SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame Wrestling is coming off a solid 2008-09 season and a recruiting season to match. And collegiate wrestling coaches around the country know it. On Wednesday, the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll was announced, and Notre Dame was ranked No. 2 in the poll, an all-time best for the program. (
Team and Individual Rankings)
The Wrestling Falcons, on the strength of nine individually ranked grapplers, earned 98 points in the poll. The No. 2 ranking is the best in the history of the program and matches the best rating received by a Notre Dame athletic program (Men's Soccer, 2008). No. 1 Southern Oregon received 100.5 points in the poll.
“This is very gratifying, to know how coaches around the country feel about this program,” said NDC Head Coach #Frank Romano#, who returns to guide the Blue & White for a fourth season.
Romano's program finished the 2008-09 regular season at No. 7 in the NAIA poll before going on to place fifth at the NAIA National Championships in March. That squad sported a national champion (#Adam Koballa# at 141 pounds) and three other NAIA All-Americans (#Tyler Savage# at 125, Jeffrey Pelton at 149 and #Thomas Straughn# at 157).
The 2009-10 Falcons will return those three, all of whom are individually ranked in their respective weight classes, and six other wrestlers who NAIA coaches also rank in the Top-12 of individual weight divisions. Koballa and Straughn headline NDC's ranked grapplers - they are ranked No. 1 at 141 and 157 pounds, respectively. Dana (Neb.) is the only other NAIA squad on the preseason coaches' poll that sports nine ranked wrestlers.
For Romano, though, the 2009-10 edition of NDC Wrestling is about more than veteran talent.
“We've had a very good year in recruiting. This team will be a good mix of upperclassmen and talented freshmen as well as transfers. We're pleased to be ranked this high, but we know we have to go out on the mats and perform where it counts.”
Romano's teams of recent vintage have also been ranked in the preseason poll. NDC was a preseason No. 19 selection in 2007 and a No.7 choice a year ago (2008).
Notre Dame's season begins Nov. 7. The first regular-season NAIA Coaches' Poll will be announced on Nov. 24.
