CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The No. 7-ranked Falcons went 2-1 at the Campbellsville (Ky.) Tiger Duals on Saturday. The Blue and White was victorious over No. 14 King (Tenn.) and No. 12 Cumberlands (Ky.), but fell to the hosts, who came into the match ranked No. 19.
Junior #Adam Koballa#, freshman #Jeffrey Pelton#, and sophomore #Thomas Straughn# led the way for Notre Dame, each going 3-0 on the day.
Koballa, ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, extended his winning streak to nine, dating back to before Christmas (Dec. 21). Koballa picked up wins by pin and major decision, to run his overall record to 21-3.
No. 5 Pelton, fresh off his third place finish in last weekend's Purple Raider Open, won with two major decisions to extend his winning streak to ten since his only loss of the season (Jan. 10). Pelton previously had a 12 bout winning streak prior to that loss. Pelton's overall record now stands at 22-1.
Straughn picked up three big wins, two by pin and one by major decision. Straughn, who is also coming off a third place finish last weekend, is now tied with Pelton with the team lead for wins at 22-3.
NDC also had four wrestlers go 2-1 on Saturday. Sophomore #Dante Rini# upped his record to 4-1 on the season with a major decision. Freshman #Don Stocum# picked up a win by pin and now stands at 10-6 overall. Freshman #Alex Denman# and sophomore #Kurt Wolff# also had a pair of wins. Denman's record is now 9-13, while Wolff is 14-8.
Freshman #Jared King# went 1-1 with a major decision. King's overall record is 8-1.
“Facing three ranked opponents in one day is always tough,” said head coach #Frank Romano#. “We wrestled well, but will continue to work hard to improve.”
The Falcons will be back in action next Saturday for a dual match at Seton Hill (Pa.) First bout is set for 1:00 p.m.
NOTES FROM THE NEST…
LEADERS OF THE PACK: Aside from wins, Koballa, Pelton, and Straughn lead the team in several statistical categories. Koballa and Pelton are tied for the team lead in pins (8), and Straughn is fourth (6). Straughn leads the team with six majors. Pelton is second with four, and Koballa is tied for third with King with three.
DUAL RECORDS: Koballa, Pelton, and Straughn also lead the statistical way in dual matches. Koballa is 12-2, Pelton is 11-1, and Straughn is 11-3 in dual matches alone. Pelton and Straughn each have five pins to lead the team, while Koballa is right behind with four. Straughn is tied with King for the team lead in majors with three. Koballa and Pelton each have two.
STREAK CHECK: Several Falcons have run off impressive winning streaks this season. Pelton has had two separate double-digit streaks (12, 10). Tripp has also had a double-digit streak (11). Koballa is currently on a nine-bout streak. This is the second streak of nine Koballa has had this season. Straughn and King are both currently on eight bout winning streaks.
