UW swimmers open Olympic Trials

by Wyoming Sports.org

OMAHA, Neb. -- Through the first two days of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, three swimmers with Wyoming ties have competed at the Qwest Center. Current UW swimmers Alex Larkin and Lesley Young, along with former Cowboy Scott Usher have all begun competition in the most prestigious American meet.

“This has been an unbelievable experience for our kids thus far,” said UW head coach Tom Johnson. “USA Swimming and the Qwest Center have put together a tremendous meet environment. It has been such a thrill to compete in front of crowds of over 12,000 against the best talent in the country.”

Usher, a five time All-American at UW, has seen the most success of the group, placing seventh in finals of the 100-meter breaststroke on Monday night. Usher, who made the U.S. Olympic team in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2004, turned in a finals time of 1 minute, 1.42 seconds. Usher’s preliminary time of 1:00.97 on Sunday morning was a personal best time. Usher missed qualifying by just five spots as the top-two finishers in each event qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.

Larkin, a senior on the Cowboy roster, also competed in the 200-meter breaststroke preliminaries on Sunday. The Bend, Ore., native placed 68th in a field of the 81 most elite national swimmers with a time of 1:05.45.

“Alex had a tough race. He got off to a bad start and had to force things to try to get back into the mix,” said Johnson. “It was a tough break, but now he just needs to dust himself off and get ready for the 200 on Wednesday.”

Young, a sophomore from Turlock, Calif., competed in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke on Monday morning. Young placed 85th in a field of 105 with a time of 1:13.15. This was Young’s only race of the trials.

“Lesley had a nice swim in the 100 and a great time swimming in this elite meet,” added Johnson. “It was a little tough for Lesley because she had to peak earlier this month to qualify for the trials. She had a very nice race considering she had already peaked with her taper just three weeks ago and wasn’t able to build all of her training toward the trials. Overall, this was a tremendous experience for her and something she can build on as she enters her sophomore year next fall.”

All three Cowboys will return to action on Wednesday for the 200-meter breaststroke. Usher and Larkin, along with high school signee Brandon Fisher will open the 200 on Wednesday morning. The preliminaries will be Wednesday morning, the semifinals that night and the finals will take place on Thursday night.

Wednesday and Thursday’s action will be televised nationally by the USA Network. Each night’s broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. (MST). Live results of the trials can also be followed on-line at www.usaswimming.org.

Rangers close strong

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie second baseman Rylan Harding stumbles back to first on a pick off attempt Sunday against Sand Creek, Colo., in the Dooley Oil Classic American Legion baseball tournament at Cowboy Field. The Rangers blasted Sand Creek 21-2 and held off Boulder County 11-9 to finish 3-2 in the tournament. To read more, click here: http://wyomingsportsyouth.blogspot.com/2008/06/rangers-earn-sunday-sweep.html

UW swimmers at Olympic trials

by Wyoming Sports.org

In the biggest swimming meet since the 2004 Olympic Games, the University of Wyoming swimming team will be well represented as four athletes with UW ties will compete in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials this week at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.

The trials began on Sunday and run through July 6. The top two finishers in each event will earn a berth on the 2008 United States Olympic team.

The four swimmers with Wyoming ties include current athletes Alex Larkin and Lesley Young, former All-American Scott Usher and Brandon Fischer, a high school recruit who will join the Cowboys next fall. All four will be competing in the breaststroke events.

“It is really special to see the past, present and future of Wyoming swimming come together at such a prestigious meet,” said UW head coach Tom Johnson. “It is so cool to see Scott, who is kind of the past, join with two current swimmers in Alex and Lesley. Then adding Brandon, who will be such a big part of Wyoming swimming in the future, to the mix is a very remarkable thing.

“This is the biggest stage of swimming in the United States. It is a great exposure for the Wyoming program and especially these four individuals. This meet is very difficult to qualify for and I couldn’t be more proud of these four. It could be the fastest meet in the world, even faster than the Olympics. We are all very excited and honored to be a part of it and can’t wait to get in the water come Sunday.”

Larkin, a senior from Bend, Ore., will compete in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. In a field of 84 in the 100 breaststroke, Larkin enters the trials with the 42nd fastest time in the nation at 1 minute, 3.96 seconds. He ranks 47th in the 70-man field in the 200 with a time of 2:19.63. Larkin is a two-time Mountain West Conference Champion and an eight-time First Team All-MWC performer.

