Keegan Hessler and Steven Garcia were individual runner-ups at the GPAC Wrestling Championships.

Keegan Hessler and Steven Garcia finished second in their respective weight divisions to lead Morningside College to a fifth place finish at the 2018 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Wrestling Championships in Hastings, Neb.

Hessler, a junior from Scottsbluff, Neb., was the runner-up at 125 lbs. and Garcia, a senior from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, was the 149 lb. runner-up.

Hessler pinned Kobe Paczosa-Hall of Hastings College in 4:20 in the quarterfinals and won a 17-5 major decision against Jerry Stepps III of Concordia University in the semifinals before he lost a 10-8 decision against Julian Gaytan of Midland University in the 125 lb. final.

Garcia opened the tournament with a 13-7 victory against Taygen Smith of Hastings in the quarterfinals. Garcia won a 7-5 decision against Dante Preciado of Northwestern College in the semifinals before he lost a 2-1 decision against Richard Pocock of Hastings in the 149 lb. title bout.

The Mustangs had third place finishes from Devin Phlay, a junior from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, at 125 lbs. and Caleb Deemer, a junior from Palmer, Alaska, at 197 lbs.

Dusten Reed, a junior from Lenox, Iowa, placed fourth at 133 lbs. and Phillip Rasmussen, a freshman from Luxemburg, Wis., placed fifth at heavyweight.

Morningside had sixth place finishes from Alex Schmitz, a senior from Carroll, Iowa, at 133 lbs., Keagan Putnam, a junior from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, at 165 lbs., and Jacob Wiley, a sophomore from Sioux City, at 174 lbs.

Results