COLLEGE REPORT: Gellman named CC’s top runner

Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Ben Gellman
Colorado College photo

Forty-one coaches and athletes from Putnam County high schools are known to be competing collegiately this fall.

Earlier this month, South Putnam graduate Kieffer Vittetow was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference runner of the week.

Last week, Greencastle freshman Ben Gellman was named the Men’s Athlete of the Week by Colorado College.

Gellman placed 58th overall in the UCCA Rustbuster meet on Sept. 1 with an 8K time of 30:02.50, and was 61st overall in the Colorado College Invitatinoal on Sept. 8 with a time of 29 :52.6.

Elsewhere, Greencastle native Rhonda (Gottschalk) Smith has joined the Lourdes University women’s soccer staff as an assistant coach.

Smith arrives at Lourdes after spending the last three seasons as the head coach at Bluffton University, where she produced a second-team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference selection along with five Honorable Mention All-HCAC picks.

Her student-athletes excelled in the classroom, where, under her tutelage, three players were named Academic All-Ohio and eight earned Academic All-HCAC honors.

Prior to her head-coaching job at Bluffton, Smith spent three seasons as a NCAA Division I assistant coach at Bowling Green, Youngstown State, and Duquesne after three years on the sidelines at NCAA Division II Ashland., where she was an assistant with both the men’s and women’s programs. Smith began her coaching career at Concord University in West Virginia as a student-assistant coach in 2005 and 2006.

Rhonda Smith

Smith also has an extensive club coaching resume, including stints with Pacesetter Soccer Club in Sylvania, Ohio, FC Pittsburgh, Pennine United Soccer Club in Lodi, Ohio, Putnam County Soccer Club in Greencastle, Ind., and East River Soccer Club in Bluefield, W. Va.

Smith played four seasons at Concordia University, where she earned her B.S. in education, physical education, and health. She earned her M.Ed. in applied exercise science from Ashland University in 2009.

Putnam County fall sports collegians

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following fall sports athletes from Putnam County have been found on college rosters. Results or other information are included whenever possible. Please send any additions or corrections to sports@bannergraphic.com.

VOLLEYBALL

Greencastle

Maggie Meyer, Fr., Marian — Team is 12-3 and has won 10 straight matches. Has one kill, four assists, seven aces and 54 digs (sixth on team).

North Putnam

Kaitlin Mindiola, Sr. Manchester — Has 23 kills, one ace and 56 digs.

Taylor Nauert, Jr., Marian — Team is 12-3 and has won 10 straight matches. Has played in 16 sets with 24 kills, two aces and 10 digs.

CROSS COUNTRY

Cloverdale

Laura Worthington, Sr., Franklin

Greencastle

Joe Franklin, head coach, New Mexico — Women’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation, and the men’s team is No. 8 in the Mountain Region.

Clayton Wilson, So., Anderson — Ran fourth on team at the Blue River Memorial Park Invitational on Saturday with a time of 31:50.7 for 8K.

Shelby Kallem, So., Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) — Finished eighth overall in Southern Stampeded meet on Saturday with 5K time of 19:03.40.

Ben Gellman, Fr., Colorado College

South Putnam

Kieffer Vittetow, So., Indianapolis — Placed 35th overall in the John McNichols Invitational with a time of 26:21. Top finisher among small-college runners.

Logan Vandermark, So., Franklin — Finished 139th of 183 runners in the Rhodes Invitational 8K with a time of 32:48.8.

Maddie McHugh, Fr., Hanover — Finished 18th overall with a 5K time of 25:20.7 in the Hanover Invitational on Sept. 1.

Michael Crossman, Fr., Hanover — Placed 57th overall in the Otterbein Invitational on Saturday with an 8K time of 31:59.7.

FOOTBALL

Cloverdale

Tyler Lotz, R-Jr., Marian — Plays on offensive line for No. 6-ranked Knights (2-0).

Tyce Jackson, Fr., DePauw — Team is 1-1.

Nick Winders, Fr., Franklin — Has played in both games despite broken hand.

T.J. Hagymasi, Fr., Franklin – Team is 1-1.

Tyler Kaeff, Fr., DePauw – Team is 1-1.

Greencastle

Nate Tesmer, Sr., Manchester — Team is 1-2.

Nick Costin, So., Wabash – Team is 2-0 and is ranked No. 22 nationally.

Jacob Meyer, Fr., Millikin – Team is 2-0.

Cade Winslow, Fr., Franklin – Is one of 23 defensive lineman on roster. Team is 1-1.

Abe Wade, Fr., Wabash – Team is 2-0 and No. 22 nationally.

North Putnam

Bobby Scheele, Jr., Wabash — Has played in both games with one solo tackle. Team is 2-0 and is ranked No. 22 nationally.

Hayden Rudes, Fr., Wabash — Team is 2-0 and is ranked No. 22 nationally.

South Putnam

Robert Gibson, assistant coach, Montana Tech — Team is 2-1 and ranked 24th in NAIA national poll.

Lucas Lorian, Sr., Manchester — Has five solo tackles, two assists and one fumble recovery.

Zane Yon, Sr., Manchester — Has one reception for 22 yards.

Grady McHugh, Jr., Wooster — Has completed five of seven passes for 31 yards for 1-2 Scots.

Johnathan Thibodeau, So., Wabash – Team is 2-0 and is No. 22 nationally.

Christian Zeffel, Fr., Wabash – Team is 2-0 and is ranked No. 22 nationally.

GOLF

Greencastle

Jake Buis, Jr., Aurora (Ill.) — Shot a 2-over-par 146 in the Aurora Double Gun tourney on Sept. 4.

Jake Bennett, Fr., Marian

North Putnam

Taylor Dixon, Fr., Franklin

SOCCER

Greencastle

Rhonda (Gottschalk) Smith, women’s assistant coach, Lourdes University — Team is 3-2-1.

Mark Hiemenz, women’s assistant coach, Texas-San Antonio — Team is 4-3-1.

Sydney Secrest, Sr., Franklin — Plays as a defender for the 2-3-1 Grizzlies.

Evan Crowe, Fr., St. Mary-of-the-Woods — Team is 1-5 after program’s first-ever win over Eureka.

Seth Nichols, Fr., Marian — Team has a 3-2-1 record.

TENNIS

Greencastle

Jed Fajt, So., Hanover — Team’s only scheduled match so far was rained out.

South Putnam

Alex Lesko, Jr., Olivet (Mich.) — Has records of 0-1 in singles and 0-2 in doubles.

Josh Stewart, Jr., Franklin — Won match at No. 3 singles against Oakland City on Aug. 31. Won doubles match 8-2.