Young, a sophomore and native of Turlock, Calif., will compete in the 100-meter breaststroke. She earned a spot in the trials just three weeks ago at the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational. She enters the trials with the 53rd fastest time in a field of 104 at 1:11.61. Young was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke at the 2008 MWC Championships this past spring and earned First Team All-MWC honors in both breaststroke events. She holds the UW all-time record in the 100 breaststroke and as a member of the 400 medley relay. She also set the Corbett Pool record in the 100 breaststroke last season.

Usher, a 2004 Olympian and five-time All-American, will be looking to return to the Olympics where he finished seventh in the 200-meter breaststroke in the Athens’ games. He became the first UW swimmer to compete in the Olympics by finishing second in the 200-meter breaststroke at the last U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He just missed qualifying for the 2004 Olympics in the 100-meter breaststroke by one spot, finishing third.

Usher will compete in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke at this week’s trials and enters the meet with the fourth fastest time in each event. As a Cowboy, Usher won six MWC Championships, set the school and conference record in both breaststroke events and was the 2004 NCAA runner-up in the 200 breaststroke.

Fischer will begin his Wyoming career this August after signing with the swimming program last December. Fischer, a native of Livermore, Calif., will be competing in the 200-meter breaststroke at this week’s trials. He enters the meet seeded 44th of 70 with a time of 2:19.46. He is currently swimming with the Pleasanton Seahawks club team.

The men’s 100 will be this Sunday and Monday, while the 200 will be on Wednesday and Thursday. The women’s 100 will be held on Monday and Tuesday. Each event will begin with preliminary morning races, then semifinals that night. The finals of each event will be the following night.

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trails will be televised by NBC and the USA Network. An hour program will be shown each night beginning at 6 p.m. (MST). NBC will televise the opening and closing weekends and USA will televise Monday through Thursday’s action. Live results of the trials can also be followed on-line at www.usaswimming.org

Rangers lose heartbreaker

Richard Anderson
Laramie Rangers coach Kyle Deck congratulates first baseman Mike Garner after Garner made a nice defensive play Saturday night against Dothan, Ala., in the Dooley Oil Classic baseball tournament at Cowboy Field. Dothan won the game 1-0.

Alabama team edges Laramie 1-0

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Here’s some coffee-shop debate: Has there ever been a better baseball game at Cowboy Field than Saturday’s 1-0 win by Dothan, Ala., over the Laramie Rangers in the Dooley Oil Classic American Legion baseball tournament at Cowboy Field?

Laramie manager Sean McKinney doesn’t think so. He just wishes his team could have completed the rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to get the victory.

For more on the story, click here:

http://wyomingsportsyouth.blogspot.com/2008/06/rangers-come-up-short.html

Rangers bounce back

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie Rangers manager Sean McKinney talks to Jason Rodriguez Friday night at third base against the Colorado Bandits. The Rangers scored seven runs in the fifth inning and downed the Bandits 12-4 in six innings.

Laramie uses seven-run fifth for big win

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie Rangers know the feeling, having had the misfortune of giving up big innings to opponents, including Thursday night in the 10-run loss to Wheatland.

Laramie, however, turned the tables Friday night with a seven-run fifth inning that propelled it to a 12-4 win against the Bandits in six innings.

For more on the story, click here:

http://wyomingsportsyouth.blogspot.com/2008/06/rangers-bounce-back.html

Lobos crush Rangers

Richard Anderson photo

Laramie Rangers first baseman Mike Garner looks to make a play defensively behind a Wheatland baserunner Thursday night in the first game of the Dooley Classic at Cowboy Field. The hard-hitting Lobos ran past the Rangers 21-11 in five innings.

Wheatland pounds out 21 hits in big win

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Don’t be fooled by its size. Wheatland may be a Class A team in the state of Wyoming, but the Lobos are rating an A+ when it comes to hitting the baseball against high-level programs.

Thursday night was a prime example, as the Lobos pounded out 21 hits in thumping the AA Laramie Rangers, 21-11 in the first game of the Dooley Oil Classic at Cowboy Field.

