WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy wrestling team placed second at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship (EIWA) on Saturday at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C., totaling 135.5 points and securing four automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championship. Lehigh captured the team title with 163.5 points and five individual champions.
 
"Overall, it was a solid finish for us," Navy head coach Cary Kolat said. "Even though we didn't crown an EIWA champion today, all of our guys placed and competed hard for themselves and the team. They chased bonus points in every match, which was key for us finishing second."
 
The Midshipmen were one of just two teams in the field, alongside Drexel, to have all 10 wrestlers place in their respective weight classes. Navy also produced nine top-four finishers over the two-day tournament.
 
Andrew Binni (125) highlighted the championship finals for the Midshipmen, earning a runner-up finish in his first EIWA Championship appearance. Binni secured his automatic berth to the NCAA Championship the night before by advancing to the semifinals and carried that momentum into Saturday's finals appearance. The third-seeded Binni fell to top-seeded and fourth-ranked Sheldon Seymour of Lehigh in the title match, 17-6, by major decision. The 2025 All-American scored two first-period takedowns and added a two-point near fall to build an early lead.
 
Caedyn Ricciardi (141) also reached the finals after qualifying for the NCAA Championship on Friday night with his semifinal victory. In the championship match, the second seed squared off against top-seeded and fifth-ranked Luke Stanich of Lehigh. Stanich pulled away with a pair of second-period takedowns to claim a 14-3 major decision and the championship.
 
Navy secured several podium finishes through the consolation bracket, beginning with Kaemen Smith (149), who placed third for the second-consecutive season. Smith advanced to the placement bout with an 18-6 major decision over third-seeded Deon Pleasant of Drexel in the consolation semifinals. Smith scored a reversal, three near-fall points and a takedown during a big second period before adding a takedown in the first and two more in the third. In the third-place match, Smith defeated 11th-seeded Carter Bailey of Lehigh, 14-6, by major decision. After a scoreless first period, Smith produced four takedowns and two escapes over the final two frames to secure the victory.
 
Top-seeded Jonathan Ley also claimed third place at 157 pounds for the second-straight season. Ley advanced to the third-place bout with an 8-0 major decision over seventh-seeded Cade Wirnsberger of Bucknell in the consolation semifinals behind two takedowns, an escape and riding time. In the placement match, Ley defeated fourth-seeded Fin Nadeau of Binghamton, 4-2, with a first-period takedown providing the difference.
 
Danny Wask (174) earned a third-place finish and secured an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. Wask rallied from a 7-3 deficit to fourth-seeded and 21st-ranked Jasiah Queen of Drexel, scoring four takedowns, a four-point near fall, an escape and riding time to win by technical fall, 23-8. Wask followed with a dominant 12-0 major decision over fifth-seeded Andrew Christie of Army in the third-place match, recording a takedown in each period and riding time to earn his third-consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.
 
Zyan Hall (197) added another third-place finish for the Midshipmen. He defeated seventh-seeded Will Conlon of Hofstra, 8-3, in the consolation semifinals with two takedowns, an escape and riding time. Hall then edged fifth-seeded JT Davis of Lehigh, 6-5, in the third-place match. Trailing 3-1 entering the final period, Hall surged with a takedown and a two-point near fall in the final minute to secure the win.
 
Heavyweight Spencer Lanosga also secured a third-place finish and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Lanosga clinched his spot at nationals with a 4-2 decision over fifth-seeded Emmanuel Ulrich of American in the consolation semifinals, using a first-period takedown as the difference. Lanosga capped the tournament by knocking off top-seeded and 12th-ranked Brady Colbert of Army, 2-1, in the third-place match. Both wrestlers scored an escape, but Colbert's second stalling penalty provided the deciding point.
 
At 133 pounds, seventh-seeded Brendan Ferretti battled through the consolation bracket to place fourth. Ferretti advanced to the third-place match after being awarded a forfeit victory over fifth-seeded Gauge Shipp of Hofstra in the consolation semifinals. In the placement bout, Ferretti dropped a 4-1 sudden victory decision to third-seeded Kyle Waterman of Drexel. The match was tied 1-1 after regulation before Waterman secured the winning takedown with one second remaining in overtime.
 
Dylan Elmore finished fifth at 165 pounds after falling to second-seeded and 13th-ranked Gunner Filipowicz of Army, 6-3, in the consolation semifinals. Elmore rebounded in the fifth-place match with a 5-2 decision over seventh-seeded Jordan Brown of Binghamton, scoring an escape and the lone takedown of the bout in the second period after a scoreless opening frame.
 
