SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University wrestling team won its final three bouts Thursday night to overcome a pair of pins by visiting Wheeling Jesuit and defeat the No. 6-ranked team in Super Region 1, 22-18, in a dual meet at Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (4-10) won six of the 10 contested bouts, including three of the first four, to build a 13-4 advantage. Wheeling Jesuit (8-4) countered with three straight wins, two coming by fall, to build an 18-13 advantage before the Raiders closed with three pivotal decisions.
 
The Raider rally began with freshman Kyle Taylor posting his third straight win, a 7-4 decision at 184 pounds over Super Region 1 No. 4 seed Ryan Winslow. Taylor scored two first-period takedowns and notched another during the second period to lead 6-2 after two periods. Winslow managed an escape and got a stalling point that Taylor countered with an 86-second riding-time advantage.
 
A pair of Easton alums clinched the Raider victory. At 197 pounds, sophomore Jalal Paige won 5-2 after recording a takedown in each of the first two periods and accruing a two-minute riding-time advantage. Paige, ranked No. 2 in Super Region 1, gave SU a one-point lead entering the final heavyweight bout.
 
Sophomore Francis Slover gave up a significant amount of weight to his competitor Corey Siegfried but went low and hit a drive to record a first-period takedown that quickly led to three crucial back points. Slover then rode Siegfried the entire second period and only yielded a stalling point during a neutral third period to clinch the Raider victory.
 
The night began with a flash for the Raiders as sophomore Dante Steffenino notched his third pin in his last four matches. Steffenino held a 2-0 lead in the second period but was taken down by Dustin Warner, Super Region 1 No. 6 seed, with about a minute to go in the frame. Undaunted, Steffenino powered through for a reversal that quickly led to a fall with 53 seconds left in the second period.
 
Sophomore Karl Lightner and WJU's Nolan Whitely, Super Region 1 No. 5 seed, each had just a single escape through regulation at 133 pounds despite a lot of exciting wrestling between the two men over the course of seven action-packed minutes. After a scoreless sudden victory session, Lightner escaped eight seconds into the first overtime and rode Whitely for the duration of the second overtime to notch the 2-1 win.  
 
Junior Cameron Throckmorton improved to 13-1 this season and 6-0 at 149 pounds with a 13-4 major decision over Skyler Terrell. Throckmorton had five takedowns, including two each in the first and third periods, and also used an escape, stalling point and a riding-time advantage to comprise his point total.
 
Shippensburg will hold its Alumni Day on Saturday before a quad meet with Mercyhurst, West Liberty and American International. Competition begins at 2 p.m. from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg 22, Wheeling Jesuit 18
125: Dante Steffenino (SU) pins Dustin Warner (WJU), 4:07 (6-0)
133: Karl Lightner (SU) dec. Nolan Whitely (WJU), 2-1 (OT2) (9-0)
141: Preston Bowshier (WJU) dec. Mike Hafer (SU), 3-2 (9-3)
149: Cameron Throckmorton (SU) maj. dec. Skyler Terrell (WJU), 13-4 (13-3)
157: Dom Nania (WJU) pins Mike Springer (SU), 3:13 (13-9)
165: Anthony Smith (WJU) dec. Arthur Watkins (SU), 5-2 (13-12)
174: Sawyer Leppla (WJU) pins Hunter Fenk (SU), 5:35 (13-18)
184: Kyle Taylor (SU) dec. Ryan Winslow (WJU), 7-4 (16-18)
197: Jalal Paige (SU) dec. Maxwell Lacey (WJU), 5-2 (19-18)
285: Francis Slover (SU) dec. Corey Siegfried (WJU), 6-1 (22-18)
 
Records:
Wheeling Jesuit: 8-4
Shippensburg: 4-10