SpringfieldNewsSun.com

TIPP CITY — While Graham was making a loud statement at Saturday's Division II Tippecanoe sectional wrestling tournament, so was Shawnee.

It was just that not as many people were listening.

They better be.

The young Braves have no seniors and just three juniors, yet managed to finish fourth as a team and send four wrestlers to next weekend's Goshen district.

"We've come a long way," said Shawnee coach Rick Allen. "I started with six kids four years ago. We're a heckuva lot better than we were."

Shawnee had two runners-up, junior Evan Storts (130) and sophomore Nathan Silvus (171), and two fourth-placers, junior Brad Fain (285) and sophomore Ben Noll (145). Add three district alternates, who finished fifth — Caleb Bostick (112), Ben Russell (119) and Jared Easterday (215) — and one can see why Allen is excited.

"The next couple of years, we should be fighting for titles," said Allen. "We were 13-3 in dual meets this year, we won our own tournament and we were in the top four of every tournament we competed in. This is the start of something big."

Shawnee edged out Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division rival Kenton Ridge for fourth, 122.5-115.

But KR did manage to advance five wrestlers to districts: Cody Harting (112, second), Justin Armstrong (125, third), Jake Martycz (152, third), Dylan Numbers (130, fourth) and Justin Deel (135, fourth).

Other local district qualifiers were Northwestern's Jacob Hamm (215, third), Tyler Sherrock (125, fourth) and James Mantel (189, fourth), Greenon's Spencer Gibson (189, second) and Urbana's Chris Cash (189, third).

Perfect support

Adding to Graham's almost perfect day was a visit of support to the afternoon finals by the unbeaten, top-ranked Falcons boys basketball team on its way to an evening game at Stebbins.

"It's neat that they showed up," said Graham's Jeff Jordan. "We're real close. We come out and support them, and they come out and support us."

She did it!

Indian Lake's Kerstin Harmon (119) struck a blow for girl power by advancing to next weekend's districts with a fourth-place finish.