Army West Point Athletics
Photo by: David Alex Films
Berginc Qualifies for NCAAs on Day 1 of EIWA Championships
March 06, 2026 | Wrestling
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Army West Point wrestling's Ethan Berginc became the fifth four-time NCAA Championships qualifier in program history Friday night at the EIWA Championships, and five more Black Knights will have the opportunity on Saturday to punch their ticket.
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Berginc defeated Drexel's Kyle Waterman in the EIWA 133 lb semifinals to ensure that he'll receive one of the conference's two allocations at his weight class. After earning a bye as the No. 2 seed, Berginc opened Friday with a 5-2 win over Navy's Brendan Ferretti in the quarterfinals.
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At approximately 2:00 p.m. Saturday, the senior will take on American's Maximilian Leete for the 133 lb EIWA title. A win would mark Berginc's first career conference championship. The Jeannette, Pa. native is already set for his highest finish in a conference tournament across his four-year career regardless of Saturday's result, having finished third at each of his previous two EIWA tournaments.
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Berginc becomes Army's first four-time NCAA qualifier since Ben Pasiuk from 2021-24, with Pasiuk having earned All-American accolades as a senior.
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Of the eight remaining Black Knights who will see the mat in Saturday's consolation bracket bouts, five are still alive for automatic berths to the NCAA Championships. Braden Basile (141), Andrew Christie (174) and Cooper Haase (184) must win the third-place match in their respective brackets to clinch an auto bid. Gunner Filipowicz (165) and Brady Colbert (285) meanwhile can secure an NCAA berth by simply advancing to their respective consolation finals.
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Charlie Farmer (125), Joseph Antonio (157) and Wolfgang Frable (197) remain in the consolation bracket but can no longer receive an auto bid to the NCAAs, based on the number of EIWA allocations in their respective weight classes.Â
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Consolation bracket action begins at 11:00 a.m. Saturday from Bender Arena.
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Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Wrestling on X @ArmyWP_Wrestling. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about wrestling and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
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Berginc defeated Drexel's Kyle Waterman in the EIWA 133 lb semifinals to ensure that he'll receive one of the conference's two allocations at his weight class. After earning a bye as the No. 2 seed, Berginc opened Friday with a 5-2 win over Navy's Brendan Ferretti in the quarterfinals.
Â
At approximately 2:00 p.m. Saturday, the senior will take on American's Maximilian Leete for the 133 lb EIWA title. A win would mark Berginc's first career conference championship. The Jeannette, Pa. native is already set for his highest finish in a conference tournament across his four-year career regardless of Saturday's result, having finished third at each of his previous two EIWA tournaments.
Â
Berginc becomes Army's first four-time NCAA qualifier since Ben Pasiuk from 2021-24, with Pasiuk having earned All-American accolades as a senior.
Â
Of the eight remaining Black Knights who will see the mat in Saturday's consolation bracket bouts, five are still alive for automatic berths to the NCAA Championships. Braden Basile (141), Andrew Christie (174) and Cooper Haase (184) must win the third-place match in their respective brackets to clinch an auto bid. Gunner Filipowicz (165) and Brady Colbert (285) meanwhile can secure an NCAA berth by simply advancing to their respective consolation finals.
Â
Charlie Farmer (125), Joseph Antonio (157) and Wolfgang Frable (197) remain in the consolation bracket but can no longer receive an auto bid to the NCAAs, based on the number of EIWA allocations in their respective weight classes.Â
Â
Consolation bracket action begins at 11:00 a.m. Saturday from Bender Arena.
Â
Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Wrestling on X @ArmyWP_Wrestling. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about wrestling and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Players Mentioned
157 lbs
/ Wrestling
141 lbs
/ Wrestling
133 lbs
/ Wrestling
174 lbs
/ Wrestling
285 lbs
/ Wrestling
125 lbs
/ Wrestling
165 lbs
/ Wrestling
197 lbs
/ Wrestling
174 lbs
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