ITHACA, N.Y. – The Castleton University wrestling team came out with a third-place finish at the season-opening Ithaca Invitational Saturday, placing nine wrestlers in fifth place or better in the process.
 
The Spartans trailed only Johnson & Wales and Stevens Tech in the event, amassing 135 team points to JWU's 154 and Stevens Tech's 152.
 
Michael Angers and Chance LaPier were the highest finishers for Castleton, both placing second in their respective weight classes. Angers went 3-1 en route to the No. 2 spot at 165, winning by major decision once and a pair of decisions before falling in the tiebreak period in the championship bout, 2-1. LaPier was 3-1 as well, pinning a pair of opponents and winning via major decision before dropping a 5-2 decision in the championship bout.
 
Michael Gonyea finished third at 133 pounds, going 6-1 and winning out the consolation side of the bracket. Gonyea opened the tournament with two wins, but was sent to the consolation bracket after a 7-3 loss by decision in the quarterfinals. The senior won four straight matches from there, taking third place with a 13-5 major decision in the final match. Alec Richards also finished third, getting bounced to the consolation bracket in the quarterfinals. He posted four straight wins as well, besting teammate Sampson Wilkins in the third-place match with a 4-2 decision.
 
Wilkins was one of four Spartans to earn a fourth-place finish, posting four wins on the weekend before falling to Richards in the third-place bout. James Rodriguez won six bouts on the weekend at 141 pounds en route to his fourth-place finish, staving off elimination for five straight matches before falling in the third-place match. Cooper Fleming made it all the way to the semifinal match on the championship side of the bracket at 174 pounds before heading to the consolation bracket, but he made the third-place match with a 15-0 technical fall victory. His loss in the final match gave him a 4-2 record on the weekend with his fourth-place finish. Shea Garand rounded out Castleton's fourth-place finishers in the heavyweight, winning three straight matches to earn a spot in the semifinals before getting bounced to the consolation bracket. He won via decision to earn a spot in the third-place match, but was bested in the first tiebreak period and dropped a 3-2 decision, finishing 4-2 on the weekend.
 
Castleton's top finishers were rounded out by Abbas Abdulrahman in the heavyweight division, as the rookie went 6-2, winning four straight matches to avoid elimination. He took home the victory in the fifth-place match with a 3-1 win via sudden-victory.
 
The Spartans are back in action next Saturday at the Roger Williams Invitational. Matches start at 9:30 a.m.