GORHAM, Maine – The Castleton University wrestling program continues to break records season after season, qualifying a program-best five Spartans for the upcoming NCAA National Championships after a strong showing at the NCAA Regionals hosted by the University of Southern Maine.
 
Cooper Fleming and James Rodriguez are heading back to the big stage after qualifying in 2022 as well, while Michael Angers, Sampson Wilkins and Gavin Bradley qualified for the first time this season. Rodriguez became Castleton's first All-American a season ago with an eighth-place finish in the 141-pound bracket. As a team, Castleton finished fourth overall, just two points behind third-place Springfield. The Spartans totaled 110.5 team points while Springfield ended with 112.5. Johnson & Wales was the Regional champion with Coast Guard in second. In total, nine Spartans earned All-Region honors for finishing in the top-eight.
 
Fleming led the way for Castleton on Sunday, becoming the first ever Regional Champion for Castleton with a first-place finish in the 174-pound bracket. He posted a third-period pin against NYU's Jason Geyer—the No. 7 wrestler in the nation—sticking him at the 5:48 mark to earn a spot in the title bout against NCAA No. 1 Mike Ross. Ross was a medical forfeit in the championship bout, cementing Fleming as the top wrestler at 174.
 
Rodriguez makes his way back to the National Championships after a third-place finish at 141 pounds. He dropped a 7-3 decision to Victor Perlleshi—the eventual Regional champ—to slot into the consolation bracket. He won a 9-3 decision against Roger Williams' Tyler Williams to get into the third-place bout, which he took from Springfield's Joseph Parsons, 7-2.
 
Angers becomes a first-time qualifier at 165 pounds after a third-place result of his own. He dropped a 10-1 major decision to NCAA No. 1 Nathan Lackman in the semifinals before winning against Springfield's Myles Leonard to earn a spot in the third-place match. He went toe-to-toe with Trinity's (Conn.) Kevin Lyskawa for seven minutes before the match went to overtime tied at 1-1. Angers struck first in the sudden-victory period, netting a takedown for the win and a berth at the National Championships.
 
Wilkins reached the podium in third place after starting the day in the consolation bracket. He won a 6-1 decision against JWU's Ryan DeVivo, the No. 2 seed and No. 9 wrestler in the nation at his weight to remain in contention. He then added a 3-1 decision win over Roger Williams' Cole Shaughnessy, the No. 4 seed, to land in the third-place match. He battled NYU's Scotti DuPont, winning in a 4-1 decision.
 
The Spartans' final qualifier was freshman Gavin Bradley—the first-ever rookie to make the NCAA National Championships for Castleton. Bradley went head-to-head against NCAA No. 1 Joziah Fry in the semifinals, losing via fall to land in the consolation bracket. He then battled Williams' David Yeh—a familiar face whom he had beaten in the final dual of the regular season. The result was the same, with Bradley coming out on top in an 11-2 major decision to earn a spot in the third-place match against NYU's Taisei Karachi, whom he wrestled on Saturday in the second round and beaten 4-2. Bradley improved upon his performance, winning 7-2 for the third-place medal and a spot at the NCAA National Championships.
 
In addition to the five qualifiers earning All-Region recognition, Michael Gonyea, Nicholas Roeger, Jashon Holmes and Haven Tatarek picked up the award for finishing inside the top eight in their weight class. Gonyea earned the honor for a third time, while Roeger claimed it for the second year in a row. Gonyea, Roeger and Holmes all finished sixth at their class, while Tatarek notched an eighth-place finish at 197.
 
The NCAA National Championships are set for March 10 and 11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.