
Congratulations to the Benton Community girls basketball team as they defeated Vinton-Shellsburg 54-33 tonight. Huge congrats to coach Jeff Zittergruen on his 100th victory as a head coach. Huge milestone!!


Big Bobcat win over Vinton last night and congratulations to BC Senior Blayke Heying on his 100 career wins!
Bobcats and Vinton-Shellsburg meet in Vinton on Thursday, Jan. 23
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
Vinton-Shellsburg vs. Benton Community
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Vinton
Benton 62, Vinton-Shellsburg 9
106: Jackson Parmater (VISH) over (BECO) (For.)
113: Jaxson Mehlert (BECO) over Eli Ollinger (VISH) (MD 16-2)
120: Conner Bridgewater (VISH) over Garrett Kuch (BECO) (Dec 10-3)
126: Jason Eastman (BECO) over Gavin Sanders (VISH) (TF 18-2 3:08)
132: TJ Lovell (BECO) over Ryan Shipley (VISH) (TF 15-0 4:00)
138: Brock Corrigan (BECO) over Tate Schminke (VISH) (TF 15-0 2:07)
144: Elijah Kupka (BECO) over Kyler Messer (VISH) (TF 15-0 3:38)
150: Brady Patterson (BECO) over Isaiah Schneider (VISH) (TF 21-5 3:19)
157: Elias Bieschke (BECO) over Eli Petersen (VISH) (Fall 1:08)
165: Blayke Heying (BECO) over Jackson Hansel (VISH) (TF 20-3 1:48)
175: Weston Kaestner (BECO) over Evan Still (VISH) (Fall 1:07)
190: Brenden Heying (BECO) over Kolby Walker (VISH) (TF 21-6 1:41)
215: Troy Kupka (BECO) over Malachi Parker (VISH) (Fall 0:11)
285: AJ Wilson-Myles (BECO) over Brennan Vanderheiden (VISH) (TF 17-2 2:20)





Congratulations to BC Junior Lizzy Wolf on 100 wins!
Lizzy earned 100 wins at last Thursday's dual against Solon and West Delaware. Lizzy has an astounding 23-1 record this season. Way to go!


#BeABobcat
#APlaceToBelong


uge game for the Rocket League team today as #2 Benton takes on #1 CCA!
The winner of today's match will be in the driver's seat to be division champ and secure a spot in the State Tournament.
Game begins at 4 PM and can be watched at the following links:
https://www.twitch.tv/bcbobcatesports
https://www.youtube.com/@BentonEsports


Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Cedar Rapids Bowling Center
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
Varsity Girls
Benton 1,521 751 Total - 2,272
Marion 1,429 689 Total- 2,118
Isaac Newton 1,642 494 Total- 1,642
Megan Krug 188 138 Total 326
Ana Glawe 133 132 Total 265
Maddie Rammelsburg 172 171 Total 343
Janessa Bries 161 144 Total 305
Cali Nolte 113 155 Total 268
Paige Meyer 121 158 Total 279
Varsity boys
Benton 1,808 983 Total 2,791
Marion 2,053 813 Total 2,866
Isaac Newton 1,517 747 Total 2,264
Ian Davis 168 160 Total 328
Hunter Kupka 160 120 Total 280
Kam Rouse 174 131 Total 305
Caleb Kaump 201 141 Total 342
Josh Fabor 247 187 Total 434
Cade Volesky 181 218 Total 399


Benton Basketball, Week of Jan. 20, 2025
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
GIRLS
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at Van Horne
No. 5 Williamsburg 54, Benton 35
WB 22 9 10 13 - 54
BC 5 14 8 8 - 35
Aubrey Kelly led Benton with 12 points. Talulah Schroeder had nine rebounds. Sophia Seeck had three assists.
BC
Field goals 12/37
3-pointers 5/15
Free throws 6/13
Rebounds 32
Assists 7
Steals 2
Blocks 2
Turnovers 19
Fouls 9
Friday, Jan. 24, 2025 at Van Horne
Vinton-Shellsburg vs. Benton
Saturday, Jan 25, 2025 at Van Horne
Monticello vs. Benton
BOYS
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at Van Horne
Williamsburg 53, Benton 50
WB 11 14 16 8 - 53
BC 10 10 9 21 - 50
BC
Field goals 20/47
3-pointers 7/20
Free throws 3/5
Rebounds 23
Assists 13
Steals 8
Blocks 3
Turnovers 12
Fouls 10
Eli Patterson had 20 points for Benton. Carson Pickering added 11 points. Carson Nolan had six rebounds. With three assists each were Brody Timmerman, N0lan and Pickering. Patterson had two blocks.
Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at Van Horne
Vinton-Shellsburg vs. Benton
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at Van Horne
Monticello vs. Benton


