WASHINGTON, D.C. – Navy advanced two wrestlers to the championship finals and secured a pair of automatic NCAA Championship bids during the opening day of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championship on Friday night at the Bender Arena in Washington, D.C.
 
Third-seeded Andrew Binni (125) and second-seeded Caedyn Ricciardi (141) each won semifinal bouts to earn spots in Saturday's title matches, while eight additional Midshipmen remain in contention heading into the final day of competition.
 
Navy concluded the first day in third place with 101 points, trailing Bucknell in second with 112 points and reigning EIWA champion Lehigh in first with 123.5.
 
"We had a strong start to the day," head coach Cary Kolat said. "Our guys were focused, wrestling smart and we drove eight into the semifinals. The night session didn't go quite the way we wanted, but we still punched two through the finals."
 
Binni became the first Midshipman to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championship after opening the tournament with a dominant 16-0 technical fall over Carson Wagner (Binghamton) in the quarterfinals. He followed with an 11-3 major decision against second-seeded and 25th-ranked Desmond Pleasant (Drexel) in the semifinals, using two first-period takedowns to build an early lead before adding a takedown, escape and riding time in the final frame. Binni will face top-seeded and fourth-ranked Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) in the 125-pound final.
 
Ricciardi also secured his first career NCAA berth by reaching the 141-pound final. The second seed opened with a 16-1 technical fall against Chase Liardi (Hofstra) before defeating third-seeded and 17th-ranked Braden Basile (Army), 5-3, in the semifinals. Ricciardi scored an early takedown and added a reversal in the second period to claim his second victory over Basile this season. He will face top-seeded and fifth-ranked Luke Stanich from Lehigh in the championship match.
 
Several Midshipmen reached the semifinals of their respective brackets before shifting to the wrestlebacks.
 
At 149 pounds, fourth-seeded Kaemen Smith opened with a 10-4 decision over fifth-seeded Gage Owen (American) before falling to top-seeded and 27th-ranked Eugene Harney (Morgan State) in the semifinals, 18-3.
 
Top-seeded Jonathan Ley advanced to the 157-pound semifinals with an 8-1 decision over Frank Volpe (Hofstra), recording two takedowns and a riding-time point. Ley was later disqualified in his semifinal bout against Yannis Charles (Morgan State) for unsportsmanlike conduct.
 
Second-seeded Danny Wask cruised into the 174-pound semifinals with an 18-3 technical fall over Cort Vann (Morgan State), tallying four takedowns. Wask dropped a narrow 7-6 decision in double tiebreaker to third-seeded and 19th-ranked Carter Baer (Binghamton).
 
At 184 pounds, fifth-seeded Daniel Williams put together a strong run on the first day. He edged Cooper Haase (Army), 4-3, in the round of 16 before knocking off fourth-seeded and 33rd-ranked Tyler Bienus (Bucknell), 9-5, in the quarterfinals behind two first-period takedowns. Williams fell to top-seeded and fifth-ranked James Conway (Franklin & Marshall) in the semifinals (8-0).
 
Fourth-seeded Zyan Hall advanced to the 197-pound semifinals after defeating fifth-seeded JT Davis (Lehigh), 2-1, on riding time. Hall carried a 1-0 lead into the final period of his semifinal bout before top-seeded and 25th-ranked Dillon Bechtold (Bucknell) rallied for a 5-1 decision.
 
At heavyweight, third-seeded Spencer Lanosga earned a 16-2 major decision against Brendan Gilchrist (Sacred Heart) in the quarterfinals with four takedowns. Lanosga later fell to second-seeded and 14th-ranked Nathan Taylor (Lehigh), 5-0.
 
Two additional Midshipmen fought through the consolation bracket to stay alive.
 
