The Shippensburg University wrestling team finished ninth at the 2020 Super Region 1 Championships on Saturday, with redshirt junior DeAndre Reed placing third at 149 pounds, qualifying him for the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Along with Reed, Shippensburg had four other place-winners. Sophomore Colton Babcock placed fifth at 174 pounds, sophomore Matt Milbrand finished sixth at 141 pounds, redshirt junior Alexi Castro took sixth at 197 and senior Derek Berberick placed sixth as well, at 285 pounds. 

Reed overcame many obstacles to get himself to the NCAA National Championships. He went through wrestlebacks and ultimately defeated a wrestler who had beaten him earlier in the day and twice over the course of the season entering the third-place match. 

Reed’s afternoon started with a loss to American International’s Joel Morth, who took Reed down in a 3-1 decision, placing Reed in wrestlebacks. He also previously beat Reed on Feb. 8 with a 4-3 decision. 

Reed would fight back by posting a 6-2 decision over Millersville’s Elijah Tuckey, followed by an 8-3 decision over Seton Hill’s Austin Shaw. 

The two wins set up a third match with Morth, where Reed became the victor with a 3-1 decision, sending Reed to his first-career trip to the national championships. Reed won the match with a key takedown with 15 seconds left in regulation. 

Babcock began his day with a loss, a 4-1 decision, to Seton Hill’s Brandon Matthews. In his next match, Babcock regrouped and pinned Kutztown’s Anthony Emig in 3:53. His third match ended in defeat to Gannon’s Luigi Yates, a 12-9 decision, but Babcock held his own the whole way through. 

To round out his day, Babcock would dominate in his fifth-place match, defeating Mercyhurst’s Kevin Holman with a 17-7 major decision. Babcock pinned Holman earlier in the season and finishes his sophomore campaign with a 12-13 record. 

Milbrand gained two victories in wrestlebacks, including a 40-second pin on American International’s Raul Mateo. Milbrand would then be defeated twice by Gannon’s Nick Young and completes his season with a 10-13 record. 

Castro finished his 11-8 season on a high note, by winning his wrestle-back match over East Stroudsburg’s Sczar Charles, earning sixth place in his respective weight class. 

Berberick started his day with a nail-biting 5-2 tiebreaker win over Seton Hill’s Jake Beistel. He then gave it his all against Mercyhurst’s Jake Robb, but never gained the upper hand and lost a 2-0 decision. Robb sealed his victory with a riding-time point and a third-period escape. Berberick then fell to Pitt-Johnstown’s Allan Beattie and Millersville’s Josh Walls. 

Berberick completes his senior season with an impressive 13-9 record, and caps off an outstanding four-year career with the Raiders, in which he finishes with a 56-46 record which includes 17 pins and seven major decisions. He also boasts a trip to the 2019 national championships. 

Head coach Seth Bloomquist completed his 11th season as head coach and his 16th overall with the Raiders. He extended his school-record streak to 16 consecutive years with Reed’s bid to the national championships. Not one year has gone by without SU having a national qualifier since Bloomquist has been associated with the team. 

Reed will represent the Raiders at the 2020 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships on March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

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