CLEVELAND -- Notre Dame competed in the Cleveland State Open on Sunday, and a number of Wrestling Falcons came away with multiple wins in the close-to-home tournament.  (Results)

Freshman heavyweight Dan Demick placed fifth with a 2-2 mark to highlight NDC's performance.  Demick had two pins (one in 29 seconds) before bowing out with a 2-1 loss to Eastern Michigan's David Box.  The Chillicothe, Ohio, native has now placed in three collegiate events this season.

The event at the Gene Woodling Gymnasium marked NDC's last competition heading into a winter break.  The team's schedule will continue on the other side of the New Year with an open tournament hosted by Lake Erie College on Jan. 7.

On Sunday a number of excellent teams from all levels of collegiate wrestling in the Midwest had grapplers going through the brackets at CSU.  In all more than 250 athletes from 27 schools competed on the mats at the event, and that field included the likes of NCAA-I (Edinboro-Pa., Pittsburgh) and NCAA-II (Ashland, Mercyhurst-Pa.) Top-25 teams.  Sunday's open marked the 10th time in the last 11 years that Cleveland State has hosted an open tournament.  Notre Dame has competed in the last two: the Falcons had three placers -- Cody Butzer, Alex Denman, Ashtin Primus -- in the 2010 open.

“This was a real nice event for us to hit before the Christmas holiday,” said Head Coach Frank Romano.  “I thought our guys showed some growth in a number of areas, and I was pleased to see that.”

In addition to Demick, Anthony Burge (3-2 at 157 pounds) and Mark Smilek (3-2 at 165) also had nice days for Notre Dame.  Burge won three straight decisions in the wrestleback at 157 before being ousted by Ohio State's Tim Rigel.  Smilek also earned his three victories in the wrestleback bracket.  The first of those was a 22-6 tech fall.

Jon Bittenger (2-2 at 174), Jarred King (2-2 at 165), Charles Mason (2-2 at 184) and Leon Shannon (2-2 at 133) also won multiple bouts for Notre Dame.  A number of unattached NDC wrestlers also performed well at the open.

The Wrestling Falcons will now be off for two weeks-plus before returning to the mats on Jan. 7 at the Lake Erie Open.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

STRONG OUT OF THE GATE: Freshman Dan Demick is off to a stellar start in his college career.  Demick has registered an 11-4 mark in his first 15 NCAA-sanctioned bouts.  Five of his 11 wins have come on pins.  In his second win by fall on Sunday, Demick defeated Pittsburgh's Joel Yahner. … Demick placed fifth at the season-opening Eastern Michigan Open (freshman-sophomore division, Nov. 7) and sixth the following week at the Michigan State Open (freshman-sophomore division, Nov. 7).  The 2010 Chillicothe High School graduate was a two-time Ohio state championship placer (fourth, fifth), and he won 151 bouts over his four-year high-school career.   

OPEN SEASON:  Notre Dame has now competed in three collegiate opens to start its season (a number of NDC grapplers also wrestled unattached at the Nov. 20 Harris Open in Ashland).  The Falcons will compete in two more opens in early January before wrestling in their first-and-only dual action of the 2011-12 season with a tilt at Lake Erie on Jan. 20.

Won-loss records noted are for collegiate bouts except where noted otherwise. Collegiate bouts do not include those against junior college foes, club opponents and unaffiliated amateurs.  Collegiate, NCAA-sanctioned bouts are only compiled by wrestlers competing attached in open events.