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Wrestling MSU Athletics Communications

Morgan's Pride, NCAA Bound

Morgan State wrestler's Eugene Harney (149 lbs) and Yannis Charles (157) headed to NCAA Championships in Cleveland.

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BALTIMORE, Md. (March 18, 2026) --Fans gathered Tuesday afternoon in the Hill Field House lobby to send off the Morgan State University wrestling team as it prepares to compete in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland.

The official send-off, held at 12 p.m., allowed supporters to interact with the Bears' two national qualifiers — Eugene Harney and Yannis Charles — before they departed for the tournament, which begins Thursday.

Harney enters the championships as the No. 18 seed in the 149-pound bracket and will face Ryan Michaels of Edinboro University in the opening round Thursday morning. The winner will advance to face No. 15 seed Ryder Block of the University of Iowa.

The Cincinnati native brings a 28-4 record into the tournament after capturing the title at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships. Harney is currently ranked No. 24 nationally.

Charles (5-8) joins Harney in "March Matness" as the No. 33 seed at 157 pounds. He will face Jeb Prechtel of Bellarmine University in his first-round matchup. The winner will move on to face top contender PJ Duke (19-1) of Penn State University.

Morgan State head coach Kenny Monday said moments like the send-off show how much the Morgan State community rallies behind its student-athletes.

"This is a special moment for our program," said Monday. "Eugene and Yannis have put in a tremendous amount of work all season, and to see the Morgan community come out and support them before they head to nationals means a lot. They're representing not just themselves, but the entire University."

Monday added that he wants his wrestlers to compete freely and without hesitation.

"I think you've just got to go in with confidence and know that and believe in yourself and believe in what you bring to the table," he said. "And go wrestle with no fear."

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.

 
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Players Mentioned

Yannis Charles

Yannis Charles

149 lbs
5' 9"
Freshman
Eugene Harney

Eugene Harney

149 lbs
5' 7"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Yannis Charles

Yannis Charles

5' 9"
Freshman
149 lbs
Eugene Harney

Eugene Harney

5' 7"
Sophomore
149 lbs