CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University wrestling team racked up three dual-match victories on Saturday, sweeping the Little East Quad against Southern Maine, Rhode Island College and Plymouth State at Glenbrook Gym.
 
The Spartans opened the day with a dominant showing against the Panthers, winning 54-0 over Plymouth State. Castleton then topped Rhode Island College 47-3 before closing the afternoon with a 36-9 win over Southern Maine. Castleton is now 5-1 in dual matches this season heading into the winter break.
 
Castleton logged an impressive 27 wins in 30 bouts across the three dual matches, with 15 of those wins coming via fall. 10 of the 15 wins via fall came in the first period, with Castleton's aggressive wrestling leading to quick victories.
 
Castleton 54, Plymouth State 0
Castleton opened the day with a dominant showing, earning pins at each of the first three weight classes thanks to Jacob Caricato, Desmond McLaughlin and Josh Negron. After a decision win by Stephen Jennings made it 21-0, Castleton again rattled of three straight pins, this time from Abbas Abdulrahman, Gavin Bradley and Drew Marchese. Vito Rodriguez earned a win via forfeit at 141 to stretch the lead to 45-0. Nicholas Roeger won a 10-3 decision at 149 before Darius Mangiafico closed the match with a pin of his own at 157.
 
Castleton 47, RIC 3
Rhode Island College handed Castleton its first loss of the day when Nathan Lackman—the No. 1 165-pounder in the NEWA, topped Michael Angers 11-4 to begin the second dual, but the Spartans answered with nine wins in a row to close the match.
 
The streak began with a major decision win by Cooper Fleming, 14-3, before Sampson Wilkins, Haven Tatarek, Shea Garand and Kaya Bogle rattled off four unanswered pins. Michael Gonyea was victorious by major decision, 11-3, before James Rodriguez and Elijah Cyr notched pins as well to push the gap to 44-3. Jashon Holmes ended the match with a 4-2 decision win in the 157-pound bout.
 
Castleton 36, Southern Maine 9
Angers opened the USM dual with an emphatic win via technical fall, racking up a 16-0 win early in the second period for a 5-0 lead. At 174, AJ Robinson stunned Fleming with a pin following a reversal to give USM a 6-5 lead. Wilkins added a win via fall for Castleton to regain the lead before Tatarek added on three more points for a 14-6 edge with a decision win of his own. The NEWA's top 285-pounder Jake Peavey bested Garand with a 5-0 decision to make it 14-9 Castleton, but the Spartans put their foot on the pedal and won the remaining five bouts to pull away.
 
Bogle got Castleton back in the win column with a win via forfeit before Gonyea pinned the opposition in the first period at 133. James Rodriguez netted a 12-3 major decision and Cyr followed with a 14-7 decision. Holmes wrapped up the day with a 6-3 decision win to cap the match at 36-9 in favor of Castleton.
 
Castleton is off until December 29 when the team travels to sunny south Florida for the Citrus Open in Fort Lauderdale.