JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - The Shippensburg wrestling team received several impressive performances on Wednesday in its final regular season dual meet of the 2008-09 campaign against No. 6 Pittsburgh-Johnstown, splitting the eight contested matches in a 29-16 loss to the Mountain Cats from Sports Center.

Shippensburg (7-9-1) had to forfeit two weight classes for the third consecutive dual meet, but the battle-tested Raiders would have been within just one point of its perennially dominant Division II opponent thanks to the four victories on Wednesday night.

A forfeit, pin and a major decision put the Raiders behind 16-0, but red-shirt junior Nate Nauroth got it going for Shippensburg with a victory by fall in 4:10 over Ryan McIntyre, the No. 5 seed in the East region. It is the seventh consecutive dual meet victory for Nauroth, who is now 13-5 this season with five victories by fall.

Red-shirt sophomore David Sunderland followed up Nauroth's pin with an 11-6 decision at 157 pounds over UPJ's Mazen Kholi, one of two Mountain Cats honored Wednesday in Senior Night ceremonies. Sunderland improved his dual meet record to 7-3 and has won six of his last eight matches.

At 174 pounds, red-shirt sophomore Chris Barrick faced the top-seeded wrestler in the East Region, UPJ's Steve Makin. Barrick responded with a convincing 10-1 major decision over Makin that improved his overall record to 22-3 and marked the 13th time this season that he scored bonus points in a match.

After Barrick's win, red-shirt sophomore Zach Hogentogler stepped in for injured red-shirt junior Jon Hade and recorded an 8-6 decision over Jon Moore. Hogentogler recorded a victory by fall in an exhibition on Tuesday against Kutztown and has now improved his season record to 6-6.

Shippensburg will now have one week to prepare for the 2009 NCAA Division II Super Region 1 Championships hosted by Mercyhurst College on February 27-28. The tournament home page is available here.

#6 Pittsburgh-Johnstown 29, Shippensburg 16
125: Scott Morgan (UPJ) wins by forfeit  (6-0)
133: #3 Shane Valko (UPJ) pins Dave Calambas (SU), 3:32 (12-0)
141: Adam Whetstone (UPJ) maj. dec. Tom Wiechelt (SU), 12-3 (16-0)
149: Nate Nauroth (SU) pins Ryan McIntyre (UPJ), 4:10 (16-6)
157: David Sunderland (SU) dec. Mazen Kholi (UPJ), 11-6 (16-9)
165: Zach Lundgren (UPJ) dec. Jake Wilson (SU), 7-2 (19-9)
174: Chris Barrick (SU) maj. dec. Steve Makin (UPJ), 10-1 (19-13)
184: Zach Hogentogler (SU)  dec. Jon Moore (UPJ), 8-6 (19-16)
197: Patrick Walsh (UPJ) maj. dec. Taylor Knight (SU), 11-0 (23-16)
HWT: Chris Dempsey (UPJ) wins by forfeit (29-16).

Records:
Pittsburgh-Johnstown: 13-4
Shippensburg: 7-9-1