As the end of the 2015-2016 wrestling season slowly draws near, wrestlers across the nation prepare for the second leg of their journeys — the postseason.
For the Red Raiders, the road will take them to Erie, Pennsylvania, to battle at the NCAA Super Region I Championships for Division II.
Shippensburg University (10-8, 4-3 PSAC), which had a winning percentage of .571, will now prepare for the postseason matchups ahead.
Throughout the entirety of the season, the Red Raiders have been able to stay on top in meets, beating teams like Waynesburg, Belmont Abbey, Seton Hill, Western New England, Worcester Polytechnic, Elizabethtown, Millersville, East Stroudsburg, Gannon and West Liberty.
The team has had to come from behind to beat multiple opponents throughout the year.
SU also beat higher ranked teams and won matches where they were the underdog.
For the Super Region I Championships, SU has been referenced with having some top-ranked wrestlers in this year’s tournament. The Raiders are ranked fifth in the NCAA Super Region I.
At 125 pounds, freshman Dustin Steffenino is ranked fifth. Steffenino tallied up a 13-7 record while placing fourth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)tournament. Included in Steffenino’s 13 wins were three falls and four technical falls.
At 141 pounds, junior Karl Lightner is ranked fifth in the Super Region I with a record of 5-3, featuring two major decisions for the team as well as three regular decisions.
The 157-pound weight class has SU’s freshman Adam Martz ranked fifth in the weight class with an 11-9 record.
The last Raider to be mentioned as a top Super Region I competitor is Evan Ramos. Ramos will enter the competition ranked third, sporting a team-best 20-1 record. Ramos has worn down his opponents all year long and was able to pin his adversaries three times out of the 21 times he has taken to the mat this season. He had two technical falls, four major decisions and a third place finish at the PSAC Championships for the year.
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