Morgan State University Wrestling is gearing up to begin their 2024 to 2025 season on Nov. 10, marking another chapter in the second-year program’s storied journey.
The Bears, led by head coach Kenny Monday, are now competing in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), the oldest collegiate wrestling conference in the nation.
“I’m very excited to join that conference. Last year we weren’t in a conference and that was one of the biggest things that I had to try to accomplish being a head coach here,” said Monday. “So now we are there and it raises our standards, we know that we have to work hard and keep building the program to be competitive in the EIWA.”
Morgan State became the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to join the EIWA, and after an over two-decade absence. The return of the program looks to be a resurgence in the HBCU community.
The Bears wrestling team remains the only D-1 HBCU to offer the sport for men and is exploring ways to expand its popularity to a new audience.
“We have to continue to get the word out, do our job, and put a good product out on the mat,” Monday explained. “People love a winner so we have to focus on getting better and winning the matches that we lost last year.”
The Bears struggled in their first season returning to action only earning two team wins, but earned their first victory of that season in dominant fashion, a 53-0 victory over Marymount University.
Monday and assistant coach Thomas King emphasized the fundamentals when it comes to developing wrestlers physically and mentally.
“You have to help them with their mindsets and confidence in themselves to be dominant. And my thing is there are a lot of fancy moves, but it’s always the basics that every good wrestler out there uses,” King said. “I try to teach the basics to the guys and from there I show them how to intertwine with the advanced moves”.
Monday said, “It’s about character, being a good person, maintaining that balance between the classroom and wrestling, our expectations are always high so we try to make sure that the guys understand their assignments and are excellent every day.”
The Morgan State Bears wrestling team features a proud and storied history that stretches back to its founding in the early 1950s.
The Bears quickly established themselves as a powerhouse, dominating the wrestling scene throughout the 1960s, when they captured three consecutive Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titles in 1963, 1964 and 1965.
The Bears’ accomplishments positioned Morgan State as a pioneering program in wrestling, especially within the landscape of HBCUs.
Sophomore Isaac Sheehan, a 125-pounder expressed his goals heading into the new season.
“As a team, we’re trying to knock off names. Personally, I’m focusing on smaller goals. I’m trying to get stronger, faster, and improve on my takedowns.”
The Bears will start their 2024 campaign at home when they compete against Glenville State and Bucknell University on Sunday, Nov. 10 at Hill Fieldhouse starting at 9 a.m.
