Vazquez tops strong Saturday

PELLA, IOWA – Returning to the mat for the first time since mid-December, Morningside University didn't show any signs of rust Saturday, Jan. 8.

Head coach Jake Stevenson's Mustangs put two individuals in the top three of the Gold Division and four in a similar territory in the Silver Division at Central College's Under Armour Invitational.

Vazquez, improving to 10-4, captured two falls, a technical fall, and a major decision to stand atop the award podium at 133. DeJong bounced back from a narrow 7-6 loss to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Dylan Butts of Minnesota State-Mankato to win by major decision and fall to make the consolation finale. He wrapped up a third-place upper divisional finish with a 10-6 win over MSU-Mankato's Joshua Piechowski.

The quartet of freshman 133-pounder Wyatt Skoudas (Hinton, Iowa), freshman 165-pounder Samuel Moore (Zumbrota, Minn.), sophomore 174-pounder Caleb Watson (Indianola, Iowa), and sophomore heavyweight Brenick Hoppe (LeMars, Iowa) were all runners-up in the Silver section. Hoppe went 2-1 with two pins to make the final; Watson finished 1-1; Moore produced a 2-1 afternoon, and Skoudas registered a 1-1 record.

Morningside resumes its 2021-22 Great Plains Athletic Conference dual campaign Thursday, Jan. 13. They travel to Dakota Wesleyan University for a 6 p.m. start.