Binghamton Wrestling Sends Baer and Squires to NCAA Championships
VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton wrestling team will be represented by Carter Baer (174 lbs.) and Mikey Squires (197 lbs.) at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, taking place from Thursday through Saturday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.1
Both Baer and Squires earned automatic bids to the tournament after finishing second at the EIWA Championships on March 7.3 Head Coach Ryan LeBlanc, in his first season leading the Bearcats, will accompany them. LeBlanc previously qualified eight wrestlers for nationals during his five seasons at The Citadel (2020-2025).2
“I’m pushing both of these guys to continue to get better this week,” said LeBlanc. “I consider that’s one of the things that is essential to this time of year is that you don’t put on the brakes. These guys have both grown tremendously throughout the entire course of the season. If you follow them from week to week, they’ve gotten better.”2
With Baer and Squires qualifying, Binghamton has had at least two wrestlers compete in the NCAA tournament for 17 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2010.3 The program has produced 63 Division I national qualifiers since 2001. Both wrestlers will attempt to become the first Bearcat to reach the All-America podium since Lou DePrez achieved the feat in 2020 and 2021.2
Carter Baer (174 lbs.)
Record: 18-4 10-1 duals3
NCAA Tournament Seed: No. 133
First Round Opponent: No. 20 Daschle Lamer, Oregon State3
Baer began the season with losses at the Navy Classic on November 2, but rebounded to win his next 16 matches, including victories over four future national qualifiers.2 He secured his NCAA bid with wins at the EIWA Championships, defeating Navy’s Danny Wask 7-6 in the second tiebreaker in the semifinals.2
“I’m really excited and grateful,” said Carter Baer. “This is something that I’ve been pushing towards my entire wrestling career, just to be at the national tournament.”2
Mikey Squires (197 lbs.)
Record: 19-3 10-1 duals3
NCAA Tournament Seed: No. 233
First Round Opponent: No. 10 Mac Stout, Pittsburgh3
Squires, a native of Norwich, N.Y., transferred to Binghamton for his final year of eligibility after wrestling at Princeton from 2021-2025. He secured his NCAA bid by defeating Army West Point’s Wolfgang Frable 6-3 in the EIWA semifinals.2
“Both Carter and I come from tiny towns, and we’re just showing that you can come from a small town and still compete at the highest level,” said Squires. “Trying to inspire the younger generation is really what I want to do with my career.”2
2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships Schedule
Thursday, March 19
- Session 1: Pigtails and First Round – Noon (ESPN2/ESPN+)1
- Session 2: Prelims and wrestle-backs – 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)1
Friday, March 20
- Session 3: Quarterfinals and wrestle-backs – Noon (ESPNU/ESPN+)1
- Session 4: Semifinals and wrestle-backs – 8 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN+)1
Saturday, March 21
- Session 5: Third, Fifth and Seventh Place matches – 11 a.m. (ESPNU/ESPN+)1
- Session 6: Finals – 6:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)1
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