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Eugene Harney's Historic Postseason Journey Ends on Day Two at NCAA Wrestling Championships

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 20, 2026) -- Redshirt freshman Eugene Harney made history for Morgan State, advancing to day two of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse after going 1-1 during Thursday's opening sessions.

Harney, a Cincinnati, Ohio product, earned his spot in the consolation round of 16 and returned to the mat during Friday's session, which began at noon, with an opportunity to continue his postseason run and push toward All-America honors.

Matched up against No. 16 seed Jacob Frost of Iowa State, Harney came out aggressive early, looking to generate offense. However, Frost's defense proved steady, and he capitalized on a single-leg takedown at the 40-second mark to take a 3-0 lead.

Harney responded with an escape late in the first period to cut the deficit to 3-1. Frost opened the second period with an escape of his own to extend the lead to 4-1. In the third, Harney again worked free for an escape, narrowing the score to 4-2 and keeping the pressure on.

A key sequence late in the match saw a takedown initially awarded to Frost before being challenged and ultimately overturned, as the action was ruled out of bounds. Despite the reversal, Frost maintained control down the stretch and held on for a 4-2 decision, ending Harney's tournament run.
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Harney concluded an outstanding redshirt freshman campaign with a 29-6 overall record, establishing himself as one of the program's rising stars.

Morgan State junior Yannis Charles won his match in the pigtail round on Thursday, but back-to-back losses in the round of 32 and consolation bracket ended his season.

Morgan State's appearance at the NCAA Championships marked a defining moment for the program, competing on wrestling's biggest stage for the first time in 27 years (since 1997). As the nation's only Division I HBCU wrestling program, the Bears not only returned—they made their presence felt, signaling a program on the rise and laying the foundation for continued success on the national stage.


PIGTAIL BOUT RESULTS
157 - #33 Yannis Charles (Morgan State) dec. #32

FIRST ROUND RESULTS
157 - #1 PJ Duke (Penn State) pinned #33 Yannis Charles (Morgan State), 1:56
149 – #15 Ryder Block (Iowa) major dec. #18 Eugene Harney (Morgan State), 11-2

CONSOLATION MATCHUP
157 - #16 C. Swenson (South Dakota State) dec. #33 Yannis Charles (Morgan State), 12-4
149 – #18 Eugene Harney (Morgan State) dec. #31Ryan Michaels (Edinboro), 9-7
 
CONSOLATION ROUND 2 MATCHUP
149 – #16 Jacob Frost (Iowa State) dec. #18 Eugene Harney (Morgan State), 4-2



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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