For more on the story, click here: http://wyomingsportsyouth.blogspot.com/

Cowgirl tennis adds another student-athlete

by Wyoming Sports.org

University of Wyoming head tennis coach Kristen Hall announced on Thursday the signing Ronnie Spencer to attend UW beginning in the fall of 2008.

“We are very excited about Ronnie joining the Cowgirl tennis family,” said Hall. “I see her personality as a great fit for our team’s philosophy and expect her to have a great college career over the next four years.”

Spencer, of Caproel, Ontario, Canada is a two-time Scotia McLeod Mid Canada Open Champion in the U18 and Women’s Open categories while attending College Notre Dame, Sudbury, for three years. During that same year, she won the Northern Junior Open U18 and Niagara Academy of Tennis U18 Championships. In 2007, she also attended the Niagara Academy of Tennis. She is currently ranked seventh in the Open Division, and her highest ranking has been 24th in the U16 and U18 in Ontario. Spencer selected Wyoming over several schools. She is the daughter of Terry and France Spencer.

“I believe the University of Wyoming will be a great fit for me,” said Spencer. “Coach Hall and I share the same goals and work ethic, so this should be a great experience.”

Spencer is the second student-athlete to sign with the Cowgirls this year. They signed Virginia Iwinski (Marietta, Ga.) during the early signing period.

Rangers A beat Rawlins

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie Rangers A manager Jeremy Francom encourages his team between innings Tuesday night against Rawlins at Cowboy Field. The Rangers won the conference game 10-8.

Laramie jumps out to big lead, hangs on

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

For the young Laramie Rangers A American Legion baseball team, every game, every inning, every pitch is a learning experience. It will likely be that way for much of this season.

The Rangers consist of mostly 15- and 16-year-olds and play a schedule against A level teams that can be 17, 18 and even 19 years old. Many of their games are basically junior varsity versus varsity.

On Tuesday against Rawlins at Cowboy Field, the youthful Rangers showed not only a range of emotion, but a hodgepodge of focus. After leading 10-1 after three innings, Laramie held on for dear life in stopping the Generals 10-8.

For more on the story, click here: http://wyomingsportsyouth.blogspot.com/2008/06/rangers-holds-off-rawlins.html

54 Wyoming student-athletes earn MWC’s top academic honor

The Mountain West Conference office announced on Monday its 2007-08 Scholar-Athlete Award recipients. Fifty-four University of Wyoming individuals received the highest academic honor bestowed by the conference, highlighted by eight members of the Cowgirl swimming and diving program. The Cowgirl basketball team was also well represented with six selections.

A total of 506 league student-athletes were honored from the nine MWC member institutions, including 20 individuals who have achieved a 4.00 or higher cumulative grade point average over two or more terms. Additionally, 40 student-athletes were recognized in multiple sports, bringing the overall number of awards presented to 546.

Wyoming's 54 individual honorees break down as follows by sport: Women's swimming and diving (8), women's basketball (6), men's swimming and diving (5), soccer (5), women’s cross country (5), women's track and field (5), tennis (4), women's golf (4), men's track and field (3), volleyball (3), football (2), wrestling (2), men’s cross country (1) and men's golf (1).

To be eligible for selection as a Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition for their athletic team.

BYU had a league-high 117 scholar-athletes, followed by New Mexico (80), Utah (64), TCU (57), Wyoming (54), Colorado State (52), Air Force and UNLV (43), as well as San Diego State (36).

The scholar-athlete announcement comes on the heels of the MWC’s Spring Academic All-Conference selections last week where 74 UW team members were honored. Wyoming placed 34 student-athletes on the Fall Academic All-MWC squad. The two classroom-based league honors differ in that Academic All-MWC honorees must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team

Cowgirls come up short for chance at repeat

by UW Media Services

CASPER -- It’s going to be a long summer for Nikki Steffes and her University of Wyoming Cowgirl teammates.

Especially Steffes, who lost the national goat tying title Saturday night by just one-tenth of a second. For the second straight year.

And the Cowgirls’ chances of winning the College National Finals Rodeo ended early in the night when two UW women busted out in the breakaway roping competition.

But none of the disappointment from any of the team members could compare to what Steffes endured Saturday night at the Casper Events Center. Coming in as the national leader in her favorite event, Steffes was the last of 12 competitors up, with the highest qualifier’s time tying first. The lowest time goes last. One by one the women tied their goats and the last two competitors before Steffes, Megan Albrect of New Mexico State University and Kobi Olineck of Dickinson State University, were tied for the lead with a four-head run of 27.6. All Steffes needed was to tie her goat in 6.8 seconds or less to win the event outright. She had a seven-second run. One-tenth of a second off the two leaders. A repeat of 2007.

