197 – KASTEN GRAPE, FR., COLUMBUS, NE 17-8
EVAN SHELL
JOHN DIENER
TAYLOR VASQUEZ
JONAH EGLI
KASTEN GRAPE
125 – EVAN SHELL, SO., FORT COLLINS, COLO. 14-7
149 – JOHN DIENER, SO., KAUKAUNA, WIS. 20-2
Def. Landon Stocks (Doane) (Fall 2:25) Lost to Harley Williamson (York) (Fall 4:51) Def. Arian Alai (Doane) (MD 15-3) Def. Trey Reed (York) (MD 12-3) Def. Carter Willis (Concordia) (Dec 7-0) Lost to Harley Williamson (York) (Dec 10-5) Def. Carter Willis, Concordia, tech. fall, 18-3 Lost to Paul Mascarenas (Grand View) (Dec. 10-4) Won by forfeit vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan Def. Nate Mendoza (Arizona Christian) (Dec. 12-5) Def. Kobe Paczosa (Hastings) (Inj. 4:17) Won by forfeit vs. Dickinson St. Lost to Dante Venema (Dickinson State) (Fall 6:48) Lost to Ca’Ron Watson (Briar Cliff) (Dec. 9-4) Def. Joseph Pangelinan (Jamestown) (MD 21-7) Won by forfeit vs. Northwestern Won by forfeit vs. Dakota Wesleyan Lost to Daniel Vargas (Doane) (Dec. 7-3) Def. Landon Stocks (Doane) (TF, 6:44) Def. CaRon Watson (Briar Cliff) (Dec., 7-6) Lost to Daniel Vargas (Doane) (Dec., 3-1)
Def. Gage Maxwell (Hannibal-LaGrange) (Fall 1:41) Def. Issiah Burks (Concordia) (Fall 1:43) Def. Jacob Hamilton (Jamestown) (Fall 1:16) Lost to Tanner Abbas (Grand View) (Dec 8-4) Lost to Issiah Burks, Concordia, 3-2 Def. Giovanny Bonilla (Grand View) (MD, 10-2) Def. Brock Bushfield (Montana St.-Northern) (Dec. 9-2) Def. Jason Chambers (Texas Wesleyan) (Fall, 3:24) Def. Andrew Mahoney (Oklahoma Wesleyan) (Dec. 10-3) Def. Alex Newberry (Arizona Christian) (Dec. 7-2) Def. Riley Dement (Hastings) (Dec 8-3) Def. Trey Fischbach (Dickinson State) (Fall 6:35) Def. Andrew Shea (Briar Cliff) (Fall 1:13) Def. Jesus Morrillo (Jamestown) (Fall 3:00) Def. Dylan Veis (MSU-Northern) (Dec., 5-2, OT) Def. Riley Dement (Hastings) (Fall, 5:00) Def. Chase Peterson (Northwestern) (2-1, 3 OT) Won by forfeit vs. Midland Won by forfeit vs. Dakota Wesleyan Def. Tristan Zamilpa (Doane) (Dec. 4-2, SV) Def. Jeaven Scdris (Concordia) (Fall, 4:36) Def. Breckin Sperling (Northwestern) (Fall, 3:38) Lost to Tristan Zamilpa (Doane) (Dec., 3-2)
133 – TAYLOR VASQUEZ, SO., FOUNTAIN, COLO. 17-5 Lost to Carson Taylor (Grand View) (Dec. 11-4) Lost to Nick Kunz (Montana St.-Northern) (MD, 11-2) Def. Jacob Garcia (Texas Wesleyan) (Fall, 4:10) Won by forfeit vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan Def. Bryce Bernard (Arizona Christian) (11-4) Def. Zac Charity (Hastings) (MD, 24-11) Def. Clay Gerhardt (Dickinson St.) (MD, 13-3) Def. Landon Crews (Central Christian) (Fall, 2:51) Def. Gabe Howard (Briar Cliff) (Dec., 2-0) Def. Darien Malone (Dakota Wesleyan) (Fall, 1:48) Lost to Mikey Mascarenas (Grand View) (Dec., 5-3) Def. Gabriel Howard (Briar Cliff) (Dec., 6-0) Def. Roman Carrillo (Jamestown) (Inj. Def., 3:30) Lost to Nick Kunz (MSU-Northern) (Dec., 3-0) Def. Zac Charity (Hastings) (Dec., 6-3) Lost to Trey Schuck (Northwestern) (Dec., 15-9) Def. Mario Martinez (Midland) (Fall, 6:12) Def. Darien Malone (Dakota Wesleyan) (Fall, 4:58) Def. Luke Davis (Doane) (TF, 6:54) Def. Mario Ybarra (Concordia ) (Med. Forfeit) Def. Trey Schuck (Northwestern) (Fall, 3:43) Def. Darien Malone (Dakota Wesleyan) (TF, 6:59)
