College notes: Licking County graduates standing above rest
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Douglas Terry did not let an unexpected setback derail his wrestling career.
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Terry, a Granville graduate, recently won the NAIA National championship at 157 pounds, representing Life University. Terry won all five of his matches to stand on top of the Running Eagles.
Terry, a senior, was in the midst of a strong career at Cleveland State when the school abruptly announced it would be discontinuing the program following the 2024-25 season.
During the NAIA championship meet, Terry won matches by scores of 8-0, 20-3 technical fall, 8-7 and 3-0. In the final, he won 5-0, beating top-seeded John Wiley, of Oklahoma City.
Terry, who is studying to be a chiropractor, left his mark as the top wrestler Granville history. He twice finished as Division II state runner-up for the Blue Aces.
Newark alums making mark on hardwood
Several former standouts for the Newark boys basketball team are continuing to have success at the collegiate level.
Elijah Hinton, a senior at Ohio Dominican, averaged 15 points and seven rebounds per game for the second consecutive season, shooting 56% from the field and 43% from 3-point range. He scored in double figures 21 times, including a high of 31 in a 91-63 victory against Kentucky Christian on Dec. 31 for the 19-10 Panthers.
Steele Meister, a sophomore at Findlay, averaged 9 points and four rebounds per game while making five starts for the 18-12 Oilers. Meister, who shot 44% from the field and 72% from the foul line, recently announced on social media his intention to enter the transfer portal.
Braylon Morris, a freshman at Hillsdale, had a productive first season, averaging 9 points per game while making 10 starts for the 11-18 Chargers. He shot 41% from 3-point range and 80% from the foul line.
Shumate family in March Madness
The Shumate family again will play a part in the Big Dance.
Emma Shumate, a Newark graduate, is a sharpshooter off the bench for the Michigan State women’s basketball team. Shumate, a senior, has shot 42% from 3-point range and is averaging 6 points per game for the 22-8 Spartans.
The Spartans earned a 5 seed and play Colorado State at 7:30 p.m. on March 21 at the University of Oklahoma in a game to be broadcast on ESPNEWS. Shumate matched her career high, scoring 22 points while burying seven 3s in a 115-66 victory against Indiana State on Dec. 20.
Shumate’s father J.R., the former decorated Newark head girls coach, also will be in the NCAA Tournament as an assistant coach for the Miami (OH) women. The 28-6 RedHawks won the Mid-American Conference regular season championship and followed it up by winning the program’s first MAC tournament championship since 2008, beating Toledo 68-58.
Miami is a No. 13 seed and plays host West Virginia at 5 p.m. March 21. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Fillmore among country’s best
D.J. Fillmore continues to soar. The Licking Heights graduate recently jumped into the nation’s elite.
Fillmore, a junior at Ohio State, recorded a distance of 25 feet, 8 1/4 inches, to place 10th in the long jump March 13 during the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Arkansas. Fillmore previously jumped a personal-best 27-0 to win the Big Ten indoor championship in the event, a mark that ranked him second in the country for the season at the time.
Freshman trio swinging big bats
Former standouts at Licking County schools already are showing their power as freshmen on college softball diamonds.
Megan Lodge, a Granville graduate, has hit a team-best four home runs during her first 22 games for Lehigh and entered the week hitting .300. Recently named to the Patriot League weekly honorable mention, she smacked two home runs in a 5-4 victory against Toledo on March 1, the first tying the game in the sixth inning and the second providing the game-winning run in the 10th for the 14-11 Mountain Hawks.
Alissa West, a Licking Heights graduate, is hitting a team-best .333 with a home run and five RBIs for Bryant. West has scored six runs and stolen four bases for the 8-13 Bulldogs.
Sydney Cottrell, a Heath graduate, has hit both home runs this season for Walsh. Cottrell has driven in nine runs and walked eight times in 12 games for the 6-8 Cavaliers.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County graduates standing above rest in college sports