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Binghamton's Baer, Squires finish second at EIWA Championships

NEWS


Bearcats post six placewinners while finishing seventh as a team at conference tournament

WASHINGTON – Both Carter Baer and Mikey Squires finished in second place at 174 and 197 lbs., respectively at the EIWA Championships Saturday at Bender Arena.

In total, six Binghamton wrestlers reached the podium at the conference championship. Carson Wagner and Fin Nadeau also finished fourth at 125 and 157 lbs., Dillon Arrick took fifth at 133 and Jordan Brown placed sixth at 165. Wagner made it onto the podium at the EIWAs for the second year in a row, following his third-place finish in 2025. Arrick, Brown, and Nadeau, meanwhile, all qualified for the podium at the tournament for the first time.

Baer and Squires had each earned an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships by winning their semifinal match on Friday. It is the second year in a row that Binghamton has had two automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Current Assistant Coach Brevin Cassella, who won the 174 lb., EIWA title in 2025, and Cory Day (2nd at 2025 EIWAs at 285 lbs.) both made it to nationals last season. The Bearcats have had at least two of their wrestlers qualify for the NCAA tournament in each of the last 17 seasons dating back to 2010. The two bids on Friday bring Binghamton's total of Division I national qualifiers throughout its program's history up to 63.

The Bearcats have had at least six wrestlers reach the podium at the EIWA Championships in each of the last three seasons. It is the first time Binghamton has had at least six placewinners at the EIWAs in three consecutive seasons since the Bearcats joined the league.

Binghamton ultimately finished the tournament seventh out of 12 teams with 79 points. Lehigh won the team championship with 163.5 points.


How it Happened

Baer went up against No. 1 seed Myles Takats of Bucknell in the 174 lb., finals. A win from Baer would have given the Bearcats their second straight EIWA title at 174 lbs., following Cassella's victory in 2025. Both wrestlers were tied at 1 late in the third period after each had escaped after starting after starting on the bottom in the final two frames of the bout. With less than one minute remaining, Baer went for the go-ahead takedown by diving for Takats' leg. Takats countered the move and grabbed Baer's leg before taking him down to go ahead a 4-1 lead. Baer would escape again with two seconds remaining, but Takats secured an extra point for riding time to win the EIWA title 5-2.

Squires faced another Bucknell wrestler in the 197 lb., finals in No. 1 seed Dillon Bechtold. Squires was unable to score any points against Bechtold, who got an escape and takedown against the Bearcat in the second period to win 4-0 and take home the EIWA crown.

Wagner reached the third place match at the EIWAs for the second year in a row after he defeated Franklin & Marshall's James Garcia 7-2 in consolation semifinals. The Bearcat, who finished third in 2025 at 125 lbs., looked to repeat that result against Drexel's Desmond Pleasant. Wagner opened the bout with a takedown early in the first period, but Pleasant responded with an escape, and eventually, a takedown before time expired to take a 4-3 lead into the second. After Pleasant started on the bottom before escaping, Wagner picked up another takedown take the lead back at 6-5. Pleasant escaped again to tie the bout at 6 heading into the third. Wagner began the third with an escape of his own, but he then got his second stalling call of the bout, granting a point to Pleasant to tie the bout at 7. The two wrestlers fought as time winded down. With six seconds remaining, Pleasant completed a takedown of Wagner to win the match 10-7, leading to Wagner getting a fourth-place finish.

Nadeau also reached the third place match in his bracket following his 4-3 win over Army West Point's Joe Antonio. That set him up with a match against No. 1 seed Jonathan Ley of Navy. Ley got a takedown halfway through the first period to go ahead 3-0. Nadeau escaped later in the first, then got another escape in the second to bring himself within one point of Ley at 3-2. But Nadeau was unable to take the lead, as Ley got an escape in the third period and defended himself to win 4-2 and take third place.

Arrick was defeated by Drexel's Kyle Waterman 9-4 to move to the fifth place match. He then was awarded victory in that bout to finish fifth after Hofstra's Gauge Shipp medically forfeited.

Brown entered the day needing one more win to qualify for nationals. However, he was shut out by Drexel's Cody Walsh 8-0 to fall to the fifth place match in the process. The Bearcat was then defeated by Navy's Dylan Elmore 5-2 after Elmore jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period. The loss ended Brown's first appearance at the EIWAs, with the redshirt sophomore finishing in sixth place.