174 – JONAH EGLI, SR., FORT DODGE, IA 17-1 Def. T.J. Huber, Concordia, tech. fall, 17-0 Lost to Trevor Senn (Grand View) (Dec., 12-6) Def. Chase Short (Montana St.-Northern), (Fall, 5:23) Def. Brahn Howard (Texas Wesleyan) (TF, 16-0) Def. Dailen Pesgrove (Oklahoma Wesleyan) (Fall, 6:46) Def. Jacob Viera (Arizona Christian) (Dec., 6-2) Def. Jayden Miller (Hastings) (Fall, 1:50) Def. Caden Haugen (Dickinson St.) (Fall, 3:00) Won by forfeit vs. Briar Cliff Def. Gabe Juarequi – Diaz (Jamestown) (Fall, 2:12) Def. Chase Short (MSU-Northern) (7-3) Def. Johnathan Wegeleitner (Hastings) (Fall, 2:54) Def. Austin Hendrickson (Northwestern) (Fall, 1:15) Def. Cole Halouska (Dakota Wesleyan) (TF, 16-0, 4:29) Def. Michael Scarponi (Doane) (MD, 10-1) Def. Carson Toedter (Jamestown) (Fall, 4:59) Def. Austin Hendrickson (Northwestern) (Fall, 1:30) Def. Michael Scarponi (Doane) (Dec., 6-4)
Def. Jace Phippen (Doane University) (Fall 0:54) Def. Doug Lazo (York) (Fall 0:56) Def. Mason Garcia (Concordia (Neb.)) (Dec 4-2) Lost to Bradley Antesberger (Doane) (Dec 8-6) Def. Mason Garcia, Concordia, fall, 2:53 Lost to Ben Lee (Grand View) (MD, 14-2) Lost to Isaac Bartel (Montana St.-Northern) (MD 14-2) Def. DeAndre Rucker (Texas Wesleyan) (Dec. 7-2) Def. LaTrent Owens (Oklahoma Wesleyan) (Fall, 4:08) Def. Korben Shuler (Arizona Christian) (Fall, 2:33) Won by forfeit vs. Hastings Def. Payson Dirk (Dickinson State) (TF 18-0 6:12) Lost to Caleb Shanks (Briar Cliff) (Fall 2:43) Def. Ivan Vargas (Jamestown) (Fall, 2:11) Lost to Isaac Bartel (MSU-Northern) (MD, 11-2) Won by forfeit vs. Hastings Def. Bennett Sikkink (Northwestern) (Dec., 7-4) Won by forfeit vs. Midland Def. Carter Max (Dakota Wesleyan) (TF, 18-2, 5:09) Lost to Bradley Antesberger (Doane) (Fall, 5:00) Def. Evan Morara (Hastings) (Fall, 3:39) Def. Mason Garcia (Concordia) (Fall, 6:21) Lost to Caleb Shanks (Briar Cliff) (Dec., 4-2) Def. Kolton Kammeyer (Midland) (Fall, 6:22) Lost to Jeremiah Glise (Briar Cliff) (Dec., 4-2)
GPAC GLORY EGLI, VASQUEZ INDIVIDUAL TITLES PROPEL MORNINGSIDE TO TOURNEY CHAMPIONSHIP FREMONT, NEB. – Five National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ national qualifiers --- two Great Plains Athletic Conference individual champions --- a second team league tourney triumph in the last three years. Morningside College head coach Jake Stevenson had a tremendous sense of pride for his still youthful Mustangs following an impressive two-day performance at Midland University’s Wikert Events Center on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20. “It’s a little bittersweet, as we had wanted as many guys as possible to advance to the national meet,” he reflected. “However, every one of our wrestlers put themselves in a spot to make a run at it this weekend.” Sophomore 133-pounder Taylor Vasquez (SO/Fountain, Colo.) (Fountain, Colo.) and senior 174-pounder Jonah Egli (SR/Fort Dodge, Iowa) (Fort Dodge, Iowa) picked up Mside’s two individual championships. Vasquez ranked No. 14 on the latest national poll, didn’t allow much doubt as to whether his NAIA championships ticket should be punched. He turned in a medical forfeit win and then registered backto-back pins, including over Dakota Wesleyan’s Darlen Malone in the finals. Egli, entering the weekend with a 13-match win streak and No. 8 ranking, was dominant, too. He compiled two pins and then knocked off Doane University’s Michael Scarponi 6-4 in a match the senior controlled between two top 12 listed grapplers. “We were 100 percent confident in Taylor,” Stevenson said. “He’s had a few