Sports

Photo: Nathan Ballard hit milestone win number 50 in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division Sunday night during the season opener at Benton County Speedway. Ballard is the all-time wins leader in the division at The Bullring.If Sunday night’s IMCA Weekly Racing season opener was an indication of things to come, it’s going to be an exciting year at Benton County Speedway.

 The season opener at Benton County Speedway is fast approaching with the first green flag of the season set to wave Sunday, April 21. Weekly points battles will begin for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. The Pro Late Model Tour will join opening night action at The Bullring.

Vinton Lions Club Foundation is excited to provide a memorable and enjoyable day for the middle school students and the community. Providing access to pickleball paddles and creating an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie aligns perfectly with the mission of the Vinton Lions Club Foundation. This event not only promotes physical activity but also fosters community spirit and support for local VS High School Scholarships.

Four early season champions will be crowned when Benton County Speedway hosts the fifth and final night of IMCA Frostbuster Week on April 7. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $750 and both Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500 to win Sunday night at The Bullring.

CSI Releases New Report Examining the Economic Impact of Caitlin Clark's Extraordinary CareerDES MOINES - Today, Common Sense Institute (CSI) Iowa released Clarkonomics, a detailed analysis of Caitlin Clark's economic impact on the Iowa economy. Authored by Ben Murrey, CSI Director of Policy & Research, the study provides a data-driven approach to quantifying the impact of Iowa women's basketball and Caitlin Clark's extraordinary college career on the economy of the state of Iowa.

Don Logan of Van Horne was honored with the prestigious Bernie Saggau Award of Merit presented by the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). Don has devoted his life to making an impact and a difference for students, teachers, coaches and in his community. Don's resume is long and noteworthy (included below).The National High School Basketball Coaches Association said of Don, "As Executive Director, the IBCA has grown from 890 members and a fall clinic of under 400 in 1983 to over 3,300 members and a fall clinic that averages well over one thousand coaches annually.

An estimated 2,300 students from more than 140 schools from across Iowa competed in in the 18th National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament at the Iowa State Fairgrounds over the weekend.Male and female archers who placed in the top 10 within their division as individuals, receive a guaranteed spot to participate in one of the national tournaments.

The Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District is thrilled to announce the appointment of Joe Hadachek as the new head coach for the Vinton-Shellsburg football team.With an impressive background in football coaching and a deep commitment to fostering excellence both on and off the field, Coach Hadachek brings a wealth of experience and a passion for student-athlete development to our program.

We have exciting news to share. Today was the state individual bowling tournament. It is a feat just to qualify for the tournament. Once there, you have to bowl three games and only the top eight scores make the finals bracket. Kylee Kirchner qualified at the 7th seed and Vann Lessig qualified as the 8th seed. Both Kylee and Vann have won the individual title today, they are state champions!🎳 Congratulations to Coach Pattee, Coach Kirchner and all of the bowlers on a historic season.

The Vinton-Shellsburg Archery team kicked off their 2023-2024 season in late October of 2023. The archery team is an after-school program, meaning they are not funded by the school and run solely on entry fees and donations. In order for the after school program to be allowed and honored by the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), students have to engage in a two-week curriculum during school hours.