Morningside battles at UNK Open

KEARNEY, Neb. – For the second weekend in a row, the No. 5 Mustangs took on a loaded field at the UNK Younes Hospitality Open in Kearney, Nebraska.

In the Elite Division, the Mustangs had eight wrestlers in action. Hayden Wempen led the pack of Mustangs at 184, making the second round of the championship with an 11-6 decision in the first. After a sudden victory loss in the second round, Wempen received a bye and won the next two matches in the consolation bracket. His first consolation win was an 11-3 major decision and the second was a 4-1 decision. 

The other two Mustangs at 184 made it to the fourth round of the consolation bracket. Brett Tryon and Samuel Moore had similar paths, receiving byes in the first round of the championship, falling in the second round, and receiving a bye in the second round of the consolation bracket. Tryon earned a fall in 4:36 in the third round and Moore picked up a 10-3 decision.

Taylor Vasquez made the quarterfinals in the 141-pound bracket. He received a bye in the first round and won by 5-2 decision to make the quarterfinals. He was unable to make it any further after a major decision in the quarterfinals. 

At 157, Noah Styskal earned a 17-2 tech fall in the first round for his lone win of the day. At 174, Alex Vandyke earned an 8-4 decision in the second round of the consolation bracket for his one win of the day. 

In the Amateur brackets, two Mustangs at 157-pounds won a pair of matches. Carson Turnis earned a sudden victory win in the first round of the championship bracket and after a decision loss in the second round, he earned a 7-4 decision win in the consolation bracket. Caden Eggleston picked up an 18-1 technical fall in the first round and a 16-6 major decision in the second round of the consolation bracket. 

At 125, Caelan Oakes Sudhish earned a 12-5 win in the first round of the consolation. At 165, Cameron Shultz picked up a fall in 1:37 in the first round of the championship bracket.

After a loss and a bye, Kaden Street earned a 16-2 major decision win in the second round of the consolation bracket. Two Morningsiders wrestled at 184. Bryce Kwiecinski received a first round bye, then won via fall at 2:15. After a third round loss, he picked up another fall, this time in 3:54 in the fourth round of the consolation bracket. Deontez Williams won by fall at 2:47 in the championship second round after a first round bye. 

Morningside is back in action Tuesday for the first day of the GPAC Duals. The Mustangs take on Concordia at 7 p.m. in Long Lines Arena in Sioux City.