Ever since Greg Young won the coveted Mr. Titletown crown in 2015, Notre Dame men  have been striving to reclaim the title.

Many have high hopes that senior Nate Ihlenfeldt can make 2017 the year that another NDA student takes the crown.  Ihlenfeldt has not disappointed once this year, as he managed to help carry the Tritons to state and put on an amazing performance at the Mr. NDA show.

Ihlenfeldt’s opening video involved many of his friends and the popular mannequin challenge that circulated Twitter for months, but his talent was what distinguished him from the rest of the contestants.

“I actually started out with a completely different idea, but after collaboration with my friends it developed into the final act,” Ihlenfeldt said. He and his band played a variety of rock music from many different artists and earned him the honor of representing the school in the Mr. Titletown competition.

“Honestly I was shocked when I heard that I won. There were so many great acts,” he added.

Mr. Titletown is a broader competition than Mr. NDA was, involving more than 10 other schools in the area, but Ihlenfeldt isn’t too worried: “I’m not too nervous. I was definitely more nervous to compete in Mr. NDA.”

The worst is behind Nate as he advances to the next leve,l and he is excited for the challenge of going up against the other boys for the $2,500 scholarship.

Ihlenfeldt’s talent act will differ a little bit at the new show to keep the performance fresh.

“I may change it a little bit. I plan on doing the same idea but maybe switching out some of the songs and doing something a little more complicated because I do not have to create an elaborate intro video like we did in Mr. NDA.”

Believe it or not, Ihlenfeldt was reluctant to compete at first.

“I decided to participate because I really want to represent the academy in a positive way,” he explained.  After being crowned Mr. NDA Nate felt more of a responsibility to be a face for his school.

“I feel we all have a responsibility to represent Notre Dame, but it is an honor to be named Mr.NDA and be given the extra responsibilities that come along with that title.”

The Mr. Titletown Contest will be Sunday, February 26, at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.