Morgan State wrestling made history at the 2026 EIWA Championships as Eugene Harney won the 149-pound title and became the first EIWA champion in the history of the HBCU program.
Harney entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and proved why he was the favorite. His title run secured an automatic spot at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and helped send Morgan State wrestling back to nationals for the first time since 1997.
Morgan State wrestling also got a strong performance from Yannis Charles. Charles entered the 157-pound bracket as the No. 12 seed and battled his way to the finals. Although he medically forfeited the championship match because of injuries from the semifinals, he still earned a spot at the NCAA tournament.
For the Bears, the weekend was about more than wins. It was about history and momentum for an HBCU wrestling program on the national stage.
Eugene Harney Wins Historic EIWA Title
Eugene Harney gave Morgan State wrestling a historic moment.
He defeated Riley Bower of Bucknell 6-5 in the 149-pound final to win the EIWA title. With that victory, Harney became the first EIWA champion in Morgan State wrestling history.
Harney had a strong run through the bracket. First, he defeated Pat Phillips of Franklin & Marshall 5-0. Then he advanced to the finals with an 18-3 technical fall over Kaemen Smith of Navy. Finally, he edged Bower in a close championship match.
Because of that win, Harney secured his place at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
Yannis Charles Makes Strong Run to the Finals
Yannis Charles also had a strong weekend for Morgan State wrestling.
Charles entered the tournament as the No. 12 seed at 157 pounds. However, he fought through the bracket and reached the championship match.
In the semifinals, Charles advanced after Navy’s Jonathan Ley was disqualified for an illegal slam. The injury from that match forced Charles into concussion protocol. As a result, he medically forfeited the championship match against Logan Rozynski of Lehigh.
Even so, Charles finished second and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Morgan State Finishes Eighth at EIWA Championships
The Bears finished eighth in the team standings with 64 points at the 122nd EIWA Championships.
The result shows the progress of the program under head coach Kenny Monday. It also shows that Morgan State wrestling can compete in one of the toughest conferences in college wrestling.
Morgan State Wrestling Returns to NCAA Nationals
The NCAA qualification makes this moment even more important.
The HBCU program will send competitors to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for the first time since 1997.
Morgan is also the only HBCU competing in Division I wrestling. Because of that, Harney and Charles are representing both their program and HBCU wrestling on the national stage.
For Morgan State wrestling, the EIWA Championships were more than a good tournament. They were a historic step forward.