BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 4, 2025) -- This Friday night at 6 p.m., all eyes will turn to the historic Hurt Gymnasium as the Morgan State wrestling team prepares to ignite the crowd with an electrifying EIWA conference showdown against the Binghamton Bearcats. 

Morgan State enters Friday's matchup riding high on momentum after an impressive victory over Johns Hopkins in their last outing. With an opportunity to secure their second consecutive win, Morgan State will aim to capitalize on their home-court advantage and maintain their upward trajectory.

On the other side, Binghamton comes into the game with something to prove following a tough home loss to #9 Cornell. Despite the setback, the Bearcats boast a formidable roster brimming with talent and are eager to rebound when they hit the road.

Friday's battle is set to be an electrifying contest as the Bearcats aim to spoil Morgan State's hopeful streak while reigniting their own winning form.

Fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action live on morganstatebears.com - here.

SCOUTING BINGHAMTON
•  Binghamton most recently suffered a 29-9 setback to No. 9 Cornell last Saturday at the West Gym. Cory Day and Ivan Garcia both earned victories against ranked opponents.

•   In his battle with Cornell's No. 17 Ethan Fernandez, Garcia held his own against the reigning EIWA champion. With the score tied at one in the third period after both wrestlers got an escape, Fernandez received his second stalling call late in the frame, giving Garcia his second point. Garcia held off Fernandez in the final seconds to secure his third win against a ranked opponent this season. Garcia was named EIWA Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday (Feb. 4).

•  For the final bout of the day versus Cornell, Cory Day defeated No. 33 Ashton Davis 3-2 in the heavyweight match. Day went up 2-0 after completing a reversal on Davis in the second period. While Davis came back to tie the match at two, Day gained more than one minute of riding time to earn an extra point and win the bout 3-2.

•  According to The Open Mat NCAA Division I Wrestling Rankings, fifth year senior Brevin Cassella (Clinton, Mass.) ranks No. 7 in at 174. 

•  Binghamton is 7-8 in dual meets and 3-2 in EIWA action so far this year, with wins against Maryland, Harvard and Brown. The Bearcats had a 2-match winning streak snapped when they fell to No. 9 Cornell 29-9 and will attempt to bounce back when they visit the Bears on Friday.

•  Morgan State and Binghamton will be meeting for the first time in history.

•  Binghamton is led by Head Coach Kyle Borshoff, in his 10th season with the Bearcats and his eighth year as head coach of the program.Borshoff has played a key role in Binghamton's emergence in the EIWA - one of the most rugged wrestling conferences in the nation. In 2023-24, Borshoff led Binghamton to one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. With an overall record of 9-4 and an EIWA record of 7-3, Binghamton won its most overall and dual matches since 2018-19 (10-3, 8-2 EIWA). Among the highlights for the season was the program's first win over a top 20 team in Division I, when the Bearcats defeated #18 Navy 18-17 on Jan. 21. He also led the Bearcats to a 21-15 win at Northwestern on Feb. 16, the program's first victory over a Big Ten opponent since 2017.

*Rankings based on FloWrestling/InterMat

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." Doolin currently ranks No. 6 in the EIWA and has an 11-4 overall record and is 7-1 in duals. 

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

 

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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.