CLEVELAND – Competing for the second time this season, Notre Dame College went down the street to Case Western Reserve University to wrestle in the Ohio Intercollegiate Open, on Sunday. At the end of the day, ten Falcons placed in the top-eight in their weight brackets.
Sandro Ramirez took the top spot at 149 lbs.
The open was split into the Gold Division and the White Division. The competition, just like at the Southeast Wrestling Open the week before, was very tough with multiple NCAA Division I, II and III schools wrestling.
Ramirez wrestled in the White Division. He did not receive a bye, so it was going to take five wins for the redshirt-freshman to win the weight class. He cruised through the first two rounds, winning by major decision with scores of 13-4 and 11-1, respectively. After taking the quarterfinal due to medical forfeit, NDC's grappler defeated Ben Sherrill, of Ashland, and then took down Ty Raines, of Buffalo, by decision (12-9) in the first place match.
Roberto Campos and
Tony Vezzetti highlighted the Gold Division for NDC. At 125 lbs., Campos rolled through two Division I competitors, defeating Cody Moosman (Cleveland State) by pin and Mitch Herren (Ohio) by a 15-2 major decision. The junior then defeated Koby Milner, of Reinhardt University, by decision in the semifinal before coming up just short against Logan Heil, of Cleveland State.
Vezzetti, ranked No. 1 at 184 lbs. in DII, won by major decision (9-1) in the first round and took down Carson Brewer from Ohio University in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, the senior defeated Xavier Torres, from Kent State, with an 8-1 decision. Vezzetti had to end the first place match against Ohio State's Gavin Hoffman, due to injury.
Other place finishers in the Gold Division included
Jordon Tague, who finished fourth at 157. After losing to Indiana's Cayden Rooks in the first round,
Hunter Bray battled back to win four straight bouts and take fifth place at 133.
Alonzo Turner took sixth place at 165, which included a 12-3 victory over No. 7 Logan Grass (Mercyhurst).
Anthony Marra also grabbed sixth at 174 after winning three matches, but coming up short twice, to two Division I opponents.
For the second consecutive week,
Michael Viramontes reached the 197 lbs. first place match. This week, wrestling in the White Division, he defeated Christian Hipsher (John Carroll) and Cade Dallwitz (Central Michigan) to reach the finals. Samuel Mitchell, from Buffalo, defeated Viramontes, who finished second.
Darese Sparkman took fourth at 141 and
Justin Crawford battled to eighth place in the 157 bracket.
"We saw little improvements," said head coach
Sonny Marchette. "We're just trying to keep things moving in a forward direction."
The Falcons head to the University of Findlay next weekend to wrestle in the Findlay Open, on November 16.