A year ago, Steffes entered the short go as the national leader, but she finished just behind teammate Kayla Nelson, who repeated as the national champion.A visibly disappointed Steffes broke out in tears later in the evening. What cost the Vale, S.D., junior the national title was when she somehow dropped the goat’s front leg as she attempted to tie three legs. That split second was the difference.

“I didn’t have to see the time to know that I didn’t win it. I knew immediately when I threw my hands up … it wasn’t the run I wanted,” she said between sobs. “I was going for first place and it just didn’t work out.”

This performance may be even harder to forget than a year ago. After finishing second last summer, Steffes admitted she didn’t tie a goat for more than a month. She kept replaying in her mind what she could have done differently.

“This one definitely cuts a little bit deeper. To have the same thing happen two years in a row …I’m sure I’ll be replaying this one quite a bit,” she said.

She also placed ninth in barrel racing. The Cowgirls came into the short go with the most chances (five) to score points and perhaps win back-to-back national titles. But it was not the Cowgirls’ night they finished fourth with 368.3 team points. UNLV won the crown with 470.

“It didn’t go our way, but we’ll be back again next year,” Steffes said.

The breakaway roping event did in the Cowgirls earlier in the evening when the team’s two highly-rated competitors, Sarah Mulholland and TaNaye Carroll, both missed their calves in an event that saw only half the 12-woman field have successful runs. And two of those also came with 10-second penalties.

UW Coach George Howard had earlier said that it would take successful ropes and ties to win the title — and a little luck. Neither happened.

First up was Carroll who was coming in as the fifth-rated breakaway roper. The La Junta, Colo., had a tough go from the outset when her horse broke out of the box late. By then the calf got away and Carroll had to play catch up and missed on her long attempt.

Just two minutes later was teammate, Mulholland, who held the national lead for one day earlier in the week. She came in tied for second. The Richland Center, Wis., junior and her horse came out cleanly and the Cowgirls got off a quick throw. But her loop slipped over the calf’s head, leaving her with the team’s second consecutive no time. And with that, the chances of the team repeating as CNFR champs died. Even with their misses, Mulholland finished seventh in the overall average, while Carroll was two places back. Carroll also finished fifth in goat tying.

Two UW Cowboys reached Saturday night’s short go. It came down to the last tie down roper of the night to determine if roper Jake Platt, a sophomore from Ellensburg, Wash., would win the national title. Coming out of the No. 4 spot, Platt had his best effort of the entire week at 9.3 seconds, giving him a four-round time of 43.8 putting him into the overall temporary lead. Two other ropers ahead of Platt failed to surpass him and all that was left was the national leader, New Mexico State University’s Johnny Salvo, who needed a sub 11-second time to win it all. The Aggie tied his calf in 9.5 seconds, but he had to wait to see if the calf remained tied on the ground for the required six seconds. For the entire time the calf tried to get up and shake free, but he never did, leaving Pratt as the national runner-up.

Salvo won the round at 41.6, more than two second ahead of the UW Cowboy. Pratt, making his first CNFR appearance, won the regional tie down roping this past season.The only other UW Cowboy to compete in the championship round was team roper T.J. Teague and partner Quincy Opela of Eastern Wyoming College. They had a 12.7 final run for a four-round time of 47.2.

Mulholland takes breakaway roping lead

by UW Media Services

CASPER - Sarah Mulholland didn't even have a chance to let it sink in that she had just moved into the national breakaway roping lead. The University of Wyoming junior successfully got the loop over the calf's head Wednesday night at the Casper Events Center in 3.1 seconds to move into the overall lead at the 60th College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).

With two days of breakaway roping competition left, the Cowgirls will be tough to beat in the event. UW's TaNaye Carroll currently is sitting third in the same event, just five-tenths of a second behind her teammate. She completed her three rounds of competition the day before.

