SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Devil’s Bowl Speedway officially put a wrap on the 2021 stock car racing season, hosting the annual Banquet of Champions on Saturday.

FAIR HAVEN — The Springfield girls basketball team has been enjoying a turnaround in its fortunes this year, but heading into Saturday, the Cosmos were arguably still looking for a signature, statement win.

The BFA-St. Albans boys hockey team is the two-time defending Division I champions for a reason. They’ve put that on display night after night en route to a perfect record thus far this season.

It took overtime for the Norwich University women’s hockey team to come out victorious the last time the Cadets went up against in-state rival Castleton.

The list of Vermonters heading to the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing keeps growing by the day.

DORSET — There is one sure-fire way to get on everyone’s radar in Division IV boys basketball — beat perennial power Proctor. The Long Trail School did more than beat them on Friday night. They thrashed the Phantoms, 65-37.

BRANDON — Teams want the ball in the hands of their best player in the crucial moments of a close game. Alice Keith is that for the Otter Valley girls basketball team and she came through when the Otters needed her the most.

PROCTOR — Just like her two siblings, Proctor High’s Maggie McKearin reached the 1,000-point milestone with a 3-point field goal in Thursday night’s 73-29 victory over Poultney.

West Rutland’s Frank Bioty is a throwback. He is man who loves crunching numbers but in the old-fashioned way. No computer, just putting pen to paper in an attempt to tell a story and preserve history.

Belt out those lyrics, Bon Jovi: “We’re halfway there.”

Hockey coaches always preach to their players that you have to put three solid periods together to put yourself in a position to win.

CASTLETON — Balance. Coaches love the word. It’s about contributions from many different places on the basketball court and the Castleton women’s basketball team took it to a new level in Wednesday’s 78-42 rout of Little East Conference rival Keene State.

MONTPELIER — Montpelier buried Mount St. Joseph under an avalanche of 3-point field goals on Wednesday night, beating MSJ 68-44.

When the Springfield High softball team comes to Fair Haven on April 12 for the season opener, Andy Bladyka will not be in the dugout. Pulling the strings as the coach of the Cosmos will be Tim Considine.

Division IV boys hoops has belonged to Proctor over the last decade. The Phantoms have won five of the last seven state championships, including the last two.

The Mount Mansfield boys basketball team’s record doesn’t tell the whole story.

FAIR HAVEN — Rutland girls basketball coach Nate Bellomo came into Fair Haven’s gym on Tuesday night with a plan and his Raiders executed it with aplomb in a 30-17 victory over the Slaters.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Rutland Herald’s Tom Haley and Caledonian Record sports editor Michael Beniash have tied for the honor of 2021 Vermont Sportswriter of the Year.

It was in 1981 that Springfield High School’s Patty Porter and her field hockey teammates edged South Burlington 1-0 in the Division I state championship game played at St. Michael’s College.

The Mount St. Joseph girls basketball team shot the ball well early and cruised to a 58-29 win against rival Mill River on Tuesday at McDonough Gymnasium.

The script for the first three America East conference games for the University of Vermont men’s basketball team has been a pleasant read for the Catamounts.

Fair Haven girls basketball coach Kyle Wilson does not remember the first state championship his father Jay Wilson won as the coach of the Mill River boys basketball team. He was too young.

CHESTER — It was just like being back home in the driveway in Middletown Springs. Poultney’s big post player Molly Hier kissed the ball of the glass to the tune of 16 points to lead the Poultney girls basketball team to a 37-30 victory over Green Mountain in Nason Gym.

The Spaulding girls hockey team has been as dominant as they come in the state.

BRANDON — The Mount St. Joseph boys basketball team can overwhelm its opponents with its great mix of size and skill.

When Castleton University’s baseball team opens the season on Feb. 13 with a doubleheader at Cabrini University in Randnor, Pennsylvania, Rutland’s Reece de Castro will have a new home. The Rutland High and Rutland Post 31 graduate is being shifted from second base to third base this season.

The outcome was never in doubt Thursday night when the Rutland girls basketball team hosted Mount Anthony. Raiders junior Karsyn Bellomo did her part to make sure that was the case.

WEST RUTLAND — Motivation can be a powerful force. The West Rutland girls basketball team saw “MSJ” on those uniforms and that was enough. The Golden Horde had a 20-5 lead by the end of the first quarter and a 40-7 at the half on the way to a 66-28 victory over Mount St. Joseph.

Mike Favreau built up the Springfield summer swim team into a power that boasted numbers that led some to call it the “Green Army.” They were a sight to behold, walking into the pools around the Connecticut River Valley about a hundred strong.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing that scares you every day.” Translation: Take some risks, get out of your comfort zone.

You can almost hear Dionne Warwick singing “What’s it all about Alfie?”

Jessica Anderson had intended to play softball at St. Michael’s College. It seemed the natural course after batting .408 for her senior year at Springfield High School. Ten of her 22 bases hits were of the extra base variety.

Who knew how important 32 minutes of basketball could really be? It’s something coaches and players could have taken for granted in the past, but they surely aren’t this season.

PROCTOR — Happy New Year. Playing its first basketball game of 2022, the Proctor boys basketball team found its stride as it went along and rolled past Sharon Academy 78-47.

The Rutland girls basketball team will make its opponents work for every basket they get.

Ryan Mulder played for the Nepean Raiders for two years as a goalie in Central Canada Hockey League. Then, he spent four years rewriting the program record book at Castleton University.

Ryan Mulder played for the Nepean Raiders for two years as a goalie in Central Canada Hockey League. Then, he spent four years rewriting the program record book at Castleton University.

Before Mary Rose Jasinski graduated from Springfield High School, she had pitched her way to a 60-5 record during her four years with the Cosmos on the softball diamond. She had also helped to take the Cosmos to state titles in 1974 and 1976.