Heavy duty
Falcons ink Ohio Heavyweight Champ Stocum

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Notre Dame Wrestling program announced the signing of Don Stocum to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Letter of Intent to continue his wrestling career with the Falcons.  Stocum, a Cleveland native, is the Ohio State Heavyweight Wrestling Champion (Division III) and a standout from Kirtland High School, where he earned four varsity letters in wrestling and three in football.

The son of Gary and Marla Stocum, Don went 42-1 for the Kirtland Hornets in his senior season. He won eight tournaments in 2007-08, including Kirtland’s conference championship (Chagrin Valley) and the State Championship Tournament.  Stocum was tabbed as a First Team All-Plain Dealer and First Team All-News-Herald selection.  He was also named the Chagrin Valley Conference’s (CVC) Outstanding Wrestler. 

As a senior, Stocum was Team Captain on the Hornets’ Wrestling and Football squads.  He was an All-Ohio selection in Football, as an offensive lineman.

In the March 1 title bout at the State Wrestling Finals, Stocum earned a 7-0 shutout victory to claim the Ohio Division III title.

Stocum’s high school accolades also include being named First Team All-CVC in both his junior and senior seasons.  In those two years, the future Wrestling Falcon went a combined 77-5, with 53 pins, in 82 heavyweight bouts.  Stocum grappled in the 285-pound (Heavyweight) Division all four years at Kirtland.  His four-year record for the Hornets was 112-37.

“Don is well-known to wrestling fans in this area,” said Notre Dame Head Coach Frank Romano.  “He brings a lot of talent to College Road, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”

Stocum plans on enrolling at Notre Dame College (NDC) in the fall.

The Wrestling Falcons’ program was instituted in 2006.  NDC posted a 3-4 dual meet record in 2007-08 and earned 13th place at the NAIA National Championships in March.  In just their third season (2008-09), Notre Dame has earned an automatic bid to the 2009 National Dual Tournament, which features the Top-16 teams at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, Division II, and Division III, and NAIA levels.  In the 2008-09 season, the Wrestling Falcons will also compete against both Ohio State and Purdue.

Notre Dame College is a co-educational liberal arts institution in South Euclid, Ohio. The Notre Dame Athletics Department sponsors the Falcons' participation in 17 men's and women's sports. The College is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Mideast Conference (AMC), which is the largest NAIA conference in the country.

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