BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 11, 2024) — The Morgan State wrestling team will return to the road for a matchup against Princeton on Saturday, Jan. 13 inside Jadwin Gymnasium.
Saturday's Morgan-Princeton dual begins at 2 p.m. EST and all matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Seeded second in the 165-pound bracket at the Edinboro - Bobby Kaufman Open (Jan. 7), senior standout Jacob Marsh won his first three matches before falling to top-seed Bryce Hepner from Ohio State University in sudden victory. He finished with a 3-1 overall record in the event improving to 9-7 overall this season.
Morgan freshman Cortilius enters the weekend with an 8-7 winning record and won his first match at the Bobby Kaufman Open before falling to Cleveland State's (Unattached) Gavin Ricketts by a decision.
The Bears are 1-9 on the season in dual competition, while Princeton is 1-2.
SCOUTING PRINCETON
• Princeton finished the 2022-23 season with an overall dual record of 4-11, including a mark of 1-4 in Ivy League action. The Tigers went 1-4 at home, 3-4 on the road and 0-3 in duals held at a neutral site.
• Joe Dubuque, a two-time NCAA champion at Indiana, is considered one of the finest wrestlers to ever come from New Jersey. Dubuque, who was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2017-18 season, enters his 11th season in 2023-24 with a Princeton wrestling program that has made a dramatic leap during his tenure.
• The Tigers enter Saturday looking for their second win of the season. Princeton held on to defeat Rider 20-19 on Thursday night at Jadwin Gymnasium.
NOTABLES
• Leading the return of NCAA Division I, Varsity-level men's wrestling to Maryland's largest Historically Black College or University (HBCU), Morgan State University announced the hiring of Kenny Monday as the Athletics Department's new men's wrestling coach, effective Aug. 24, 2022. Monday, the first Black wrestler in history to win an Olympic gold medal, is a National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, three-time Olympian and former NCAA All-American standout, who brings a championship-level coaching pedigree and an expansive yet impressive resume to a Bears' wrestling program looking to restart after a 25-year hiatus. Monday comes to Morgan after serving as the director of wrestling and head wrestling coach at Spire Academy, since 2021.
• Morgan was wrestling in its first competition in 25 years after the program was reinstated this season to make it the only HBCU with a Division I wrestling program.
• In October 2021, the University announced its plans to revive the men's wrestling program at Morgan with the support a $2.7-million gift from HBCU Wrestling (HBCUW), a new initiative reestablishing wrestling programs on HBCU campuses. The gift, which is among the largest received from a private donor to the University, provides funding for the program and supports up to nine full scholarships annually.
• Senior 165-pounder Jacob Marsh and freshman 174-pounder Cortilius Vann etched their names in program history as they both earned huge wins on December 10, 2023 when the Bears hosted No. 22 Maryland. The competition marked just the third dual match in over 25 years hosted by Morgan.
• Morgan freshman Kingsley Menifee has an 8-7 winning record and won his first two matches at the Bobby Kaufman Open before falling to Bucknell's Mikey Bartush by a decision.
Season tickets and individual match tickets are now on sale for the 2023-24 Morgan State wrestling season - Click here
Next Up
The Bears wrestling team will hit the road for a pair of matches in Pennsylvania starting with a trip to Bucknell on Friday, Jan. 19, beginning at 7 p.m. Morgan will face Clarion on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 4 p.m.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