Daniel Williams rounded out Navy's placewinners with a sixth-place finish in the 184-pound bracket. The fifth seed fell to 12th-seeded Cooper Haase of Army, 4-0, in the consolation semifinals before dropping a tight 1-0 decision to fourth-seeded and 33rd-ranked Tyler Bienus of Bucknell in the fifth-place match. Bienus scored the match's lone point with an escape at the start of the third period.
 
"We have four guys heading to the National Championships and potentially more with at-large bids, so we'll see how that folds."
 
Binni, Ricciardi, Wask and Lanosga will prep for their trip to the national stage at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 19-21.
 
Ley, Elmore and Hall will wait to see if they qualify for nationals as an at-large selection. The 42 at-large qualifiers will be selected by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee on Tuesday, March 10.
 
EIWA Championship Standings
1. Lehigh – 163.5
2. Navy – 135.5
3. Bucknell – 126.5
4. Army – 117
5. Drexel - 109
6. American – 86.5
7. Binghamton - 79
8. Morgan State - 64
9. Franklin & Marshall – 56.5
10. Hofstra – 35.5
11. Long Island – 7.5
12. Sacred Heart - 6
 
Navy Individual Results
125 – (3) Andrew Binni (2-1, 2^nd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated Carson Wagner, Binghamton / T Fall / 16-0
• Semifinals: defeated (2) #25 Desmond Pleasant, Drexel / Major / 11-3
• Championship: lost to (1) #4 Sheldon Seymour, Lehigh / Major / 17-6

 
133 – (7) Brendan Ferretti (4-2, 4^th Place)

• 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
• Cons. Semifinals: defeated (5) Gauge Shipp, Hofstra / Forfeit
• Third-Place Match: lost to (3) Kyle Waterman, Drexel / Dec / 4-1 SV

 
141 – (2) Caedyn Ricciardi (2-1, 2^nd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated (10) Chase Liardi, Hofstra / T Fall / 16-1
• Semifinals: defeated (3) #17 Braden Basile, Army / Dec / 5-3
• Finals: lost to (1) #5 Luke Stanich, Lehigh / Major / 14-3

 
149 – (4) Kaemen Smith (3-1, 3^rd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated (5) Gage Owen, American / Dec / 10-4
• Semifinals: lost to (1) #27 Eugene Harney, Morgan State / T Fall / 18-3
• Cons. Semifinals: defeated (3) Deon Pleasant, Drexel / Major / 18-6
• Third-Place Match: defeated (11) Carter Bailey, Lehigh / Major / 14-6

 
157 – (1) Jonathan Ley (3-1, 3^rd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated (9) Frank Volpe, Hofstra / Dec / 8-1
• Semifinals: lost to (12) Yannis Charles, Morgan State / DQ
• Cons. Semifinals: defeated (7) Cade Wirnsberger, Bucknell / Major / 8-0
• Third-Place Match: defeated (4) Fin Nadeau, Binghamton / Dec / 4-2

 
165 – (4) Dylan Elmore (3-2, 5^th Place)

• 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
• Cons. Semifinals: lost to (2) #13 Gunner Filipowicz, Army / Dec / 6-3
• Fifth-Place Match: defeated (7) Jordan Brown, Binghamton / Dec / 5-2

 
174 – (2) Danny Wask (3-1, 3^rd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated (7) Cort Vann, Morgan State / T Fall / 18-3
• Semifinals: lost to (3) #19 Carter Baer, Binghamton / Dec / 7-6 TB-2
• Cons. Semifinals: defeated (4) #21 Jasiah Queen, Drexel / T Fall / 23-8
• Third-Place Match: defeated (5) Andrew Christie, Army / Major / 12-0

 
184 – (5) Daniel Williams (2-3, 6^th Place)

• 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
• Cons. Semifinals: lost to (12) Cooper Haase, Army / Dec / 4-0
• Fifth-Place Match: lost to (4) #33 Tyler Bienus, Bucknell / Dec / 1-0

 
197 – (4) Zyan Hall (3-1, 3^rd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated (5) JT Davis, Lehigh / Dec / 2-1
• Semifinals: lost to (1) #25 Dillon Bechtold, Bucknell / Dec / 5-1
• Cons. Semifinals: defeated (7) Will Conlon, Hofstra / Dec / 8-3
• Third-Place Match: defeated (5) JT Davis, Lehigh / Dec / 6-5

 
285 – (3) Spencer Lanosga (3-1, 3^rd Place)

• Quarterfinals: defeated (11) Brendan Gilchrist, Sacred Heart / Major / 16-2
• Semifinals: lost to (2) #14 Nathan Taylor, Lehigh / Dec / 5-0
• Cons. Semifinals: defeated (5) Emmanuel Ulrich, American / Dec / 4-2
• Third-Place Match: defeated (1) #12 Brady Colbert, Army / Dec / 2-1