A few hours earlier, Harvard took to the mat against host Maryland. Although the Crimson found itself in the lead at the midway point, the Terrapins won the final four matches to capture a 22-14 dual victory.

Five of the ten Maryland wrestlers to take the mat were ranked in the top 25. The two ranked Harvard competitors, Keith and Peppelman, are both listed as No. 11 in their respective weight classes.

“I think that we let the match slip away [against the Terrapins],” Weiss said. “I think we outwrestled them. Sometimes guys just didn’t have enough points. But I think we were right in that match and it was our match to win, which is disappointing.”

Freshman Jeff Ott started off strong for the Crimson and picked up a 3-0 victory over Shane Gentry, ranked 17th in the nation, at 125 lbs.

After sophomore Ryan Osleeb was pinned, Keith tied the score at six apiece with a 7-0 win.

A few minutes later, Harvard took the lead by winning two consecutive major decisions, as Peppelman and freshman Devon Gobbo defeated their opponents by a combined score of 23-3.

Although the Crimson found itself up five, Maryland roared right back, scoring 13 points in the last four matches to overcome the Harvard lead and secure the victory.

The Crimson finished 1-2 on the weekend, but the team gained valuable dual match experience and demonstrated its ability to bounce back in the face of adversity.

“I think we’re in great shape going forward,” Keith said. “We have some tough matches coming up that I think we can win, and I’m really excited with where we are and where we’re headed.”

—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at dsteinbach@college.harvard.edu.