?? Head Wrestling Coach Ryan LeBlanc speaks after the Bearcats defeat Franklin & Marshall on Sunday!#ONEBinghamton pic.twitter.com/usLUaGMwlo
— Binghamton Wrestling (@BearcatsWrestle) January 18, 2026
Bearcats rally from early deficit to defeat EIWA opponent
VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton wrestling team (5-2, 3-1 EIWA) rallied from an early deficit to defeat Franklin & Marshall (3-2, 1-1 EIWA) Sunday at the Events Center. It is the Bearcats' seventh victory in a row against the Diplomats dating back to 2007.
"I think we did a good job winning the tight matches," said Binghamton Head Wrestling Coach Ryan LeBlanc. "149, 157, 165, and even 174, those close battles, we found a way to win, which is really good. And that was a tough Franklin & Marshall team, so it's good to see some of those guys kind of shine through."
Highlights
Carson Wagner began the dual by picking up his third major decision of the season when he defeated James Garcia in the 125 lb., bout 14-5, giving the Bearcats a 4-0 lead.
After Franklin & Marshall with eight unanswered points in the next two matches, Binghamton looked for a win to get back into the dual. In the 149 lb., bout, Caleb Sweet went against Pat Phillips. Both wrestlers battled to a 1-1 tie after three periods to send the match to overtime. During sudden victory, Sweet attempted to get the winning takedown near the edge of the mat but was unsuccessful as Phillips got off the mat. However, the referees called Phillips for stalling for the second time in the bout, giving Sweet the match-winning point and the decision to get the Bearcats back within one at an 8-7 deficit.
No. 26 Carter Baer, Fin Nadeau and Jordan Brown each posted a decision in the ensuing three matches to extend Binghamton's lead to 16-8. Both Baer and Brown remain undefeated in duals, improving their record to 6-0 and 2-0 respectively, while Nadeau moves up to 5-1 in dual competition. Baer also improves his overall record to 13-2.
Franklin & Marshall brought themselves within two after a pin from No. 7 James Conway at 184 lbs., made it 16-14 Bearcats with two matches to go. Trying to keep Binghamton in the lead, Mikey Squires posted his second major decision of the season by defeating Leo Varga 12-2. The victory brings Squires' overall record to 11-1 and his dual record to 6-0. With the major decision, the Bearcats extended their lead to 20-14 heading into the final bout.
Needing to avoid getting pinned to preserve the win for Binghamton, Trent Sibble prevailed for the Bearcats by shutting out Brody Kline 6-0. The decision secured the dual for the Binghamton at 23-14.
Binghamton Bearcats 23 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats 14
125 | Carson Wagner (Binghamton) def. James Garcia (Franklin & Marshall) MD 14-5, Binghamton 4 Franklin & Marshall 0
133 | Mason Leiphart (Franklin & Marshall) def. Dillon Arrick (Binghamton) TF 15-0 4:05, Franklin & Marshall 5 Binghamton 4
141 | Bryce Kresho (Franklin & Marshall) def. Ryan Hartung (Binghamton) DEC 8-1, Franklin & Marshall 8 Binghamton 4
149 | Caleb Sweet (Binghamton) def. Pat Phillips (Franklin & Marshall) DEC 2-1 SV, Franklin & Marshall 8 Binghamton 7
157 | Fin Nadeau (Binghamton) def. Josh Hillard (Franklin & Marshall) DEC 7-4, Binghamton 10 Franklin & Marshall 8
165 | Jordan Brown (Binghamton) def. Josh Palmucci (Franklin & Marshall) DEC 6-3, Binghamton 13 Franklin & Marshall 8
174 | No. 27/26 Carter Baer (Binghamton) def. Brandon Carr (Franklin & Marshall) DEC 5-0, Binghamton 16 Franklin & Marshall 8
184 | No. 7/7 James Conway (Franklin & Marshall) def. John Baker (Binghamton) FALL 17-2 3:45, Binghamton 16 Franklin & Marshall 14
197 | Mikey Squires (Binghamton) def. Leo Varga (Franklin & Marshall) MD 12-2, Binghamton 20 Franklin & Marshall 14
285 | Trent Sibble (Binghamton) def. Brody Kline (Franklin & Marshall) DEC 6-0, Binghamton 23 Franklin & Marshall 14
*Rankings based on FloWrestling/InterMat
Attendance: 415
Up Next
The Bearcats close out their home schedule with a doubleheader against opponents from the Ivy League on Sunday, Jan. 25. Binghamton first faces Brown at 4 p.m., followed by Harvard at 6 p.m. In between the duals, the Bearcats will honor their members of the Class of 2026 as part of Senior Day. Alums of Binghamton University are also invited to attend and celebrate Alumni Day. Admission to both duals is free on behalf of the New York Army National Guard.
The New York Army National Guard is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Wrestling.