Sports

Despite receiving over two and-a-half inches of rain at the track overnight on Friday, fans witnessed a terrific show Saturday night at Independence Motor Speedway. A great field of 104 race teams signed in for the fourth night of weekly points racing on a night that a pair of drivers became the first to earn back-to-back wins this season. In the IMCA Modified division, front row starter Mike Burbridge shot into the lead at the drop of the green and quickly pulled away from the field.

  The Vinton-Shellsburg Red Cedar Shooters trap team won their last home dual of the season, defeating AGWSR by a team score of 216 to 188.   Red Cedar senior Curtis Geiger won the Top Male Shooter honors of the event with a 46/50, which included a perfect 25 shots from the 19 yard line, which was also a personal best for him the season.

VS Students who participated in the State Special Olympics came home with multiple wins. Vinton-Shellsburg Special Olympics Track Team out of 32 events brought home the following medals: 13 GOLD- 10 SILVER- 3 BRONZE- 1 4TH PLACE- 4 5TH PLACE- 1 7TH PLACE!!!!!!!! Congratulations team!

For the second year in a row, the Heartland Community College baseball team is in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series, which begins this weekend. The team's pitching coach is former Vinton-Shellsburg Viking pitching star Josh Kauten. Kauten, a 2000 graduate of VS, played on the 2000 Iowa High School State Baseball Tournament team, but missed the 1998 tournament while playing in an AAU national tournament for a team coached by Gary Rima.

The Vinton-Shellsburg Alumni Football team has 40 members on its roster, and would welcome more.  We had a great turnout for our Sunday practice, and we can still add more to the roster.  Practices are every Friday and Sunday at 6:00 pm at the high school football field all the way to our game on Saturday June 16 at 7:00 pm.     Tickets are on sale.

On the desk of coach Don Lyle are six reminders of the successful 8th grade girls track team 2012 season. Five of those are trophies or plaques the team won at tournaments this year. The sixth is his book that includes the records for events set by the athletes he has coached for nearly 40 years. Five times this year, Coach Lyle has had to add new names to that book.

Kelyn Rickels led the Vinton-Shellsburg track athletes with an 8th place finish in the high jump at the Iowa High School State Track Meet. V-S results: Boys High Jump: Kelyn Rickels, 8th, 6-0 Boys 800M: Nolan Sagan, 20th, 2:02.33      Boys 1600M: Wyatt Lyons, 13th, 4:38.89   Boys 4 x 100 shuttle hurdle (Nolan Edwards, Darrin Charlier, Ryan Webster, David Richter): 16th, 1:01.

The Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings and Vikettes who earned a spot in the 2012 State Track Meet left Vinton Wednesday for Des Moines, where both Vikings and Vikettes will compete in five events at the State Track Meet which begins Thursday. The Viking shuttle hurdle team members (Nolan Edwards, Ryan Webster, Darrin Charlier and David Richter) continued a VSHS tradition by getting brightly-colored Mohawk hair styles.

  AMES -- Iowa State first baseman Erica Miller has been named to the First Team All-Big 12, the league office announced Tuesday. The honor is Miller's second conference nod after being selected to the second team in 2011. Miller is the granddaughter of Dave and Marcia Hite of Vinton.  "Her family lives in California, and ISU recruited her after seeing her play on a traveling team," said Marcia.

The Vinton-Shellsburg girls golf team finished fourth at Districts. Meet Summary from Coach Woodhouse: May 14, 2012 District Tournament Ames Country Club par 73 Weather: sunny and low 80s   2 teams advance to regionals low five individuals advance in medalist competition   Teams advancing: South Tama                  360 Nevada                        404 Others: Waverly-Shell Rock     418 V-S                              420 Ballard                         423 Union                           448 Gilbert                          466 Iowa Falls-Alden          513   We had no individuals advance.