McCoy, wrestling leave tournament satisfied after third-place finish

Going into Saturday's Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational tournament, Terrapin wrestling coach Kerry McCoy said he expected his team finish no worse than third in the team scoring.

He didn't leave disappointed.

A stellar performance by 165-pound Josh Asper and similarly solid efforts by 141-pound Jon Kohler and 174-pound Mike Letts vaulted the Terps into third place in the competition, finishing behind No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 23 Rutgers.

"We made some adjustments from our last week of competition," McCoy said. "The attitude was good, the effort was good. ... We're definitely better than we were the last time out, which is a positive."

Asper was the best wrestler on the mat for the Terps on Saturday, winning each of his matches by more than eight points en route to a first-place finish in the 165-pound bracket. He was also named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

"He went out there and really dominated the field," McCoy said. "We're not used to getting outstanding wrestler awards, but when they called his name, we definitely believed he was deserving. He put on a great performance."

Kohler, Letts, 157-pound Kyle John and 197-pound Christian Boley also contributed heavily to the Terps' third-place finish. Kohler and Letts each finished as runners-up in their respective weight classes, and John and Boley both placed fourth in their respective brackets. Overall, 10 of the Terps' 18 wrestlers placed in the tournament.

It wasn't just the team's top guys who found success for the Terps this weekend, though. The Terps also sent their junior varsity squad to the Ursinus Fall Brawl in Collegeville, Pa., where three Terps won in the tournament.

"Not only was the varsity kicking on all cylinders, but the other guys were going out and doing well, too," McCoy said. "Overall, it was a complete performance by our teams this weekend."

The Terps next wrestle Nov. 27 at the Northeast Duals, and even with the solid performance Saturday, McCoy said the team's expectations are as high as they have ever been.

"Our expectation every time we go out there is to do well," McCoy said. "Our guys will never settle. We're happy with the outcome, but we're not satisfied."

vitale@umdbk.com