer or whatever that goes back and forth whenever a team wins. So we said, you know, it would be cool if we had this belt and finally last year, one of our alums made it."

It will be there for the taking tomorrow for only the second time, and sophomore Christian Boley's eyes gleamed at the thought of keeping it in College Park.

"It's like a weightlifting belt, and it looks like it has a giant hubcap on it," the 197-pound Boley said yesterday, with sweat dripping down his smiling cheeks in the middle of practice. "It's just bragging rights. And whoever wins it gets to keep it for that year, and the following year it's back up for grabs."

Boley looked back at his teammates practicing on the red mats as drops of perspiration slowly covered the floor, all of them preparing to defend their right to a sparkly sequined belt that this week had to undergo slight aesthetic repairs.

"It's always fun to be in that hostile environment and to wrestle well for yourself and your team and for the fans," he said. "It's just a fun meet."

With an even more fun prize.

egan@umdbk.com