WILLIAMSPORT, Pa./PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Castleton University wrestling program completed split-squad action Saturday, taking 10th place at the Budd Whitehill Duals in Williamsport, Pa., and ninth place at the Jim Aguiar Invitational in Plymouth, N.H.

Castleton went 1-1 in dual matches at the Budd Whitehill Duals to finish the weekend 2-3 at the event and claim 10th place in a demanding 16-team field. Those that did not travel to Pennsylvania competed at Plymouth State's Jim Aguiar Invitational, where one wrestler placed in the top four of his weight class.

The Spartans opened the day in Pennsylvania with a dominant showing against Southern Virginia, cruising to a 46-6 win while winning nine of the 10 weight classes. The finale was a back-and-forth affair that came down to the heavyweight bout, but Castleton came up on the wrong side of a 24-17 final score to conclude the day. Joseph Valentino, Michael Angers, Jason Hoffman and Mitchell LaFlam went 2-0 on the day, while Nick Camacho, Cqari Bacote, Max Tempel, Cooper Fleming and Chance LaPier each went 1-1.

Against Southern Virginia, Valentino earned six points via opponent forfeit, before Camacho earned a win via decision, 9-4, to make it 9-0 Spartans. Southern Virginia forfeited the 141-pound bout as well, and Tempel followed that up with a fall at 149 in just 2:00. Not to be outdone, Fleming pinned his opponent at 157 in 1:29, before Angers won a 6-3 decision at 165, bringing the score to 30-0 Spartans. LaPier earned a fall in 2:00 at 174, before Hoffman topped his teammates with a pin in just 46 seconds at 184. LaFlam gave Castleton a 46-0 lead following a 9-0 major decision at 197, but Garand fell at 285 to conclude the match with a 46-6 final.

Valentino again started the Spartans off with a win over Lycoming, earning a 6-3 decision at 125 to put Castleton ahead 3-0. Four straight losses by the Spartans saw Castleton facing a 12-3 deficit, but Angers earned a major decision win, 9-0, to cut the gap to 12-7. After LaPier got pinned at 174 to put Castleton down 18-7, Hoffman notched his second pin of the day—this time in 6:09—to get the Spartans back into it, 18-13. LaFlam drew Castleton even closer, 18-17, with a 14-2 win via major decision at 197, but the comeback fell short at the heavyweight division at Joseph Galusha was pinned in 1:32 to give Lycoming the win, 24-17.

At the Jim Aguiar Invitational, Castleton's lone place finisher was Nicholas Roeger, who went 2-2 at 125 to finish in fourth place. He had a win via fall and a narrow, 2-1 decision to advance to the third-place match where he dropped a 6-4 decision.

Castleton returns to the mat Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Rhode Island College.