WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Thiel College wrestling team opened up competition Friday at the two-day Budd Whitehill National Duals, hosted by Lycoming College.

The Tomcats dropped their first match 42-3 to the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers. Freshman Gage Gladysz (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) picked up the lone Tomcat victory, scoring a 9-3 decision over Joe Messare of RIT at 197 pounds.

In the second match of the day, the Tomcats suffered a 35-16 defeat to the College of New Jersey Lions. The Tomcats rifled off two early wins to start the dual. Freshman Jaread Prude (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) received a forfeit at 126 pounds before Vincent Mion (Mount Oliver, Pa./Carrick) tallied a win over Mike Plaska of TCNJ at 133 pounds. The Lions went on six-match win streak before Gladysz halted the streak in the 197 pound bout with an 18-3 major decision over Kyle Schlitter.

The Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds upended the Tomcats in the final match of the day. Mion, Brett Beltz (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) and Chris Nuss (West Homestead, Pa/Central Catholic) wrestled tough matches in their respective bouts.

The Tomcats will start the second day of the Budd Whitehill Duals against Springfield College. The match is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.