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Today's Sports

  • Nance hired as VCHS girls track...

    Vandalia Community High School’s new girls track coach hopes to build a program based on allowing athletes to have fun, while still getting better as the season progresses.

    Gena Nance, who qualified for the Illinois High School Association state track meet four years for Charleston High School, was recently hired by VCHS to fill the void left by Mike Travelstead, who retired in May.

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  • Summertime thrill

    DECATUR – By the sixth inning of the double-elimination championship game on Saturday, the Vandalia High School softball team had left the bases loaded twice and left runners in scoring position in the other three innings.

    Coach Brian Buscher sensed a change.

    And he was right.

    The Lady Vandals brought all their hitters to the plate, scoring five runs in the sixth to regain the lead that they had traded with Warrensburg-Latham all game en route to a 15-13 victory that gave them the title in the Decatur league.

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  • Lady Vandals fall to L-W in 1st...

    DECATUR – As the game between Warrensburg-Latham and the “No-Names” played out, the Lady Vandals sat and waited to see which team they would face in the 2 p.m. title game.

    The problem was that the game being played didn’t end until just after 3 p.m., and by that point, the Lady Vandals had been sitting in an heat index of about 120 degrees for almost two hours before learning they would face top-seeded Warrensburg-Latham in the title game.

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  • All players benefit from league

    DECATUR – Looking back at the Decatur summer league, Vandalia High School softball coach Brian Buscher realized something after his short-handed team won the championship game on Saturday night.

    The long drives to Decatur every week paid off, as every player gained something from the 19 games the Lady Vandals played.

    “Everybody,” Buscher said. “Getting those at-bats, and any time you can have live situations, kids can learn on the field. That’s why we come up here.”

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  • Softball alums split with HS...

    A collection of 12 former Vandalia High School softball players gathered for a doubleheader against the current high school team on Monday night.

    The former stars got the best of a short-handed varsity squad in the first game, pulling away to a 13-5 victory, but the alumni did not fare as well in the second game, falling, 5-2.

    The alumni got on the board first, thanks to Hannah Edgar's second-inning single that brought in Whitney Newsom and Michelle McNary.

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  • ASA state wooden bat tourney is...

    The Illinois Amateur Softball Association is hosting a state wooden bat fast-pitch tournament at the Freight Field in Vandalia from Friday-Sunday.

    Eight teams are entered in the tournament, with several coming from the local region, including a team from Altamont, one from Shelbyville and three teams from Teutopolis.

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  • Fayette County Family YMCA holds...

    Two runners finished the 10K race, nine runners finished the 5K race and four individuals completed the 2-mile walk.

    A photo gallery from the day will be posted at www.leaderunion.com on Thursday.

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  • Jr. Wrestlers hold car wash

    The Vandalia Jr. Wrestling Club, in conjunction with Old Capital View Restaurant, held a car wash last Thursday.

    The club was raising funds to purchase an ultra light wrestling mat, and organizer Johnny Swain said that about $400 was raised during the event.

    The club is still short of the $4,500 it needs for the mat, and will have more events in the future.

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  • Kaskaskia College to hold...

    The Kaskaskia College baseball team, under head coach Mitch Koester, will hold an open tryout for prospective players on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m. at the college baseball field.  

    Players throughout the area are welcome to attend, and all players participating must have a completed physical form with them.  

    The tryout will be held two to three hours with conditioning.

    For further information, please contact coach Mitch Koester at 545-3327 or e-mail mkoester@kaskaskia.edu.

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  • YMCA to host sand volleyball...

    The Fayette County Family YMCA is hosting a double-elimination sand volleyball tournament on Sept. 24-25.

    The registration fee is $90 per team. A maximum of eight people high school-age or older can be on a team, but only six individuals will receive a T-shirt. At least two women must on the court at all times.

    Those younger than 18 will need a parent's signature to play, and all players must sign a waiver.

    The minimum number of players on the court is four, and the maximum is six.

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