COLLEGE REPORT: Shaffer takes first place for Wabash

Wabash placed 27 wrestlers in the top eight at the 2017 Adrian College Invitational on Saturday to open the 2017-18 season. The Little Giants ran away with the team title, placing first out of nine schools.

The Little Giants won six of the 10 weight class individual championships.

South Putnam freshman Kyle Shaffer, competing in his first collegiate event, won the 197-pound weight class.

The two-time high school state finalist won 4-0 by injury default over John Szep of John Carroll, then won by fall over Robert Jewell of Henry Ford College in 0:42.

In the semifinal round, Shaffer won by fall over Wabash teammate Heath Ault in 2:07

Shaffer won a 9-2 decision in the finals over Tyler Hammack of Heidelberg.

Wabash finished with 200 points to finish well ahead of Heidelberg in second place with 115.5. John Carroll finished third in the team scoring with 113 points.

The Little Giants open the home portion of their schedule on Friday with a dual meet against Manchester College, beginning at 7 p.m. at Chadwick Court.

Soccer

• Secrest, Grizzlies make NCAA tourney — The Franklin College women’s soccer team will head east for their opening round showdown to take on the Knights of Arcadia University on Saturday at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Grizzlies (14-4) earned their spot in the field of 64 this past Saturday night, closing out their first-ever Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship with a 2-0 win over Mount St. Joseph.

Greencastle junior Sydney Secrest is a defender for the Grizzly Cubs, and has played in 16 matches this season (starting two).

She has attempted one shot on goal this season.

Arcadia (15-5) locked up its second straight national tournament bid this past weekend by winning the MAC Commonwealth tournament for the first time in program history.

Awaiting the winner of the Franklin-Arcadia match will be the victor of the Carnegie Mellon-Farmingdale State showdown.

Football

• Three honored as practice standouts — Putnam County freshmen Johnathan Thibodeau, Nick Costin and Jackie Scanland were honored during the season as their college’s “Scout Team Player of the Week.”

Costin (offense) and Thibodeau (special teams) each earned the honor at Wabash, while Scanland (offense) was honored at Franklin.

Wabash is currently third in the North Coast Athletic Conference, but could clinch second with a win at DePauw on Saturday in the Monon Bell Classic game.

Scanland’s Grizzlies have already won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title. They are undefeated going into Saturday’s finale against Hanover, but would win a tiebreaker over second-place Rose-Hulman even in defeat.

• Gibson's team ranked — South Putnam graduate Rob Gibson is in his first year as running backs/tight ends coach at Montana Tech.

Gibson has helped coach the Orediggers to a 6-3 record and a No. 22 national ranking in the NAIA.

Gibson’s offensive players have helped the Orediggers to score an average of 47.11 points per game, highlighted by a 93-point outburst in a win over Montana State-Northern earlier this season.

Basketball

• Taylor paces Pomeroys — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Pomeroy women’s basketball team lost 100-89 to the Lady Bearcats of Brescia University (2-0) on Saturday afternoon.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College was led by Greencastle junior Callan Taylor with 24 points.

SMWC will be back in action at home on Nov. 14 against Lincoln Christian University in the Hamilton Arena at the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: A complete listing of fall and winter sports athletes, including updated statistics, will be included in the Banner Graphic in the next couple of weeks.