Sports

    TAMA — The short-handed Vinton-Shellsburg wrestlers went 1-4 for the day at the rugged South Tama dual meet tournament. But with only eight of 14 weights filled, Coach Brian Sheston Vikings still made some strong showings.    The Vikings rolled past Iowa City Regina, 42-12, but dropped duals to Des Moines East 54-27, Solon 59-12, South Tama 59-21 and Dubuque Wahlert 35-33.

    VINTON — Balanced scoring a big run to start the second propelled Coach Rich Haisman's Vinton-Shellsburg Vikettes to their third win of the season with a 48-35 win over Mount Vernon Friday night at Garrison Fieldhouse.     After week of heartbreaking losses on the court to Solon and Beckman and heartbreaking losses of the court with knee injuries to junior Aza Swayzer and sophomore Ali Smith, the Vikettes (3-3, 2-3 in conference play) had a breakout performance against the a Mustang team that had just come off a 43-33 win over Williamsburg     It was 21-all at the end of one, but the Vikettes went on a 12-1 run to open the second half and led 35-25 going into the final eight minutes.

On our first home meet of the season, our teams came out with a great attitude and gave our fans definitely something to watch, the boys varsity team led by senior Ryan Schoettmer really showcased his hard work with a great 483 series.  The team shot as a whole averaged almost 202. Great job gentlemen.Payton Haefner 204 153 357Riley Richart         227 156 383Cyrus Elwick         148 221 369Ayden Bearbower 178 204 382Cameron Karr 198 178 376Ryan Schoettmer 237 246 483The Varsity girls team led by junior Jenna Pattee, came out with such a positive attitude but a loss to the Go-Hawks.

VINTON — Coach Brian Sheston’s Vinton-Shellsburg wrestlers recorded 16 pins Thursday night during the action in a four-team quadrangular meet at Garrison Fieldhouse. Surrendering three forfeits in each meet, the Vikings fell to Alburnett 40-36, South Tama 69-6 and Clear Creek-Amana, 45-30, but there were still strong showings for the Black and Gold.

        WATERLOO — Coach Rob Levis’s Vinton-Shellsburg/CPU swimmers split a double dual meet Thursday at the Central Pool in Waterloo. VS/CPU defeated Waterloo 86-70, and fell to Linn-Mar 95-72. The VS/CPU won six of the meet’s 11 events, paced by Cyrus Elwick and Carter Kirtz, who each one two. Elwick took the freestyle sprints, winning the 50 in 23.

        VINTON — A close game near the end of the first half turned into anything but by the end Tuesday night, as Coach Joe Johnson’s Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings fell to the Dyersville Beckman Blazers, 64-46 in WaMaC action at the Fieldhouse. The game was close through out the first half. Beckman did have a 17-12 lead after one period, but the Vikings took the lead 18-17 with six minutes left in the half and were only down 25-24 with two minutes left.

Tama veteran Jay Schmidt raced to a pair of IMCA Sunoco Stock Car career firsts this season, earning both the track title at Benton County Speedway and the E3 Spark Plugs Iowa State champion­ship for the full-bodied division. Two of Schmidt’s six feature wins came at the Vinton speedplant.  He’s pictured with IMCA President Brett Root at the Nov.

JJustin Wacha motored to three feature wins and the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock championship this season at hometown Benton County Speedway. At right is IMCA Presi­dent Brett Root, during the IMCA national awards banquet in Lincoln, Neb., on Nov. 30. (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography) 

SOLON — Three Vikettes finished in double figures Friday night but it wasn’t enough as Vinton-Shellsburg fell to the Solon Spartans 51-47. Coach Rich Haisman’s Vikettes (2-2, 1-2 in the WaMaC) led 16-12 at the half, but trailed 26-22 at the half and 34-33 going into the final eight minutes. V-S was hampered by a cold shooting night from the free throw line, where they converted on just 11 of 31.

A strong second half of the season helped Dallon Murty achieve the goals he’d set at the start of his first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car campaign.The 14-year-old from Chelsea became the youngest driver in division history to earn national rookie of the year honors, as well as the youngest rookie of the year crowned in IMCA’s EQ Cylinder Heads Northern Region.