Seventh-seeded Brendan Ferretti opened the tournament with a dominant 22-3 technical fall over John Sheehy (Sacred Heart) before dropping a 5-2 decision to second-seeded Ethan Berginc (Army) in the quarterfinals. Ferretti responded with consecutive wins in the wrestlebacks, including a sudden-victory win over Chris Betancourt (Long Island), 8-5, and a 2-0 decision against Treshaun Tecson (Morgan State).
 
At 165 pounds, fourth-seeded Dylan Elmore rebounded from a 5-4 loss to Cody Walsh (Drexel) in the quarterfinals with a pair of shutout victories, defeating Jake Slotnick (Hofstra), 6-0, and Joshua Greenwood (Morgan State), 2-0.
 
"Everyone is still alive in the tournament, so now it's about coming back tomorrow and continuing to compete," Kolat remarked.
 
Navy will send Binni and Ricciardi into Saturday's championship finals while the remainder of the lineup continues competition in the consolation rounds.
 
EIWA Championship Day One Standings
1. Lehigh – 123.5
2. Bucknell – 112
3. Navy – 101
4. Army – 90
5. Drexel – 84
6. American – 72.5
7. Binghamton – 69
8. Morgan State – 58
9. Franklin & Marshall – 55.5
10. Hofstra – 34.5
11. Long Island – 7.5
12. Sacred Heart – 5
 
Navy Individual Day One Results
125 – (3) Andrew Binni

• Quarterfinals: defeated Carson Wagner, Binghamton / T Fall / 16-0
• Semifinals: defeated (2) #25 Desmond Pleasant, Drexel / Major / 11-3

 
133 – (7) Brendan Ferretti

• Rd. of 16: defeated (10) John Sheehy, Sacred Heart / T Fall / 22-3
• Quarterfinals: lost to (2) Ethan Berginc, Army / Dec / 5-2
• Cons. of 8 #2: defeated (9) Chris Betancourt, Long Island / Dec / 8-5
• Cons. of 4: defeated (11) Treshaun Tecson, Morgan State / Dec / 2-0

 
141 – (2) Caedyn Ricciardi

• Quarterfinals: defeated (10) Chase Liardi, Hofstra / T Fall / 16-1
• Semifinals: defeated (3) #17 Braden Basile, Army / Dec / 5-3

 
149 – (4) Kaemen Smith

• Quarterfinals: defeated (5) Gage Owen, American / Dec / 10-4
• Semifinals: lost to (1) #27 Eugene Harney, Morgan State / T Fall / 18-3

 
157 – (1) Jonathan Ley

• Quarterfinals: defeated (9) Frank Volpe, Hofstra / Dec / 8-1
• Semifinals: lost to (12) Yannis Charles, Morgan State / DQ

 
165 – (4) Dylan Elmore

• Quarterfinals: lost to (5) Cody Walsh, Drexel / Dec / 5-4
• Cons. of 8 #2: defeated (6) Jake Slotnick, Hofstra / Dec / 6-0
• Cons. of 4: defeated (10) Joshua Greenwood, Morgan State / Dec / 2-0

 
174 – (2) Danny Wask

• Quarterfinals: defeated (7) Cort Vann, Morgan State / T Fall / 18-3
• Semifinals: lost to (3) #19 Carter Baer, Binghamton / Dec / 7-6 TB-2

 
184 – (5) Daniel Williams

• Rd. of 16: defeated (12) Cooper Haase, Army / Dec / 4-3
• Quarterfinals: defeated (4) #33 Tyler Bienus, Bucknell / Dec / 9-5
• Semifinals: lost to (1) #5 James Conway, Franklin & Marshall / Major / 8-0

 
197 – (4) Zyan Hall

• Quarterfinals: defeated (5) JT Davis, Lehigh / Dec / 2-1
• Semifinals: lost to (1) #25 Dillon Bechtold, Bucknell / Dec / 5-1

 
285 – (3) Spencer Lanosga

• Quarterfinals: defeated (11) Brendan Gilchrist, Sacred Heart / Major / 16-2
• Semifinals: lost to (2) #14 Nathan Taylor, Lehigh / Dec / 5-0