Tonight’s dual wrestling meet between Maryland and American features a dream matchup at 165 pounds between two of Southern Maryland’s best: longtime friends and former club teammates Jason Kiessling, a fifth-year senior with the Terrapins, and Mike Cannon, an Eagles redshirt freshman.
Neither ever thought they would actually meet on the mat.
“We both grew up together in the same area, wrestled on the same junior league teams, but I was always really small, wrestling 103, 112, and he was always 160. We were always far apart,” said Cannon. “It is funny — never in a million years would we imagine that we’d wrestle one another.”
“Mike’s father knows my grandfather,” said Kiessling. “I don’t know how many years we’ve known each other, but it’s been a long time.”
Kiessling was the big man on campus in high school: an All-American, state and regional champion at McDonough in La Plata. Cannon attended Chopitcon and was successful — a four-time state finalist — but not quite at Kiessling’s level.
Kiessling continued to shine at Maryland while Cannon grew up in his final years in high school.
He’s 21-4 this season and has been ranked as high as No. 17 nationally, just a few places behind Kiessling, who is 25-6 and currently No. 11.
Their confrontation is expected to draw family, friends and a huge contingent from the Southern Maryland wrestling community.
“Everybody I ever knew growing up wrestling is pretty much coming to watch,” said Cannon.
Local rivalry growing in significance
When Maryland fourth-year coach Pat Santoro first took his team to American three seasons ago, the two programs were hardly of national repute.
“[American coach Mark Cody and I] both looked at each other and kind of laughed,” said Santoro.
Nobody is laughing now. The Terrapins, with four wrestlers in the national top 20, have won two straight Atlantic Coast Conference dual meet titles. Cody, now in his fifth season, led the Eagles to a 17th-place finish at last year’s NCAA championships.
“With Coach Santoro, the team did a complete 180, it’s been night and day, as far as the discipline and training,” said Kiessling. “You can tell by the results.”
Junior Josh Glenn, currently No. 4 at 197 pounds, is the Eagles’ best hope for a national title. The team has also endured the release of junior Adam LoPiccolo, a national contender heavyweight.
“At last year’s dual, Pat walked up to me after the meet and said, ‘I’m looking forward to the day when we’re both Top 5 programs,’” said Cody. “I told him I feel the same way.”
Maryland at American
» When: Tonight, 7
» Where: Bender Arena