Benton Speech team participated in the WAMAC speech competition on Monday, January 20, where they earned an impressive 4th place overall, scoring first-place finishes in both the Readers Theater group and Solo Mime events.


The Benton robotics season has reached its conclusion, marking a memorable journey for all involved. Competing at the League meet on January 20th, High School team ROAR demonstrated remarkable skill and teamwork, coming very close to qualifying for the state competition. Although they did not advance, their achievements were highlighted by securing second place in the Motivate Award. This award recognizes a team that embodies the spirit of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) by fostering a strong team culture. Both the middle school and high school teams had a great season, and each robot improved every competition.





Absences Add Up!
Missing just 2 days a month means a child misses 10% of the school year.
#SCHOOLEVERYDAY


Benton girls’ wrestling at Oelwein on Jan. 18
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
Oelwein Girls Invitational
Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 at Oelwein
Team scores
1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 184.5
2 Sumner-Fredericksburg 174.5
3 Waterloo West 147.0
4 Benton Community 136.5
5 Crestwood 118.0
6 North Fayette Valley 111.5
7 Marion 103.5
8 MFL MarMac 90.0
9 Oelwein 57.0
10 Denver 45.0
11 Postville 43.5
12 Union Community 40.0
13 Independence 30.5
14 West Branch 28.0
15 Riceville 27.0
16 Highland, Riverside 18.0
17 North Cedar 12.0
18 Cedar Rapids Washington 11.0
19 Columbus Catholic, Waterloo 7.0
Benton results
100 - Alexis Sexton (16-18) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
110 - Courtney Hlas (16-21) placed 3rd and scored 18.0 team points.
115 - Kaitlyn Bonewitz (21-19) placed 5th and scored 11.0 team points.
120 - Alexis Northcutt (3-10) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.
135 - Izzy Schoettmer (31-19) placed 5th and scored 14.5 team points.
135 - Marissa Nolte (4-8) place is unknown.
140 - Jordan Voelkel (25-18) placed 3rd and scored 23.0 team points.
145 - Jordan Koehler (9-11) placed 6th and scored 7.0 team points.
155 - Lizzy Wolf (23-1) placed 1st and scored 24.0 team points.
170 - Layna DeMoss (40-3) placed 1st and scored 25.0 team points.









Bobcats compete at Loyd Shaffer Marion Invitational
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
Loyd Shaffer - Marion Invite
Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Marion
Team scores
1 Wilton 203.0
2 Benton Community 193.5
3 Williamsburg 187.0
4 Jesup 169.5
5 Xavier, Cedar Rapids 163.5
6 Atlantic 135.0
7 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 97.0
8 Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest 84.5
9 Grinnell 83.5
10 North Linn 52.0
11 Marion 47.0
12 Maquoketa 46.0
13 Monticello 20.5
14 Keokuk 19.5
15 Springville 9.0
Benton results
106 - Memphis Bishop (4-17) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
113 - Jaxson Mehlert (26-8) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.
120 - Garrett Kuch (20-14) placed 5th and scored 9.0 team points.
126 - Jason Eastman (20-14) placed 2nd and scored 17.5 team points.
132 - Brock Corrigan (6-7) placed 5th and scored 13.0 team points.
138 - Ryan Koehler (17-18) placed 5th and scored 10.0 team points.
144 - Elijah Kupka (24-10) placed 3rd and scored 17.0 team points.
150 - Brady Patterson (20-12) placed 2nd and scored 23.0 team points.
157 - Elias Bieschke (22-16) placed 3rd and scored 16.0 team points.
190 - Brenden Heying (30-1) placed 1st and scored 27.0 team points.
215 - Troy Kupka (27-9) placed 3rd and scored 22.0 team points.
285 - Will Clausen (23-10) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.


