April 28, 2024
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Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week: Dominic Vashkelis-Benson, Yorkville, track and field, senior

By Joshua Welge
Yorkville’s Dominic Vashkelis-Benson warm up before competing in the Shot Put at the Class 3A Minooka Boys Track and Field Sectional on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 in Minooka. Dominic finished second to qualify for the State Finals.

Yorkville’s Dominic Vashkelis-Benson warm up before competing in the Shot Put at the Class 3A Minooka Boys Track and Field Sectional in May 2023 in Minooka. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

Name: Dominic Vashkelis-Benson

School: Yorkville, senior

Sport: Track and field

Why he was selected: Vashkelis-Benson won the shot put at the Southwest Prairie Conference indoor track and field championships with a throw of 15.37 meters. He was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is his interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

How did you feel about how you threw at conference?

Vashkelis-Benson: I felt like I did pretty well at indoor conference. I struggled to start the meet but continued to battle and threw a good mark on my second to last throw to win!

How has indoor season gone otherwise? Any other highlights stand out?

Vashkelis-Benson: My indoor season has gone extremely well, exceeding my goals I had set at the start of the season. I had some great meets against great competition and ultimately succeeded in throwing a new all-time PR and getting some hardware as well.

What are your goals for outdoor season?

Vashkelis-Benson: My goals for outdoor season are to continue my success I had in the indoor season. The end goal is to make it to state in both shot put and discus and place.

How did you get into throwing specifically and track and field in general?

Vashkelis-Benson: I actually got into throwing last year as it is now my second year throwing. Before that I played baseball but I didn’t want to pursue it my junior year so my dad brought up the idea of throwing for track and field as he was once a thrower himself. I started to learn how to throw the summer of my junior year and immediately got hooked to the sport.

What made you decide to commit to Wisconsin-Platteville [for football and track and field]?

Vashkelis-Benson: I decided to commit to UW-Platteville as it felt like home. I had been on many other visits with other schools but they didn’t compare to Platteville. They coaches are amazing and I feel like I’ll be able to grow to my full potential with them. The facilities at Platteville are exceptional as they were much better than many of the other schools I visited across all divisions. I was given the opportunity to continue both my football and track and field career at Platteville and decided to call it home.

What do you plan on studying there?

Vashkelis-Benson: I plan to study accounting at Platteville as they have an incredible business school.