VESTAL, N.Y. – Following his monumental win over No. 3 Stephen Little of Little Rock at the Patriot Last Chance Open last Sunday, Binghamton wrestler Mikey Squires has been named the Wrestler of the Week by the EIWA, the league announced Tuesday.
 
Squires won all three of his matches at the open tournament to improve his overall record this season to 17-2. The Norwich, N.Y., native also defeated Minnesota's Silas Dailey 7-5 and Bloomsburg's Wyatt Bush in a 15-1 major decision, his fifth of the season.
 
The match that gained the most attention, however, was Squires' victory over Little, a two-time All-American who also defeated Binghamton Assistant Coach Lou DePrez in his final match at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Squires recorded the first takedown against Little with 44 seconds left in the first period to take a 3-0 lead. Little then countered with a reversal at the start of the second, and after an escape from Squires, registered a takedown to move ahead 5-4. Squires would escape before the end of the period to tie the bout at 5 heading into the third. The Bearcat then escaped Little four seconds into the third before successfully defending himself for the final 1:56 to get the win.
 
"It was great to see Mikey break through, but no surprise when you look at the way he lives his life and the level of commitment he brings every day," said Binghamton Head Wrestling Coach Ryan LeBlanc.
 
With his performance, Squires entered the FloWrestling rankings at No. 19 after previously being unranked. Squires is also ranked No. 20 in The Open Mat rankings, No. 23 by WrestleStat, No. 28 in the InterMat poll and No. 30 by The College Wrestling Report.
 
This is the third instance this season that a Binghamton wrestler has been named Wrestler of the Week by the EIWA. No. 16 Carter Baer has received the honor twice this season, having previously been named Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 12 and Jan. 21. Binghamton has had a member of its team named Wrestler of the Week by the EIWA at least three times each of its last three seasons.
 
Squires and the Bearcats are now preparing to compete in the EIWA Championships, which take place from March 6-7 at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C.
 
The New York Army National Guard is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Wrestling.