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BALTIMORE, Md. (December 11, 2024) — Morgan State (1-6, 0-1 EIWA) is gearing up for an exciting showdown this Friday evening as they prepare to face off against the formidable Black Knights of Army West Point. The match will take place at 6 p.m. in the historic Hurt Gymnasium. 

SCOUTING ARMY WEST POINT
• Army West Point was last in action on Friday (Dec. 6) against No. 2 Iowa. The Black Knights held a team score lead halfway through before dropping a 23-16 decision to the Hawkeyes.Army race out to dual leads of 7-3 and 13-7 after three and five bouts, respectively.  Overall, the Black Knights won four of the 10 bouts. Charkes Farmer (125), Braden Basile (141)m Dakota Morris (157) and Lucas Stoddard (285) all earned victories for Army.

•  Army is 3-1 in duals this season, having knocked off Gardner-Webb, Purdue and Buffalo. The Black Knights are currently receiving votes in the NWCA Coaches Poll. 

• Army returns four NCAA qualifiers from a season ago, in Ethan Berginc (125 lbs), Braden Basile (133 lbs),n Gunner Filipowicz (165 lbs) and Lucas Stoddard (285 lbs). 2023-24 senior ben Pasiukv slotted eighth at the NCAA Championships in the 174 lb class, becoming Army's first All-American since 2008. 

•  Army finished in third place at the 2023-24 EIWA Championships, with Kevin Ward winning conference Coach of the Year honors. The Black Knights also won the Star over Navy with an 18-17 dual win February 16. 

•  Army is led by head coach Kevin Ward who was named Army West Point's 10th head wrestling coach on Aug. 1, 2014. Through 10 seasons at the helm, Ward has led Army to a 51-51 dual record and has coached 49 wrestlers to the NCAA Championship. As a member of one of the most storied programs in the country, Ward had a tremendous amount of success as a wrestler at Oklahoma State. Ward was on four NCAA National Championship teams (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and two undefeated squads (2002-03 and 2004-05). 

•  The matchup with Morgan State will be held one day before the Army-Navy football game (Dec. 14).

LAST TIME OUT
December 8, 2024 - Morgan State experienced a tough outing against the University of Pennsylvania in a 34-6 defeat inside historic Hurt Gymnasium. Kingsley Menifee (184) and Xavier Doolin (285) recorded wins in their respective bouts to put Morgan on the scoreboard with 6 points. 

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.

• Last season, 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.

• The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association has approved the addition of Morgan State as its newest member institution. Morgan is the 12th member of the EIWA, the oldest wrestling conference in the nation.

• The EIWA announced Wednesday a division-based regular season dual schedule.  The 12 EIWA member programs will be grouped into divisions of seven and five for the 2024-25 season. A full divisional dual meet schedule will launch for 2025-26. Kyle Borshoff, Binghamton University Head Wrestling Coach & EIWA Coaches Association President says, "Creating two divisions within the EIWA provides the opportunity for member teams to establish dual meet consistency and create exciting rivalries that our fans can count on seeing year in and year out. Creating the Independence and Patriot divisions allows us to highlight the excitement that surrounds the dual meet portion of our season, as all of our teams work to establish themselves as divisional champions."

• Among the athletes to watch this season is sophomore Kingsley Menifee, an 184-pounder returning healthy after an injury sidelined him last year. Menifee has already demonstrated his potential with impressive matches against top-ranked wrestlers, establishing himself as one of the team's more seasoned competitors. Also poised for a strong season is sophomore Shawn Ryncarz, a 133-pounder who had an outstanding year last season.

• The coaching staff has been busy recruiting and welcoming Myrin Nixon, a promising 140-pounder from Great Bridge High School who excelled in high school.

• With former standout Jake Marsh's departure, several individuals are expected to step into leadership roles this season. Senior Darrien Roberts, a 170-pounder who transferred from the University of Oklahoma, is anticipated to take on significant leadership responsibilities. "He is going to fill those shoes," Monday stated.

• Junior Xavier Doolin, a transfer from the University of Northern Colorado, will also play a key role in guiding younger wrestlers. Monday emphasized the importance of Doolin's leadership, stating, "He brings valuable leadership experience from competing against high-level players, and we expect big things from him. Our goal is to help every wrestler achieve their best performance. With Darrien being a senior, we want him to have his best season ever in college."

• The historic setting of Hurt Gymnasium was the site of the Bears' matchup against Penn on December 8. This iconic gym, with its walls steeped in tradition, will serve as the perfect backdrop for Morgan's contest versus Army. For fans and competitors alike, witnessing the final wrestling dual at Hurt is an opportunity to celebrate its legacy, making it a must-see event for anyone passionate about the sport, as the Bears prepare to shift their remaining matches to Hill Field House.

Season tickets and individual match tickets are now on sale for the 2024-25 Morgan State wrestling season - Click here

UP NEXT
Morgan State returns to action December 21 in a tri-meet against Hofstra and Nassau in Garden City, N.Y.


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 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.