Just a reminder there will be no school today, Monday, January 20, due to staff professional development.
#BeABobcat
#APlaceToBelong


Benton wrestlers face Solon and West Delaware
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at Van Horne
BOYS
Solon 35, Benton 28
165: Teague Williams (SOLO) over (BECO) (For.)
175: Jackson Feuerbach (SOLO) over Mayson Mitchell (BECO) (MD 13-3)
190: Brenden Heying (BECO) over Kyler Jensen (SOLO) (TF 21-5 2:19)
215: Lucas Feuerbach (SOLO) over Troy Kupka (BECO) (MD 9-1)
285: Grant Wilson (SOLO) over Will Clausen (BECO) (MD 11-3)
106: Anderson Osgood (SOLO) over Memphis Bishop (BECO) (Fall 0:40)
113: Jaxson Mehlert (BECO) over Quinten Henning (SOLO) (Fall 1:44)
120: Jayden Steapp (SOLO) over Garrett Kuch (BECO) (Dec 7-3)
126: Jason Eastman (BECO) over Michael Bigelow (SOLO) (Fall 1:36)
132: Brock Corrigan (BECO) over Justin Moore (SOLO) (Dec 6-4)
138: Charlie Karam (SOLO) over Ryan Koehler (BECO) (TF 16-1 4:53)
144: Elijah Kupka (BECO) over Jordan Schmidt (SOLO) (Dec 4-0)
150: Brady Patterson (BECO) over Evan Burg (SOLO) (TF 17-1 6:00)
157: Carson Kidwell (SOLO) over Elias Bieschke (BECO) (Dec 6-0)
West Delaware 36, Benton 29
157: Liam Weber (WEDE) over Elias Bieschke (BECO) (TF 18-3 4:40)
165: Ryan Hilby (WEDE) over (BECO) (For.)
175: Blake Mather (WEDE) over Mayson Mitchell (BECO) (Fall 1:39)
190: Brenden Heying (BECO) over Brent Yonkovic (WEDE) (Dec 1-0)
215: Troy Kupka (BECO) over Jeryn Funke (WEDE) (Dec 5-0)
285: Will Clausen (BECO) over Owen Pettlon (WEDE) (Dec 11-5)
106: Lucas Peters (WEDE) over Memphis Bishop (BECO) (Fall 2:56)
113: Jaxson Mehlert (BECO) over Sladen Shover (WEDE) (TF 17-1 1:37)
120: Garrett Kuch (BECO) over Colten Roling (WEDE) (Dec 6-0)
126: Jarrett Engel (WEDE) over Jason Eastman (BECO) (MD 14-3)
132: Kooper Waugh (WEDE) over Brock Corrigan (BECO) (TF 20-3 4:13)
138: Ryan Koehler (BECO) over Rylan Gaul (WEDE) (Fall 3:03)
144: Jax Miller (WEDE) over Elijah Kupka (BECO) (MD 13-3)
150: Brady Patterson (BECO) over Lane Gudenkauf (WEDE) (Fall 1:14)
GIRLS
Solon 45, Benton 36
100: Alexis Sexton (BECO) over Hailey Anderson (SOLO) (Fall 1:00)
105: Kara VeDepo (SOLO) over Maria Davis (BECO) (Fall 1:00)
110: McKenna Rogers (SOLO) over Courtney Hlas (BECO) (Fall 0:50)
115: Kaitlyn Bonewitz (BECO) over Rylee Worrell (SOLO) (Fall 0:56)
120: Jadlyn Huynh (SOLO) over Alexis Northcutt (BECO) (Fall 1:03)
125: Makayla Keller (SOLO) over Madelyn Kenny (BECO) (Fall 1:55)
130: Alannah Mahoney (SOLO) over Willow Sexton (BECO) (Fall 5:49)
135: Alexis Anderson (SOLO) over Izzy Schoettmer (BECO) (Dec 10-5)
140: Lucianna Miller (SOLO) over Jordan Koehler (BECO) (Fall 1:32)
145: Olivia Bonnema (SOLO) over Jordan Voelkel (BECO) (Fall 4:19)
155: Lizzy Wolf (BECO) over (SOLO) (For.)
170: Layna DeMoss (BECO) over (SOLO) (For.)
190: Mo Brown (BECO) over Adlie Miller (SOLO) (Fall 4:47)
235: Averie Gale (BECO) over Haiden Wolfe (SOLO) (Fall 1:16)
Benton 52, West Delaware 28
100: Alexis Sexton (BECO) over (WEDE) (For.)
105: Addison Schulte (WEDE) over Maria Davis (BECO) (Fall 1:46)
110: Courtney Hlas (BECO) over (WEDE) (For.)
115: Kaitlyn Bonewitz (BECO) over Addesyn Welcher (WEDE) (Fall 5:15)
120: Lexi Bunting (WEDE) over Alexis Northcutt (BECO) (Fall 1:32)
125: Anna O`Rear (WEDE) over Madelyn Kenny (BECO) (Fall 1:03)
130: Kylee Shoop (WEDE) over Willow Sexton (BECO) (MD 10-0)
135: Izzy Schoettmer (BECO) over Gabriella McDermott (WEDE) (Fall 1:38)
140: Hannah Crane (WEDE) over Jordan Koehler (BECO) (Fall 2:21)
145: Jordan Voelkel (BECO) over Lily Heim (WEDE) (Fall 1:37)
155: Lizzy Wolf (BECO) over (WEDE) (For.)
170: Layna DeMoss (BECO) over Parker Robinson (WEDE) (MD 14-0)
190: Mo Brown (BECO) over Gracie Heim (WEDE) (Fall 5:42)
235: Averie Gale (BECO) over Ella Goedken (WEDE) (Fall 1:28)


