CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- Notre Dame earned a Kentucky sweep, defeating No. 16 Lindsey Wilson and No. 4 Campbellsville on Saturday.

The Wrestling Falcons ran their season record to 8-0, with a 32-6 win over Lindsey Wilson and a 20-13 victory over the event's host, Campbellsville. The highlight of NDC's afternoon was the win over Campbellsville, a program that has been on a steady climb in the NAIA Coaches' Poll.

“This was a great day for us,” said Notre Dame Head Coach #Frank Romano#. “I thought the guys wrestled well on their feet and made good decisions.”

For Romano and the Falcons, the twin duals at Campbellsville's Gosser Gym close out dual slate in the 2010-11 season. The remaining two regular-season events on NDC's slate (Greyhound Open-Feb. 6, Edinboro Open-Feb. 12) will be tournaments.

The feature match of the day -- No. 1 Notre Dame versus No. 4 Campbellsville -- saw the Wrestling Falcons fall behind, 7-0, with Campbellsville scoring wins at 125 and 133 pounds. Notre Dame's #Brett Freeman# -- the NAIA's No. 5 at 141 pounds -- then gave the Falcons a huge lift with a 6-5 upset over No. 1 Tommy Pretty.

“What a great win by Brett,” commented Romano. “Both kids in that bout were grinding it out; I'm really happy for Brett.”

Freeman's win was followed four consecutive wins by NDC grapplers, as the Falcons made a statement in taking down the NAIA's No. 4 team on the road. In that four-bout stretch, Notre Dame got impressive performances from #Jeffrey Pelton# (15-6 major decision at 157) and #Kevin Hardy# (5-0 win over No. 4 David Clemens at 165). The stretch was followed by a loss at 174, a rare loss by #Alex Denman# at 184 and then convincing wins by #Derek Foore# and #Orlando Scales# at 197 and 285.

For Pelton, Hardy, Foore and Scales, as well as #Ashtin Primus#, their wins in the Campbellsville match spelled Saturday sweeps; they earned victories in the Falcons' 32-6 win over Lindsey Wilson. In that match, NDC took eight bouts, losing in just the 125- and 133-pound weight classes. Falcon grapplers combined to produce three majors, one tech fall and one pin.

With his two wins on Saturday, both of which were majors, Derek Foore remains unbeaten on the season and in his Notre Dame career. The Wadsworth, Ohio, native and top-ranked NAIA grappler at 197 is 20-0 this season and 47-0 over the last two years.

Likewise, nearly also unbeaten the last two years are the Wrestling Falcons in dual meets. NDC went 10-1 last season with its only loss coming at the hands of a ranked Ohio State squad. Since then (Nov. 22, 2009), Notre Dame has rattled off 17 straight wins, including three- and four-match sweeps to victories at the 2010 and 2011 National Duals.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

PULLING RANK: The NDC-CU dual featured two teams that sport a combined 17 ranked wrestlers (Notre Dame 10, Campbellsville seven) on their rosters, with 11 of those athletes being NAIA Top-5's. … With Saturday's twin dual in the books, Notre Dame closes out its 2010-11 dual record with eight wins and no losses. Six of the Falcons' eight wins came against ranked squads.

PRETTY NICE WIN: Brett Freeman's decision over top-ranked Tommy Pretty was a jolt for NDC in its eventual win over host Campbellsville on Saturday. Pretty was last season's NAIA champ at 133 and he had been unbeaten in 20 bouts this season. … Freeman is now 19-3 this season, with a 6-0 mark in dual competition.

FEATHERS AND FUR: The Falcons and Tigers figure to be at each other again in the postseason at both the NAIA East Region Qualifier in February and the NAIA National Tournament in March. Campbellsville is actually the last NAIA program to beat Notre Dame in a dual. That happened on Jan. 24, 2009, when the Tigers, then ranked No. 19, upset a No. 7 Falcon squad, 27-12, in Campbellsville.

Won-loss records noted are for collegiate bouts except where noted otherwise. Collegiate bouts do not include those against junior college, club opponents and unaffiliated amateurs.


Notre Dame 32, Lindsey Wilson 6
125 – Myron Bradbury (LW) def. Brian Hauser (ND), Dec. 5-0
133 – Ethan Miller (LW) def. Dante Rini (ND), 8-7
141 – Marty Carlson (ND) def. Isaac Thomas (LW), Dec. 11-5
149 – #3 Ashtin Primus (ND) def. Zach McCormick (LW), Fall 1:03
157 – #1 Jeff Pelton (ND) def. Tyler Harshbarger (LW), Dec. 10-7
165 – #9 Kevin Hardy (ND) def. Harrison Courtney (LW), Tech Fall 16-0
174 – #9 Jon Bittenger (ND) def. Ben Khoshaba (LW), M. Dec., 16-2
189 – #8 Alex Denman (ND) def. Andrew Hairston (LW), Dec. 6-3
197 – #1 Derek Foore (ND) def. #4 Jacob Bradford (LW), M. Dec. 13-5
285 – #1 Orlando Scales (ND) def. Teddy Furnish (LW), M.Dec. 15-7

Notre Dame 20, Campbellsville 13
125 – #4 Johnny Papesh (CU) def. Nate Westfall, Dec. 6-0
133 – #1 Tim Thurston def. Dante Rini, M. Dec. 12-2
141 - #5 Brett Freeman def. #1 Tommy Pretty, Dec. 6-5
149 – #3 Ashtin Primus (ND) def. #11 Matt Milton (CU), Dec. 7-5
157 – #1 Jeff Pelton (ND) def. #10 Conor Young (CU), M. Dec. 15-6
165 – #9 Kevin Hardy (ND) def. #4 David Clemens (CU), Dec. 5-0
174 – #12 Josh Ashbrook (CU) def. #8 Cozy Butzer (ND), Dec. 3-2 3OT
184 – Allen Scruggs (CU) def. #8 Alex Deman (ND), Dec. 4-3
197 – #1 Derek Foore (ND) def. #5 Spencer Adams (CU), M. Dec. 11-2
285 – #1 Orlando Scalse (ND) def. Chris Daniels (CU), Dec. 6-0

Dual Records: Notre Dame 8-0, Campbellsville 12-4, Lindsey Wilson 4-5