Sterling junior Drew Kested earned a fifth-place medal at the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Class 2A State Tournament on Friday in Springfield, while senior teammate Mauricio Garcia finished the day 2-2.
Kested won his first two matches by pin (3:13 over Vernon Hills’ Sean Finerty) and decision (3-0 over Mahomet-Seymour’s Braden Heinold) to advance to the semifinals at 152 pounds, where he lost to Bethalto Civic Memorial’s Vinny Zerban by pin in 3:38.
Kested then fell to Geneseo’s Bruce Moore in a 6-2 decision in the consolation semifinals, before finishing fifth when Mattoon’s Kiefer Duncan was forced into a medical forfeit.
Garcia won his first match at 145 pounds, defeating Chicago Noble/Comer’s Donovan Hall with a 16-0 technical fall in 2:56. He then lost to Bethalto Civic Memorial’s Caine Tyus in the quarterfinals after being pinned in 2:52.
Garcia defeated Deerfield’s Stamos Tsakiris with a 7-5 decision in his first consolation bout, then lost to Geneseo’s Anthony Montez 7-2 in the third round of the consolation bracket.
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