Scholarships Available for High School Graduating Seniors
-Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau
January 15, 2025
Once again, Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) is partnering with Benton Soil & Water Conservation District (Benton SWCD) to foster the higher education endeavors of Iowa students interested in conservation and agriculture by offering scholarships.
Iowa High School Class of 2025 students pursuing programs of study in any field of conservation or agriculture are eligible for the Conservation Scholarship. While many college majors qualify, preference will be given to students pursuing programs of study in conservation.
The scholarship must be used for the student’s first year of college education.
Information and applications may be found on the CDI website: https://www.cdiowa.org/get-involved/scholarships/
Applications should be submitted to the office of the Soil & Water Conservation District in which the student resides. Only applications for Benton County residents should be submitted to the Benton SWCD office at 1705 West D Street, Vinton, IA, 52349. Contact information for SWCDs contiguous to Benton County may be found at the CDI web address.
The top three scholarships will be awarded at the state level in the amounts of $3000, $2000 and $1000. Winners from the remaining six regions will each receive $500. First, second and third place awards will be paid directly to the applicant’s school of choice in two equal installments, one upon enrollment at the beginning of the year and the second at midterm. The six other scholarships will be paid directly to the students.
Applications and supporting documents must be submitted to the Benton SWCD office in hard copy by 4:30 p.m. on February 7, 2025. For CDI applications only.
Visit the CDI website for additional information. If you have questions or are home schooled, please contact Jessica Rambo at 319-472-2161 ext. 3 or jessica.rambo@usda.gov
Additional scholarships for Benton County residents only will be considered at the local level for one $1000.00, one $750.00, and one $500.00 award. These will be due March 14thby 4:30pm at your local Benton SWCD office 1705 W D St, Vinton IA 52349. No additional scholarship application needs to be submitted for the local scholarships if applying for both. If you have questions or are home schooled, please contact Jessica Rambo at 319-472-2161 ext. 3 or jessica.rambo@usda.gov


What do you love most about working at Benton?
I love watching the kids growth throughout the year. The staff is very accepting and great to work with.


Are you tough enough?
Attending school regularly is a challenge that makes you stronger.


Please remember there is NO Early Dismissal this Wednesday, January 15.
There will be an Early Dismissal this Friday, January 17 at 1:00 p.m.


Thank you to the Benton County Sheriff’s department for the donation of hygiene products to the MS/HS pantry. We are fortunate to have community support and donations of items that students don't always have access to.


Thank you to Iowa Army National Guard Recruiter, Nate Reynolds, for coming in and helping the BC Robotics team prepare for their tournament . He gave feed back on their engineering portfolios, and held a mock judges interview with each team and gave valuable feedback.

