Mustangs compete in UNK open

KEARNEY, NEB. – Morningside's men's wrestlers continued to build their resumes for the season, competing in the Younes Hospitality Open at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. 

At 141 pounds Nicholas Walters moved through the championship bracket with a 1-0 first round decision, followed by 8-0 major decision in the second round. He dropped to the consolation bracket following a 11-2 loss, bouncing back with a 14-6 major decision in round four of the consolation pairings. Walters followed the major decision with a pair of pins in 4:31 and 3:24 in consolation rounds four and five.

Zander Ernst picked up a 12-5 decision in round two of the championship bracket, dropping to the consolation rounds after suffering a 6-4 loss. Ernst pinned his first opponent on the consolation side of the bracket in 1:26, followed by 6-5, 16-0, and 10-5 victories.

In the amateur 157 bracket Abraham Dirkx picked up consolation round pins in 2:43 and 1:52, followed by a 9-2 decision.

Senior Noah Syskal earned a victory via tech fall in the third round of the elite 157 consolation bracket, with a score of 18-3. 

Wrestling at 174, Caleb Watson picked up a 5-3 win in the second round of the consolation bracket and a pin in 4:29 in the third round.

Morningside begins its conference dual schedule this week, competing against Concordia in the Great Plains Athletic Conference duals at the Long Lines Family Rec Center in Sioux City on Tuesday at 7 p.m.