Blue & Gold earn bronze
NDC grapplers place third at National Catholic Championships
| NCC Standings | Individual Results |

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame competed in their first tournament of the season Saturday, as the Falcons wrestled at the National Catholic Championships in Erie, Penn. As a team, NDC placed third in the nine-team field competing in the event held at Mercyhurst College.

Notre Dame scored 98 points, posting one win, one second-place finish, and two thirds. Host Mercyhurst won the invitational for a second straight year. The Lakers posted 161.5 points.

The Falcons were led by junior Victer Crenshaw (Cincinnati, OH), who earned Invitational MVP honors for a dominating performance in the 157-pound division. Crenshaw swept his way to the championship at 157 with two tech falls and two major decisions. Crenshaw's second major came in the title bout with Mercyhurst's returning All-American and the defending champ in the NCC, Andy Lamancusa (So/Salem, OH). The Falcon newcomer defeated Lamancusa, 9-0, giving him a four-bout score of 57-7 on Saturday. Crenshaw is now 5-0 on the season.

Freshman Mike Mahon (Cincinnati, OH) earned second place at 165, while Dante Rini (Fr/Massillon, OH) and Brett Freeman (So/Burton, OH) posted third place finishes. Mahon went 2-1 in three decisions at 165. Rini went 4-1 in five decisions. Freeman went 3-1 in four decisions to repeat his third in the NCC posted a year ago in what was the Falcons debut event in the program's inaugural 2006-07 season.

The Falcons' other placers included freshman Tyler Savage (sixth at 125), sophomore Nate Spencer (sixth at 149), freshman Brian Cornell (sixth at 165), sophomore Cory Braden (fifth at 184), and freshman Matt Kuti (fifth at 197).

"This was a good test for our program and for our new guys," said NDC Head Coach Frank Romano.

The Wrestling Falcons will compete on tournament mats again next week, when they are scheduled to compete in the Harris Auto Center Open hosted by Ashland University.

Notes from the Nest...

Road improvements: Last season, in the program's inaugural event, NDC placed fifth in the National Catholic Championships, in a field of seven teams. On Saturday, the Falcons scored 98 team points, up from 78.5 a year ago. NDC's Brett Freeman and Cory Braden have each placed in both of the team's NCC appearances.

Victer-y: Victer Crenshaw's unblemished 5-0 record this season runs his overall collegiate record to 51-26. Crenshaw transfered to Notre Dame this fall after wrestling two years for Cleveland State.