Clinton’s Voda nominated for Playboy’s 'Sexiest Sportscaster' contest

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By Steven Martens | Tuesday, November 27, 2007 7:34 AM CST | () comments

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

CLINTON, Iowa — Clinton native and network racing reporter Krista Voda talks about being nominated for playboy.com’s America’s Sexiest Sportscaster contest and chuckles at the word “sexiest.”

“I can’t even say it without laughing,” she says.

And although she doesn’t expect to win, Voda says she hopes her nomination is a reflection on the passion and skill she brings to her job, not just her appearance.

Voda, 32, was born and raised in Clinton and grew up a fan of the “stick-and-ball sports.” She played basketball, volleyball and ran track before graduating from Clinton High School in 1992 and going on to study broadcast journalism at the University of Northern Iowa.

In high school, she was a “geeky smart kid who also played sports,” she said.

“People I grew up with are probably laughing about me being on a ‘sexiest’ list,” she said Monday from her home near Pittsburgh. “It’s a strange honor, but an honor nonetheless.”

She worked as a local sports anchor before being hired by Fox Sports as a reporter for Totally NASCAR in 2001. She now hosts The Set Up, the weekly pre-race show for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the Speed network, which is owned by Fox, as well as covering NASCAR and other forms of racing, NFL football and college basketball.

Although she knows being a female may have helped her get her foot in the door, she prides herself on knowing the sports she is covering.

“You still have to know what you’re talking about,” she said.

She said Playboy never contacted her about the contest, but she was notified she had been nominated by a co-worker at Speed.

Her nomination for America’s Sexiest Sportscaster has become a good-natured joke among her colleagues and her friends and family in Clinton.

Her sister, Kim Ottens of Clinton, says Voda is keeping a sense of humor about the whole contest. Ottens said people frequently tell her they have seen Voda on television, and she has been encouraging people to vote for her.

“She doesn’t expect to win, but it will be interesting to see the results,” Ottens said.

Voting ends today at playboy.com and the winner will be announced Wednesday.

Steven Martens can be contacted at (563) 659-2595 or smartens@qctimes.com.