Morgan State Wrestling Set for Challenging Road Weekend at Navy and Bucknell Quad

BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 19, 2025) -- As the holiday season approaches, the Morgan State wrestling team prepares for a challenging weekend on the road, facing a pair of tough tests against regional and national competition.

The Bears will open the weekend on Saturday, December 20, traveling to Annapolis, Md., to take on the Navy Midshipmen (1–3). The first whistle is scheduled for noon at Alumni Hall.

Morgan State will return to the mat on Sunday, December 21, competing in a quad match hosted by Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. The field includes Bucknell, the University of Virginia, and Hofstra. The Bears are slated to face the host Bison in the opening match, beginning at 10 a.m. inside Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell Quad information - here.

NAVY PROBABLES
• Navy (1-3)

Morgan State	Weight	Navy
Julian Dawson	125	Andrew Binni or Jack Bergmann
No. 33 Javaan Yarbrough	133	Brendan Ferretti or Hunter Heflin
Marwan Nazeer	141	No. 28 Caedyn Ricciardi or Nicholas Vafiadis
No. 31 Eugene Harney	149	Kaemen Smith or James Latona
Yannis Charles	157	Jonathan Ley or Charlie Evans
Kyle Grey / Joshua Greenwood	165	Dylan Elmore or Davis Park
Cortilius Vann	174	No. 8 Danny Wask or Liam Kilrain
Bryce Phillips	184	Gage Yackee or Jonathan Sanchez
Eric Washington	197	Zyan Hall or Payton Thomas
Rasheen Duncan / Eli Turpin	HWT	No.16 Spencer Lanosga or Dom Iaquinto

*Intermat Rankings (12/16/25)

BUCKNELL PROBABLES
• Bucknell (1-3)

Morgan State	Weight	Bucknell
Julian Dawson	125	Kade Davidheiser
No. 33 Javaan Yarbrough	133	Blue Stiffler / Bryce Manera
Marwan Nazeer	141	No. 31 Dylan Chappell
No. 31 Eugene Harney	149	Riley Bower / Braden Bower
Yannis Charles	157	Cade Wirnsberger
Kyle Grey / Joshua Greenwood	165	No. 21 Noah Mulvaney
Cortilius Vann	174	No. 24 Myles Takats
Bryce Phillips	184	Tyler Bienus / Mikey Bartush
Eric Washington	197	No. 10 Dillon Bechtold
Rasheen Duncan / Eli Turpin	HWT	No. 32 Lucas Lawler

*Intermat Rankings (12/16/25)

VIRGINIA PROBABLES
• Virginia (5-2)

Morgan State	Weight	Virginia
Julian Dawson	125	No. 23 Keyveon Roller
No. 33 Javaan Yarbrough	133	Kyle Montaperto / Aiden Allen
Marwan Nazeer	141	Gable Porter / Kyren Butler
No. 31 Eugene Harney	149	Wynton Denkins / Jayce Paridon
Yannis Charles	157	No. 24 Colton Washleski / Jack Myers
Kyle Grey / Joshua Greenwood	165	Michael Murphy / Nick Sanko / Mason Stefanelli
Cortilius Vann	174	No. 19 Nick Hamilton / Emmitt Sherlock
Bryce Phillips	184	Griffin Gammeell / Jack Lesher / Dylan Newsome
Eric Washington	197	Steven Burrell Jr.
Rasheen Duncan / Eli Turpin	HWT	Brenan Morgan / Ryan Catka / Cooper Rudolph

*Intermat Rankings (12/16/25)

HOFSTRA PROBABLES
• Hofstra (1-5)

Morgan State	Weight	Hofstra
Julian Dawson	125	Teague Strobel / Tommy Aiello
No. 33 Javaan Yarbrough	133	Gauge Shipp
Marwan Nazeer	141	Joe Sparacio / Chase Liardi
No. 31 Eugene Harney	149	Alex Turley / Jackson Slotnick
Yannis Charles	157	Frank Volpe / Zach Reilley
Kyle Grey / Joshua Greenwood	165	Jake Slotnick / Eric Shindel
Cortilius Vann	174	Josh Jorgge
Bryce Phillips	184	Matthew Waddell
Eric Washington	197	Will Conlon
Rasheen Duncan / Eli Turpin	HWT	Adrian Sans

*Intermat Rankings (12/16/25)

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Navy is 1-3 on the season, posting a 27-13 victory against Appalachian State.

• The Midshipmen had losses against three ranked opponents in No. 21 Pittsburgh (L, 20-12), No. 14 Rutgers (L, 24-12) and No. 21 North Carolina (L, 20-18).

