This year’s Mr. NDA was a show like no other. The 13 senior and two junior boys put on an amazing show that had the whole crowd of students, parents, faculty and more all laughing.

This year’s show was hosted by Brenda Aguilar and Carly Noble. The girls did an amazing job with moving the show along and adding some comedy into it too.

First up was the contestants’ introductions in their tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse with their freshman and sophomore girls rampeteers.

One of my favorite introductions was Ben Richards’ Carpool Karaoke. Richards had three NDA faculty members, Mrs. Gilson, Mr. Havlichek and Father Brad, in his car with him lip synching to a bunch of different songs. I thought it was really creative and also very funny.

Another one of my favorite introductions was Charlie Urick’s My Strange Addiction spin-off. Urick claimed he was addicted to Mr. NDA since he has been in every show since his freshman year. Urick’s family was featured in the video when they talked about his “problem.” I thought it hilarious and very fitting since Urick is such a major part of Mr. NDA.

My last favorite was Danny Stewart’s mermaid introduction. Stewart was Notre Dame’s mermaid and had no legs. He then sang a song about how he wished to be on the football team, but unfortunately could not be on the team because of the tail.

After the beachwear and the early 2000s themed Senior Girls’ Dance, the talent portion of the show started.

Andrew Zipp had a lot on live up to after his hilarious and talented aerobic dance last year, but he definitely did. Zipp and John Leonhard danced to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in tutus and did impressive tricks with a ball. The song was also pre-recorded by the duo in their own voices which also added to the hilarious effect the dance had.

One of my favorites, and probably everyone else’s, was Clayton Lisowski’s rendition of “The Train,” a song Mr. Pauly, former president of Notre Dame, had written. Not only did Lisowski sing, but he brought back Mr. Pauly to help him out. It was definitely a pleasant surprise for the upperclassmen in the audience who once had Pauly as their president. The duo also sang the song we’ve all really missed, “Lean on Me.” It was amazing to have Mr. Pauly back at Notre Dame for the night.

What can Johnny Santaga and Nate Ihlenfeldt not do? The boys both surprised the audience with their musical talents. Santaga sang and played the guitar to “Daughters” by John Mayer, and Ihlenfeldt played the guitar to a few different songs. The boys both showed off their amazing musical skills that had the whole audience stunned at how amazingly they performed.

This year for the question and answer round Mr. Havlichek, who has done it for many years, could not make it, so Dr. Ravizza took his place. Dr. Ravizza did an exceptional job replacing Havlichek for this year’s show.

After the question and answer, Mr. Congeniality was announced. The 15 boys and others involved in the show all vote on the competitor with the best attitude and most helpful nature during preparation. This year’s Mr.Congeniality was Ben Richards.

This year’s second runner up was Danny Stewart. Stewart’s introduction was hilarious, and his talent was just as funny. Stewart did a dance routine with two friends and had the whole audience laughing.

This year’s first runner up was Andrew Zipp. Zipp was very deserving of a place in the top three. The past two years he has been hilarious and one of my favorite acts. Zipp’s introduction was a Scared Straight skit that took place in Notre Dame, and his talent was the dance routine with John Leonhard.

Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for, the crowing of the 21st Mr. NDA. Last year’s Mr. NDA, Jack Pavek, was unable to make the show, so for the first time ever, the emcees crowned this year’s Mr. NDA. Mr. NDA 2016 was Nate Ihlenfeldt.

Ihlenfeldt was very deserving of the title. His introduction included different variations of the mannequin challenge. Then Ihlenfeldt stunned the audience with his amazing guitar playing capabilities.

Congratulations to Nate Ihlenfeldt, and a huge thank you to everyone else who made the show as amazing as it was.