ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Six Falcon wrestlers earned titles at the Purple Raider Open on Sunday, as Notre Dame dominated a tournament hosted by the University of Mount Union. (Brackets)

#Brett Freeman# (141 pounds), #Jeffrey Pelton# (149), #Kevin Hardy# (165), #Jon Bittenger# (174), #Derek Foore# (197) and #Orlando Scales (Hwt.) earned wins in their respective weight classes, putting a definitive NDC stamp on the event which included grapplers from many collegiate varsity programs in and around Ohio.

“Our guys competed hard,” said Notre Dame Head Coach #Frank Romano#, whose Wrestling Falcons defeated Lake Erie in a road match less than 40 hours prior to NDC taking the mats at UMU's Peterson Fieldhouse at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. “A tournament like this is a great format for us. I think we showed a lot of depth and talent out there today.”

That tournament format is nothing new to Notre Dame, the nation's top-ranked NAIA squad (Coaches' Poll) -- Falcon wrestlers also painted the Purple Raider Open blue and white last season, when four NDC athletes earned titles in the annual Alliance, Ohio, event. Over the last three years (2009-11), Notre Dame wrestlers have now claimed 14 titles at the Purple Raider Open.

A number of NDC wrestlers competing unattached backed up the Falcon six with multiple Top-6 finishes on a day when the Ohio collegiate wrestling community saw firsthand what Notre Dame is capable of.

Kevin Hardy's performance was one of the highlights of the day for the Blue & White, who have now won 35 individual titles over the last two seasons. The junior from Solon, Ohio, went 5-0 in sweeping his way to the title at 165. Along the way Hardy pinned three foes -- two in under 1:00 -- and picked up a major before downing Miles Chapman (Ohio University), 9-2, in the title bout. The championship for Hardy marked his first this season.

Also sweeping his way to a title was Falcon heavyweight Orlando Scales. The sophomore from Cincinnati went 4-0 with two pins, one of which came in a lightning-quick 18 seconds. Along with Derek Foore, who breezed to a three-bout title at 197 on Sunday, Scales is one of two NDC grapplers to still be undefeated this season. The nation's top-ranked heavyweight (Coaches' Poll) is 19-0 in collegiate bouts this season, and his win at the Purple Raider Open marked a title defense -- he won the event last year, as well.

Scales and company are slated to be in action next at the Simonson Open in Ashland, Ohio on Jan. 22.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

ONE-DERFUL STREAK: The Wrestling Falcons have been in the top spot in the NAIA Coaches' Poll in each edition of the poll since Nov. 24, 2009, a string of 13 straight polls. In the most recent release of the poll, Notre Dame earned 134 points, 45 more than second-place Grand View (Iowa) which garnered 89 points in the poll.

BUSY IN THE BRACKETS: Sunday's action kicked off a stretch in which the Falcons will be busy in tournament-format competition. Notre Dame's next event will be an open tournament, as will two more events -- the Greyhound Open (Indianapolis) and the Edinboro Open (Edinboro, Pa.) -- in early February.