• Navy has three ranked wrestlers in their lineup: No. 28 Caedyn Ricciardi (141), No. 8 Danny Wask (174), and No. 16 Spencer Lanosga (HWT).

• Bucknell is 0-4 on the season and has lost every bout by an average of 5.5 points.

• Bucknell has five ranked wrestlers in their lineup: No. 31 Dylan Chappell (133), No. 21 Noah Mulvaney (165), No. 24 Myles Takats (174), No. 10 Dillon Bechtold (197), and No. 32 Lucas Lawler (HWT).

• Virginia sits at 5-2 on the season and has played an interesting brew of opponents. The Cavaliers narrowly lost 21-17 to No. 8 Lehigh but were routed 40-3 by No. 11 Michigan. They routed Bridgeport 56-0 and East Stroudsburg 49-0 in their most recent duals on Dec. 7.

• The Wahoo boasts three ranked wrestlers: No. 23 Keyveon Roller (125), No. 24 Colton Washleski (157), and No. 19 Nick Hamilton (174).

• Hofstra has a 1-5 record (1-0 EIWA) with its sole win over fellow EIWA member Sacred Heart (21-15).

• The Pride do not have any wrestlers ranked by Intermat.

NOTABLES
• Morgan State traveled to Willow Spring High School on Sunday (Dec. 7) for duals against No. 10 NC State and Davidson at the Journeymen Jostle. The Bears (0–6) opened with a 45–4 loss to the Wolfpack, highlighted by No. 32 Eugene Harney's dominant 12–2 major decision over Luca Felix. In the second matchup, Morgan State fell to Davidson 43–8. The Wildcats (2–5) used four pins and two forfeits to take control. The Bears' scoring came from No. 31 Javaan Yarbrough, who earned a third-period pin at 133, and Harney, who added an 8–1 decision at 149.

• Newcomers Eugene Harney, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, and Javaan Yarbrough, who hails from Akron, Ohio. Both have earned national recognition in their respective weight classes during their debut season with the Bears. Harney entered the rankings at No. 33 at 149 lbs (he's currently No. 31), boosted by his recent victory over No. 27–ranked Wynton Denkins. Although he suffered a setback against Kaden Cassidy last week and has previously lost to unranked opponents Layton Schneider and Kyle Schickel, Harney's strong 10-1 overall record keeps him firmly in the national conversation. Yarbrough debuts at No. 31 at 133 lbs, holding a 4-2 record through the early stages of the season. The duo joins senior standout Xavier Doolin, who remains ranked at No. 28 even though he has yet to compete this season. Once active, he will give the Bears another ranked weapon in the lineup.

• 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 joined Morgan after serving as the director of wrestling and head wrestling coach at Spire Academy since 2021.

• Morgan State was wrestling in its first competition in 25 years after the program was reinstated, making 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 State with the support of 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 (EIWA) announced a realignment of its dual meet divisions to create balance across the conference. As part of the update, Morgan State will now compete in the newly formed Liberty Division, alongside American, Army, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Navy. The conference will now recognize EIWA Dual Meet Champions in both the Liberty Division and the Independence Division, which includes Binghamton, Drexel, F&M, Hofstra, LIU, and Sacred Heart.

• Sophomore newcomer Eugene Harney, who claimed 2nd place at the Navy Classic, emerged as the standout performer for the Bears, clinching the team's sole victory of the night against Ohio's Carson Weber in a nail-biting 1-0 contest during the 149-pound bout at the Ohio Showcase. Fellow sophomore Javaan Yarbrough finished sixth at 133 pounds. Both made their first appearances at the Navy Classic, highlighting the Bears' promising start to the season.

• Morgan State head coach Kenny Monday has added five new student-athletes to the Bears' 2025-26 roster, bolstering the program's depth and competitiveness. The incoming class features four freshmen and one transfer, highlighted by Campbell transfer Eugene Harney. The freshman additions include Antoine Glasgow (Lilburn, Ga.), Marwan Mohammed Nazeer (Spånga, Stockholm), Rohan Bucknor (White Plains, Md.), and Bence Veress (Budapest, Hungary). "We are fired up about the new young men we added to our roster," said Monday. "Each one brings a unique skill set that adds depth and excitement to our team," signaling a promising outlook for the reinforced squad.

• The Black Wrestlers Association (BWA) announced the recipients of its second annual scholarship awards, with Morgan State University wrestling freshman Marwan Nazeer named among this year's honorees. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Nazeer shared his thoughts on the meaning of the honor and what it symbolizes for both himself and others with similar backgrounds.

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• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more.
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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.

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