BALTIMORE, Md. (March 13, 2026) – Morgan State's two NCAA Championship qualifiers learned their seeds and first-round matchups during the NCAA Wrestling Selection Show on Wednesday night. The 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships begin Thursday, March 21, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Eugene Harney (149) and Yannis Charles (157) will represent the Bears at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The duo becomes the first NCAA qualifiers in the program's Division I era.

"Having two NCAA qualifiers in our third season back in Division I wrestling is a tremendous accomplishment, and it's a testament to the support of the entire university, from President Wilson on down to our facilities staff," said head coach Kenny Monday. "But it's only a start. We want to build on this momentum and continue to represent Morgan State with excellence."

Harney earned the highest seed between the two and enters the championships as the No. 18 seed in the 149-pound bracket. He will face Ryan Michaels of Edinboro University in the opening round Thursday morning. The winner will advance to face No. 2 seed Jaxon Joy of Cornell University.

Harney enters the tournament with a 28-4 record, fresh off capturing the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championship title, and currently ranks No. 24 nationally.

"Eugene is a special young man with tremendous confidence," Monday said. "He's fearless when it comes to big moments and stays poised when the pressure hits. Winning the EIWA championship has built even more confidence for him, and he's capable of winning an NCAA title."

Monday credited consistency for the team's historic achievement.

"Consistency is what is behind their success," Monday said. "Eugene has been a spark plug in the practice room and has led by example. Yannis battled injuries early but has bounced back with great confidence. Eugene's 28 wins this season and Yannis' incredible EIWA performance reinforce that through hard work and an unwavering will to win, you can be successful here at Morgan State."

Charles (5-8) joins Harney in "March Matness" as the No. 33 seed at 157 pounds and will face Ryder Block of the University of Iowa in his first-round matchup. The winner will advance to face No. 17 seed Luke Mechler of the University of Wisconsin.

The 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will run March 21–23 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, bringing together the nation's top collegiate wrestlers across all weight classes. Harney and Charles will look to continue their historic run and represent Morgan State on the national stage as the program makes its first appearance at the NCAA Championships since returning to Division I competition.


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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.