Binghamton's Baer, Squires finish second at EIWA Championships

NEWS


Bearcats post six placewinners while finishing seventh as a team at conference tournament

WASHINGTON – Both Carter Baer and Mikey Squires finished in second place at 174 and 197 lbs., respectively at the EIWA Championships Saturday at Bender Arena.

In total, six Binghamton wrestlers reached the podium at the conference championship. Carson Wagner and Fin Nadeau also finished fourth at 125 and 157 lbs., Dillon Arrick took fifth at 133 and Jordan Brown placed sixth at 165. Wagner made it onto the podium at the EIWAs for the second year in a row, following his third-place finish in 2025. Arrick, Brown, and Nadeau, meanwhile, all qualified for the podium at the tournament for the first time.

Baer and Squires had each earned an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships by winning their semifinal match on Friday. It is the second year in a row that Binghamton has had two automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Current Assistant Coach Brevin Cassella, who won the 174 lb., EIWA title in 2025, and Cory Day (2nd at 2025 EIWAs at 285 lbs.) both made it to nationals last season. The Bearcats have had at least two of their wrestlers qualify for the NCAA tournament in each of the last 17 seasons dating back to 2010. The two bids on Friday bring Binghamton's total of Division I national qualifiers throughout its program's history up to 63.

The Bearcats have had at least six wrestlers reach the podium at the EIWA Championships in each of the last three seasons. It is the first time Binghamton has had at least six placewinners at the EIWAs in three consecutive seasons since the Bearcats joined the league.

Binghamton ultimately finished the tournament seventh out of 12 teams with 79 points. Lehigh won the team championship with 163.5 points.


How it Happened

Baer went up against No. 1 seed Myles Takats of Bucknell in the 174 lb., finals. A win from Baer would have given the Bearcats their second straight EIWA title at 174 lbs., following Cassella's victory in 2025. Both wrestlers were tied at 1 late in the third period after each had escaped after starting after starting on the bottom in the final two frames of the bout. With less than one minute remaining, Baer went for the go-ahead takedown by diving for Takats' leg. Takats countered the move and grabbed Baer's leg before taking him down to go ahead a 4-1 lead. Baer would escape again with two seconds remaining, but Takats secured an extra point for riding time to win the EIWA title 5-2.

Squires faced another Bucknell wrestler in the 197 lb., finals in No. 1 seed Dillon Bechtold. Squires was unable to score any points against Bechtold, who got an escape and takedown against the Bearcat in the second period to win 4-0 and take home the EIWA crown.

Wagner reached the third place match at the EIWAs for the second year in a row after he defeated Franklin & Marshall's James Garcia 7-2 in consolation semifinals. The Bearcat, who finished third in 2025 at 125 lbs., looked to repeat that result against Drexel's Desmond Pleasant. Wagner opened the bout with a takedown early in the first period, but Pleasant responded with an escape, and eventually, a takedown before time expired to take a 4-3 lead into the second. After Pleasant started on the bottom before escaping, Wagner picked up another takedown take the lead back at 6-5. Pleasant escaped again to tie the bout at 6 heading into the third. Wagner began the third with an escape of his own, but he then got his second stalling call of the bout, granting a point to Pleasant to tie the bout at 7. The two wrestlers fought as time winded down. With six seconds remaining, Pleasant completed a takedown of Wagner to win the match 10-7, leading to Wagner getting a fourth-place finish.

Nadeau also reached the third place match in his bracket following his 4-3 win over Army West Point's Joe Antonio. That set him up with a match against No. 1 seed Jonathan Ley of Navy. Ley got a takedown halfway through the first period to go ahead 3-0. Nadeau escaped later in the first, then got another escape in the second to bring himself within one point of Ley at 3-2. But Nadeau was unable to take the lead, as Ley got an escape in the third period and defended himself to win 4-2 and take third place.

Arrick was defeated by Drexel's Kyle Waterman 9-4 to move to the fifth place match. He then was awarded victory in that bout to finish fifth after Hofstra's Gauge Shipp medically forfeited.

Brown entered the day needing one more win to qualify for nationals. However, he was shut out by Drexel's Cody Walsh 8-0 to fall to the fifth place match in the process. The Bearcat was then defeated by Navy's Dylan Elmore 5-2 after Elmore jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period. The loss ended Brown's first appearance at the EIWAs, with the redshirt sophomore finishing in sixth place.

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