matches where he didn’t wrestle as hard as he could have as can happen. However, when he’s on his game, he can put people in bad spots and score points which is what he did. Jonah took care of business,” he added. “He’s put himself in position to beat good kids when things might not be going well, which he may have felt like in the final a little. It’s a testament to his work ethic, as he’s worked so hard to reach this point.” The duo was joined by sophomore 125-pounder Evan Shell (SO/Fort Collins, Colo.) (Fort Collins, Colo.), sophomore 149-pounder John Diener (SO/Kaukauna, Wis.) (Kaukauna, Wis.), and freshman 197-pounder Kasten Grape (FR/Columbus, Neb.) (Columbus, Neb.) in gaining national championship entry. Shell and Diener were runner-ups, with Grape taking fourth in a loaded upper weight class. “John wrestled well,” Stevenson noted. “Zampila of Doane got us in a move, and from that point, we just couldn’t get in a position to rally. It seemed like every time we had a chance to score, the match went out of bounds, and we had him thrown on his back once, but it didn’t work out. Kasten had a nice day --- there was an opportunity to get to finals with a move in the last 10 seconds of the semifinals that didn’t wind up going our way. He was right there, though, and I’m very proud of how far he’s come. Evan kept believing in himself --- he made a huge move at the end of the semifinals to get to the finals. Even the guys who didn’t have a chance to reach nationals made an impact,” he added. “Everyone contributed, as we had some big wins on the back side to keep us at the top of the leaderboard.”
MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE ALL-TIME ALL-AMERICANS NAIA 1967 - Pete Middleton (191) 2nd 1968 - Dennis Christenson (177) 2nd 1968 - Pete Middleton (190) 4th 1971 - Larry Bolanos (126) 2nd 1972 - Mike Pickford (134) 6th 1973 - Steve Newhard (177) 3rd 2005 - Jake Stevenson (174) 4th 2006 - Jake Stevenson (174) 4th 2007 - Jake Stevenson (184) National Champion 2008 - Jake Stevenson (184) 3rd 2008 - Cody Dennis (125) 6th 2008 - Cole Wilson (197) 8th 2009 - Cole Wilson (197) 4th 2010 - Joe Sievert (165) 3rd 2011 - Brian Block (174) 5th 2011 - Drew Smith (141) 6th 2011 - Ben Knight (165) 6th 2012 - Kory Kistner (125) 2nd 2012 - Brian Block (184) 4th 2012 - Joe Sievert (174) 7th 2012 - Jared Wideboer (165) 8th 2013 - John Sievert (197) National Champion 2014 - Joe Sievert (184), 3rd 2014 - Tyler Lashbrook (149), 6th 2014 - Rulin Pederson (184), 6th 2014 - Jordan Langley (157), 7th 2015 - Garret Lambrecht (141), 7th 2015 - Rulin Pederson (184), 8th 2016 - Steven Garcia (149), 4th 2017 - Keegan Hessler (125), 6th 2017 - Steven Garcia (149), 6th 2019 - Keegan Hessler (125)
NCAA DIVISION II ALL-AMERICANS 1967 - Pete Middleton (191) 5th 1968 - Al Baxter (190) 6th 1968 - Bill Simpson (115) 6th
ALL-TIME NAIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONS NAIA CENTRAL REGION 2005 – Jake Stevenson (174) 2006 – Jake Stevenson (174)
NAIA NORTH REGION 2007 – Jake Stevenson (184) 2009 – Ben Knight (149) 2010 – Drew Smith (141) 2011 – Drew Smith (141) 2011 – Ben Knight (165) 2011 – Brian Block (174) 2012 – Kory Kistner (125) 2012 – Garret Lambrecht (141) 2012 – Joe Sievert (174) 2012 – Brian Block (184) 2013 – John Sievert (197) 2014 – Tyler Lashbrook (149) 2014 – Joe Sievert (184) 2016 - Steven Garcia (149) 2017 - Logan Moore (184)