SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced the recipients of the 2009 All-Academic Awards. Two Falcons earned the honors, marking the first Academic All-Americans in the program.
Junior #Adam Koballa# and sophomore #Dante Rini# were among the 36 grapplers awarded with the honor.
Koballa added his Academic All-American to his 2009 trophy case. The St. Peter Chanel graduate was national champion in the 141weight class and was runner-up in 2008. He finished the season with a 30-5 record, including nine pins against the opponent. This year, Koballa is the only national champion to also earn Academic All-American status.
The Twinsburg, Ohio native is majoring in sports management and boasts a 3.20 GPA in the classroom.
Rini finished seventh in the nation at 125 and a record of 12-5. The Massillon, Ohio native has a 3.3 GPA and is an education major. In Rini's freshman campaign, he finished 11-5, including two pins.
“What a tremendous honor for these student-athletes,” said Head Coach #Frank Romano#. “These awards are a testament to what we strive for as a program and as an institution.”
Notre Dame College is a co-educational liberal arts institution in South Euclid, Ohio. The Notre Dame Department of Athletics sponsors the Falcons' participation in 21 men's and women's intercollegiate sports. The College is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Mideast Conference (AMC). In 2008-09, Notre Dame athletic programs rank No. 21 in the nation, based on the NAIA Director's Cup all-sports ranking as published by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
