On March 14, third graders from Grover Cleveland Elementary School in Erie, Pennsylvania, gathered to watch the final moments of the final match in the 285-pound division of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
Battling for the national title on the mat was Gannon's Dorian Crosby, who also happens to be their teacher. When Crosby defeated Nebraska-Kearney's Crew Howard in sudden victory, the classroom erupted in celebration, much like the arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the match took place.
Gannon's Dorian Crosby fulfilled a goal by winning a national championship. (Photo courtesy of Gannon)
Crosby became Gannon's first individual national champion in 25 years, a moment felt across the Erie community.
"We got the two-minute warning, and I told his substitute teacher that I needed all of the kids to come over to my classroom," said fellow teacher Cindy Munch, who serves as Crosby's mentor. "They were cheering for him and supporting him just like he's done for them since he started here."
In Sioux Falls, the championship moment was surreal for Crosby. It represented the fulfillment of a promise he made when he returned home to Erie.
When he made the decision to transfer from Bucknell to Gannon, it was rooted in family. As a father, husband and Erie native, being closer to home and the support system that came with it mattered. During his official visit to Gannon, it became clear he was where he and his family belonged.
"During the visit, the first thing I saw was a banner that read, 'Dorian Crosby — National Champion,'" he said. "It felt like, all right, you all have full faith in me, and I have full faith in myself. I'm going to deliver on this."
Crosby finished third at the 2025 NCAA championships, where he was making his third consecutive appearance on the national stage. He was proud of his season but was left wanting more.
"I wasn't able to get it done, and it was hurting me," Crosby said. "I was so close to getting it, and I looked at myself like, I could end it now or I can try and leave it all out there again and give myself a better chance with a different mindset. So I decided to come back and fulfill that promise I made to myself, Coach Boyd, this program and this community."
And he did.
For Gannon head wrestling coach Tom Boyd, Crosby's championship was the product of consistency and belief.
"Sometimes a bump in the road propels you up the mountain," Boyd said. "After the disappointment last season, Dorian came back refreshed. He knew exactly what he needed to do to win it, and he didn't overthink it."
The 2025-26 wrestling season was one for the record books for the Golden Knights, who set a program single-season record of 12 wins, earned their third Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team championship and produced seven NCAA Division II regional champions.
It was Gannon's second team regional title in the past three seasons. Crosby extended his undefeated season by winning the heavyweight regional title and advancing to Sioux Falls, where he anchored his team's ninth-place national finish. The All-American broke Gannon's 25-year drought by winning four matches in which he allowed only 4 points total.
As he was announced as the heavyweight champion, Crosby hoisted his daughter, Sierra, in the air and was joined by his wife, Jasmine, on the mat.
Crosby holds his daughter, Sierra, after winning the Division II heavyweight wrestling title. (Photo courtesy of Gannon)
"Jasmine and Sierra were the backbone of this whole operation," Crosby said. "(It was) having my family, my own kid watch me succeed — even if she won't remember it, knowing her eyes were on me — that pushed me."
When Crosby returned from Sioux Falls, the teachers and students of Grover Cleveland held a pep rally for him. It was a payoff for the days spent leaving early for bus duty and ending late as he prepared lesson plans for the next day.
"I wake up around 6 a.m. and do bus monitor duty from 6:30 to about 7:50," Crosby said. "Then I get the classroom ready, put up my morning meeting slide and wait for the kids to come in."
From 8 a.m. until dismissal, Crosby's focus is on mentoring and connecting with his students. After resetting his room and preparing materials for the next day, Crosby heads home to spend time with his wife and daughter before leaving again for wrestling practice. "Once I go to practice, I kind of leave everything at the door," Crosby said. "After that, I come home, eat, plan, do homework — and do it all over again. Teaching is very fulfilling, very exciting, and I really love everything about it."
Crosby is graduating from Gannon with a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, completing the program in a year and a half. Wanting to enter the classroom immediately, he applied for positions as soon as he was able and taught full time as he wrapped up his master's degree requirements.
For Munch, who has spent 28 years teaching in the Erie school district, Crosby's first year in the classroom stood out immediately. "He asked a lot of questions, and he consistently wanted to do a good job," Munch said. "He really wanted to do the best for his students."
His students often asked to see clips of the Gannon wrestler during moments of down time at the end of the school day. That support from his students meant everything to Crosby.
"I want my students to know that they can do anything they put their minds to," he said. "Life gets hard, and there are bumpy roads, but if you work hard and push through it, you can do it."
After a season of late nights and early mornings, Crosby is embracing time with his wife and daughter — the foundation and support system that carried him through his busiest year. Having wrestled since the age of 5, Crosby plans to remain connected to the sport through officiating and mentoring young athletes. But for now, the pace has slowed, and the perspective gained through balancing teaching, family and competition has reshaped how he defines success.
Crosby teaches his third grade class at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Photo courtesy of Dorian Crosby)
Boyd thinks this past year for Crosby represents what is possible when commitment meets opportunity.
"Division II provides that opportunity," Boyd said. "Dorian wanted this, and when a student-athlete wants it that badly, you find ways as a program and head coach to adapt and support them. He's a husband, father, teacher and national champion — it just leads you to believe that anything is possible when you want it badly enough."
Now looking ahead to his second year of teaching, Crosby is focused on growth in the classroom and preparing for a new group of students in the fall.
"First-year teaching is definitely the hardest year," he said. "But now I know I can do it. I've been through it, and I'm excited to come back better for my students."
