The Shippensburg University wrestling team more than held its own against the best wrestlers in the region, netting four place-winners and two national qualifiers at the Super Region 1 Tournament Saturday at East Stroudsburg University's Koehler Fieldhouse.
 
Graduate Avery Shay and redshirt-junior Danny Scheib punched their ticket to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, with Shay placing second at 157 pounds and Scheib scoring third place at 285.
 
The duo marks the 20th consecutive season that Shippensburg has sent at least one wrestler to the NCAA Championships, and the first time the Raiders are sending more than one wrestler since the 2015-16 season (Evan Ramos and Adam Martz).
 
"I am more happy for the kids to continue the streak than I am for myself," said Shippensburg wrestling coach Seth Bloomquist, who has advanced at least one wrestler to nationals in all 14 of his seasons as head coach. "That's the best part, the fact that it is two guys that are going to graduate. It just adds to the excitement of those kids going to nationals. That is what you want, and I can't say enough about the kids on this year's team."
 
All four of Shippensburg's seeded wrestlers placed, as well as finished at or above their seeding, helping the Raiders to an eighth-place finish in the team standings.
 
Shay entered the regional tournament as the No. 3 seed at 157 pounds. After picking up a close 1-0 decision over Millersville's Johnny Parrilla in the quarterfinals, Shay avenged his only loss of the season with a 11-5 decision over Gannon's Dominic Means in the semis.
 
"It helps to wrestle him, because then you can make adjustments," Coach Bloomquist said. "He beat [Shay] the first time because he was in positions that he likes the whole match. [This time] we didn't allow that kid to wrestle in those positions. And it changed everything."
 
The win over Means, whom he lost an 8-3 decision to back on Jan. 21, clinched a spot at nationals and a place in the 157-pound regional final.
 
In the final Shay met the No. 1 seed, Pitt-Johnstown's Nate Smith, and finished on the short end of a 4-3 decision.
 
Meanwhile, Scheib – the No. 4 seed at heavyweight – suffered a disappointing 7-5 loss in sudden victory to Seton Hill heavyweight John Meyers in the semifinals.
 
He bounced back, pinning a wrestler he lost to earlier this season – No. 3 seed Hunter Harnish of Mercyhurst – to earn a berth in the third-place match.  
 
With a spot in the national tournament on the line, he scored three takedowns against Gannon heavyweight Ely Reese to win an 8-3 decision.
 
"I thought we had [Meyers] in the semis," Coach Bloomquist noted. "We were 10 seconds away from the finals. You have to recover, you don't have a choice. You either recover or you don't go. It worked out for him."
 
Freshman Trey Shoemaker, the No. 5 seed at 197 pounds, finished 3-2 Saturday to take fifth place in his weight class. He capped a strong run through wrestlebacks with a 14-8 decision over Dwayne Johnson of Alderson Broaddus in the fifth-place match.
 
Graduate Al Miscovich, the No. 6 seed at 141, picked up a 7-4 decision over Seton Hill's Joel Cawoski on his way to a sixth-place finish. Cawoski was an NCAA-qualifier a season ago.
 
Elsewhere, freshman 184-pounder Owen Koch won a 10-3 decision over Mercyhurst's Chase Stein, a wrestler who had tech-falled Koch earlier in the year.
 
Freshman 149-pound wrestler Reese Polulak and freshman 165 pounder Kyler Everly also earned wins against regional competition Saturday. Redshirt-sophomore Nyiem Flucas represented the Raiders at 174 pounds.
 
"I thought we had a good shot of getting three guys through. I am a little disappointed for Al," said Bloomquist. "I know how hard he works. But this region is so strong, you are facing some of the best wrestlers in the country in this tournament. You want to see progress, you want the kids to have success, and we saw that."
 
The 2023 NCAA Division II National Championships will take place March 10-11 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
 
125
No wrestler
 
133
No wrestler
 
141
James Ryan (Gannon) tech falls Al Miscovich (Shippensburg), 18-0 (2:48)
Al Miscovich (Shippensburg) dec. Joel Cawoski (Seton Hill), 7-4
Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Al Miscovich (Shippensburg), 10-4
Timothy Uhler (Millersville) pins Al Miscovich (Shippensburg), 2:56
 
149
Reese Polulak (Shippensburg) pins Chad Miller (Alderson Broaddus), 4:40
Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown) pins Reese Polulak (Shippensburg), 0:39
Eric Falleni (East Stroudsburg) pins Reese Polulak (Shippensburg), 4:05
 
157
Avery Shay (Shippensburg) dec. Jonathan Parrilla (Millersville), 1-0
Avery Shay (Shippensburg) dec. Dominic Means (Gannon), 11-5
Nathan Smith (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Avery Shay (Shippensburg), 4-3
 
165
Alex Farenchak (Gannon) majors Kyler Everly (Shippensburg), 9-0
Kyler Everly (Shippensburg) pins Tommy Caracciolo (American International), 5:49
Luke Ciampa (East Stroudsburg) majors Kyler Everly (Shippensburg), 14-4
 
174
Brandon Matthews (Seton Hill) dec. Nyiem Flucas (Shippensburg), 4-2
Ethan Baney (Kutztown) dec. Nyiem Flucas (Shippensburg), 5-0
 
184
Cole Hivnor (Gannon) 2-3 pins Owen Koch (Shippensburg), 1:43
Owen Koch (Shippensburg) dec. Chase Stein (Mercyhurst), 10-3
Josh Leidig (East Stroudsburg) pins Owen Koch (Shippensburg), 2:13
 
197
Ajay Hiller (East Stroudsburg) majors Trey Shoemaker (Shippensburg), 10-2
Trey Shoemaker (Shippensburg) pins Tyler Fisher (Kutztown), 2:09
Trey Shoemaker (Shippensburg) dec. Aydan Edwards (Fairmont State), 8-2
Dakoda Rodger (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Trey Shoemaker (Shippensburg), 10-5
Trey Shoemaker (Shippensburg) dec. Dwayne Johnson (Alderson Broaddus), 14-8
 
285
Danny Scheib (Shippensburg) dec. Dustin Swanson (Kutztown), 6-1
John Meyers (Seton Hill) dec. (Shippensburg), 7-5 (SV-1)
Danny Scheib (Shippensburg) pins Hunter Harnish (Mercyhurst), 5:12
Danny Scheib (Shippensburg) 3-1 dec. Ely Reese (Gannon), 8-3