SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Castleton University wrestling team improved its dual match record to 16-8 Saturday at Springfield College, going 2-1 at the quad meet with wins over host Springfield and SUNY Cortland.
The 16th win marks a new program record for Castleton, topping its previous-best mark of 15 wins a season ago. The Spartans opened the day with a 27-13 loss to Johnson & Wales before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over Springfield, 19-13, and Cortland, 22-16.
Max Tempel returned to action with a 3-0 day, while Mitchell LaFlam won each of his three matches and Michael Angers posted a 2-0 record for Castleton. Joseph Valentino and Chance LaPier each went 2-1 for Castleton.
The day began at 149 against JWU, with Cqari Bacote dueling the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the region, Da'mani Burns. Burns pinned Bacote in 5:00, giving the Wildcats a 6-0 lead. Cooper Fleming then fell to Darius Joyce, ranked No. 6 in the NEWA at 157, in an 8-4 decision before sixth-ranked Christian Murphy narrowly edged out Reese Millington with a 3-2 decision at 165 to put JWU ahead, 12-0. LaPier got Castleton on the board with a 14-1 major decision at 174 to make it 12-4, but Jason Hoffman was on the wrong side of a 4-2 decision to make it 15-4 Wildcats. Castleton drew it back to 12-7 when LaFlam toppled the top 197-pounder in the NEWA—Giovanni Santiago—with a 4-3 decision. Joseph Galusha was pinned at 285 by Michael DiNardo, the third-ranked wrestler in the region at his weight, pushing JWU ahead 21-7 with three bouts remaining. Valentino gave Castleton a shot with a 3-2 decision win over No. 2-ranked Justin Lopez, but the top 133-pounder in the region, Hayden Brown, sealed the win for JWU with a pin of Nick Camacho. Tempel closed out the match with a 3-1 win in the first sudden-victory period for Castleton, giving the match its final score of 27-13.
Castleton faced off with Springfield in the second match of the day, and fell behind early once more. Valentino dropped his match against Joey Manginelli, the seventh-ranked 125-pounder in the NEWA, via major decision before Camacho lost a 3-2 decision to put the Pride ahead, 7-0. Tempel picked up an 8-2 decision victory for Castleton to make it 7-3 before Bacote topped Micahel Vietri—the fifth-ranked 149-pounder in the NEWA—with a 3-2 decision, making it 7-6. Fleming fell at 157 to give Springfield a 10-6 lead, but Angers responded with a 10-6 win via decision over fourth-ranked Zack Lawrence to pull Castleton back to within one, 10-9. The Spartans took their first lead of the day with an 11-4 decision by LaPier to make it 12-10 Castleton. Hoffman added to the lead with a major decision win—12-4—at 184, before LaFlam sealed the victory with a 13-7 decision of his own to give Castleton a 19-10 lead. Joe Fusco, the No. 2 heavyweight in the NEWA, topped Galusha with a major decision to cap the match, but Springfield was penalized a team point to give the match its final of 19-13.
The final matchup of the day pitted the Spartans against the Red Dragons of Cortland, a match the Spartans started once more in the hole. Bacote and Fleming suffered defeats via decision at 149 and 157, respectively, to open the match, before Angers notched an 8-5 win to cut into the lead. After LaPier was pinned late in his match at 174 and Castleton fell behind 12-3, Alexander Green was credited with a win via forfeit at 184 to draw Castleton closer, 12-9. LaFlam knotted the score with his third win of the day—a 4-0 decision—but Galusha fell via major decision to put Castleton back in a hole, 16-12. The Spartans rallied with three straight wins to close the match, as Valentino won a 5-4 decision, Camacho earned a 10-2 major decision and Tempel wrapped up the day with a 4-1 decision.
Castleton returns to action Friday, February 14, with its final home match of the season against Williams College. Exhibitions are slated for 6 p.m. with varsity matches at 7 p.m. in Glenbrook Gym.
