OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Castleton University wrestling team split a pair of matches Saturday afternoon, falling to SUNY Brockport in the day's opener before defeating host SUNY Oswego in the second match of the day.
Castleton is now 13-7 in dual action this season. The Spartans dropped the opener despite being in reach of a victory in the final bout, falling 21-16 to Brockport. The Spartans cruised to victory in the second dual of the day, defeating Oswego 26-12. Nick Camacho, Cqari Bacote, Chance LaPier and Mitchell LaFlam each went 2-0 on the day for the Spartans.
Against Brockport, Joseph Valentino dropped the opener via major decision, but Camacho rebounded with a 4-2 win to get the Spartans on the board. After a loss via major decision at 141 by Antonio Pallaria, Bacote won a 6-4 decision in the first sudden-victory period to make it 8-6 in favor of Brockport. Cooper Fleming lost via fall at 157 to put Castleton in a 14-6 hole, but Michael Angers and LaPier each won decisions to pull Castleton back with two, 14-12. After Jason Hoffman fell via decision at 184, LaFlam pulled Castleton within one team point—17-16—when he won an 8-0 major decision at 197. Joseph Galusha had a chance to win it for the Spartans, but he fell via major decision to five the match its final score of 21-16.
The second match of the day got off to a better start for the Spartans, with Valentino winning in the first sudden-victory period, 3-1, before Camacho earned a 4-3 win to make it 6-0 Spartans. Pallaria added to the total with a quick pin in just 2:10, before Bacote won a 4-1 decision to extend Castleton's lead to 15-0. Fleming and Angers each fell via decision as Oswego got on the board, but LaPier, Hoffman and LaFlam rattled off three straight wins—LaPier and Hoffman by decision, LaFlam by technical fall—to give Castleton a 26-6 edge. Galusha lost via fall in the final bout of the day, but Castleton held on for the win, 26-12.
Castleton returns to the mat Friday night at Glenbrook Gym against Western New England. Exhibitions are slated for a 6 p.m. start, with varsity matches beginning at 7 p.m.
