Sports

“We really wanted this one,” said Vinton-Shellsburg girls’ basketball coach Rich Haisman. “You always want that last win…and that was the last win, in the last game of DECADE!”The first-year Vikette coach nailed it. Behind 17 points from Lucy Howes-Vonstein, 11 from Taryn Sutton and a 10-point breakout performance from freshman Alyssa Griffith, V-S downed arch-rival Benton Community, 53-42 Friday night at Garrison Fieldhouse.

IMCA’s first junior national champion will be crowned in 2020. Drivers between the ages of 13 and 18 in all eight IMCA divisions will compete for the title, with point standings to be based on the best 20 finishes in their first 40 starts. The junior national champion will be given the same accolades as national champions in each of those divisions during the IMCA awards banquet in November and receive a trophy, ring and jacket.

GRINNELL — Coach Rob Levis’ Vinton-Shellsburg/CPU swimmers had a big day Saturday as they brought home a fifth-place finish from the rugged Grinnell Invitational. VS/CPU finished with 187 points for the day, and were led by some solid top 8 finishes. Carter Kirtz finished second in the 100 breaststroke in time of 1:04.

VINTON — Nearly 50 runners and walkers braved the chilly temperatures Sunday night for the annual Tour De Lights 5K fund raiser for Vinton-Shellsburg’s track and cross-country programs. Jason Yessak — a member of the Wartburg College cross-country and track programs — was the overall winner in a time of 17:29.

MOUNT VERNON — A stunning second quarter blitz sent Coach Joe Johnson’s Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings to a 72-44 loss Friday night in WaMaC Conference play. The Vikes (2-3 overall, 1-3 in the conference) trailed 15-9 after one period, but the Mustangs hit them with a 30-point deluge in the second period and that six-point margin became a 45-14 halftime bulge.

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 Wi...

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.

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.