Marion has renamed its invitational wrestling meet to honor a former coach, athletics director Corby Laube announced Saturday.

The tournament has been renamed the Loyd Shaffer Marion Invitational and was held Saturday.

Shaffer coached the Marion wrestling team for 26 years, starting in 1965. He also coached football and track, and taught physical education at Marion.

Shaffer was a standout high school athlete at Maquoketa. He graduated from Coe College and played football for the Kohawks until suffering a career-ending knee injury. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Coe.

Under Shaffer's direction, Marion wrestling dominated the Wamac conference in the '70s and '80s.  The Indians won 13 Wamac Conference tournament titles, 10 dual meet titles, and 73 individual’s won conference titles.  There were two state champions, 15 state place winners and an additional 28 state qualifiers during this period. 

Shaffer started the Marion Indian Invitational in 1989.

The announcement stated that "(Shaffer) valued his time at home with his family so rather than travel out of town this tournament was established. To this day Coach Shaffer’s spirit lives on as he influenced many coaches, wrestlers and students at Marion High School.  In honor of Coach Shaffer’s  accomplishments and impact on Marion wrestling we would like to announce this tournament will now be known as the Loyd Shaffer Marion Invitational."

Members of Shaffer's family attended Saturday's tournament.