ONEONTA, N.Y. – Tyreek Staton and Zak Hale each won all three matches they competed in, and Castleton University picked up six victories as it defeated Niagara County Community College, 28-16, after losing to host SUNY Oneonta (28-11) and SUNY Cortland (33-13) Saturday at the North East Duals.
Staton started the day with a 5-2 decision victory over Dominic DeGraba of SUNY Oneonta, and followed that with a 9-5 decision win over SUNY Cortland's Andrew Roden, listed in the honorable mention section of the latest D3Wrestle.com individual rankings at 125 pounds. Staton picked up a third decision victory against his counterpart from Niagara County CC, 5-2, improving his season record to 15-3.
At 141 pounds, Hale first defeated Anthony Messina of SUNY Oneonta, dominating the match to an 18-0 technical fall. With 20 seconds left in his match against Matt Norris of SUNY Cortland, Hale picked up a pinfall, and then he earned another technical fall victory against Niagara CCC, ending that match at 19-0 to move his individual record this season to 13-2.
Mitchell LaFlam, competing at 184 pounds, was the only other Spartan to pick up multiple victories during the day, first picking up a close 3-2 decision victory over Andrew Werther of SUNY Oneonta. In Castleton's team victory over Niagara County CC, LaFlam earned six points for the Spartans with a pinfall victory with 3:35 gone in the match.
Against SUNY Cortland, ranked 14th in the latest NWCA Division III Coaches Poll, Cameron Milliken earned Castleton's third and final individual victory of the match, defeating Tristan Broddus at 157 pounds in a major decision, 9-1.
In a high-scoring affair, Tyler Raetz won the 149-pound match against Niagara CCC, 17-13. Zach Allen gave Castleton the lead for good when he pinned his Niagara CCC counterpart at 174 pounds just 53 seconds into the contest, and Joseph Galusha earned Castleton's final victory of the day with an injury forfeit.
Castleton (5-9) takes a break for fall semester finals and the holidays before resuming competition Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Williamstown, Mass., at the Williams College Open starting at 10 a.m.
