In what was one of the most impressive team finishes in the Raiders’ history, Shippensburg University’s wrestling team snagged eighth overall in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships. 

On Saturday, Dec. 5, all 12 PSAC teams met at Mercyhurst University to battle for the conference title. Shippensburg finished the day with three wrestlers placing in the Top 4, carrying their team to a total of 42.0 team points, thrusting them just above Bloomsburg University (40.0 points). 

Both Steffenino brothers impressed attendees once again by dominating opponents and finishing the day on the podium alongside the mat master, Evan Ramos. Freshman 125-pounder Dustin Steffenino was able to pick up four victories and two losses, giving him a fourth place finish. In his impressive debut at the PSAC championships, Steffenino set the bar high for himself in what will be a long, four-year reign in the conference. His brother, junior 133-pounder Dante Steffenino, put together a streak of four consecutive wins after a tough loss early in the tournament. Dante battled back and claimed third place for himself, giving way to the team’s best finish since in the Seth Bloomquist era. 

This tournament was the first time that head coach Bloomquist was able to guide multiple wrestlers to Top 4 finishes. The impeccable coaching staff and their ability to improve and fix previous problems proved to be key as the team had a strong outing at the conference championships. 

Along with the highly skilled Steffenino brothers, sophomore Ramos was once again dominant in his performance. His victories were achieved in his normal fashion as he manhandled his adversaries, leading to his amazing third place finish. Ramos recorded a tech fall and two decisions in his three victories, while only being pinned once. His tech fall was key in the team’s scoring as the Raiders barely slithered into eighth place. This was unfortunately not enough to crown Shippensburg the champions of the PSAC as Edinboro University took home the gold with a first place finish and 136.5 team points. 

The common theme of the day was re-matches as both Dante and Ramos had re-matches against opponents. Another strong performance was that of sophomore 174-pounder Hunter Fenk as he went 2-2 on the day, helping the Raiders slide into eighth place. The incredible team performance provided fans with an exciting spectacle, which will continue for years to come with the young team.

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