Mulholland, from Richland Center, Wis., wasn't even thinking about what she had just accomplished. The Cowgirl quickly left the arena to strip down her horse of its sports medicine leg wraps, blanket and saddle to switch to her goat tying horse. Her third straight run of 3.1 or better made her an instant title contender. Mulholland's three-run time of 9.2 moved her into first place in the average and will secure her a spot in Saturday night's short go. She will wait and see if any other competitors top her mark with just the Thursday and Friday night performances left before the finals.

"I know I'm going to make it back to the short round. I want the lead at the end of Saturday night. That's what I'm going for," Mulholland said after the goat tying event where she had a 6.9 tie, her only successful run of the week. Her other two attempts ended with no times when the goat kicked out both times. "I am glad I got that last calf and I really didn't even think about taking the lead in the average. It wasn't my best run of the week, but I'm happy right now."

She admitted that being this consistent at the CNFR is even surprising her. Mulholland said she's been roping well all spring, but luck has not been on her side.

"My horse has been pretty good getting out of the box and getting me into position. I take my shot when I get it and hope I'm in two or the low threes," she said.

Teammate Nikki Steffes moved up the barrel racing average after her best time of the week at 14.62 seconds. Her three-run time of 44.03 placed her sixth in the average with two nights of competition left. Steffes, the defending national all-around champion, also has one round of goat tying left.

Performances push UW competitors toward CNFR short go bids

UW Photo Service
University of Wyoming Cowboy Jake Pratt, a sophomore from Ellensburg, Wash., sits third in the national standings after the third round of tie down roping at the 60th College National Finals Rodeo at the Casper Events Center.

Pratt sitting in third in tie down roping

by UW Media Services

CASPER -- There was nothing wrong with Jake Pratt's roping all week. Blame his horse for keeping the University of Wyoming tie-down roper from being in the top three of the competition.

During Tuesday night's opening College National Finals Rodeo performance at the Casper Events Center, the Ellensburg, Wash., sophomore had a decent 12.6 in the event he won during the regular season.

He felt he could have done better, but his horse didn't perform as expected. The same could have happened to teammate TaNaye Carroll later in the performance. But her horse shook off jitters and the La Junta, Colo., junior finished a successful three rounds of breakaway roping to move into the overall top two.

Pratt's performance sent his cumulative time to 34.5 on three head even though he's sitting second in the average early in the third round. The round does not end until Friday, so he will drop to a lower position. Only the top 12 times or scores for each event advance to Saturday's short go.

Overall, the UW Cowgirls and Cowboys are sitting outside the top 10, but all scores are interim, meaning that not every round is completed and the standings will change. The UW women are currently 12th with 123.33 points, while national points leader New Mexico State University has 305 interim points.

The UW men are 11th with 170 points, while Walla Walla Community College heads the men's competition with 350 interim points.

After his first two runs in which he thought he could have done better, Pratt considered changing horses. He decided to stick with his horse again Tuesday night, but was disappointed with his ride.

All week his horse has failed to properly back up after Pratt gets the calf looped, which helps tighten the rope. Too much slack makes it difficult for a competitor to tie the legs because of excessive kicking, the UW Cowboy said.

"I really thought I could have had an eight-second run. I'll probably make it back to the short go, but I won't be where I want to be," Pratt said. "I won't be in the top three or four. I'll probably be either ninth or higher."

After his highest time of the week, Pratt said he'll definitely change horses for Saturday's short go if he makes it.

"I think I roped really well all week," he said despite his horse problems. "I brought my good horse here this week, but he really didn't act like my good horse. I'll just have to wait it out to see where I end up."

Making her third consecutive CNFR appearance, and first for UW, Carroll put together her third straight good breakaway roping run. Her 3.2 gave her an overall time of 9.7, which all but guarantees Carroll a shot at Saturday's short go-round. She's now sitting second early in the third round. Even though her horse gave her trouble before entering the arena, Carroll managed to coax her to their second-best time of the week.

"She was pretty naughty out there. This is her first national competition in an indoor pen with this many people. She was a little nervous every time the crowd made some noise and she was fidgety," a breathless Carroll said outside the arena. "It's been a good week. I'm just glad to get three of them down and now I'll wait and see where it puts me in the average."

The third UW competitor up during Tuesday's performance was team roper T.J. Teague, a Loveland, Colo., junior. He and partner Quincy Opela of Eastern Wyoming College had their highest time of the week.

As the header, Teague did his job, but Opela missed the heels. He rebuilt his loop and had a successful throw on his second attempt, but the pair ended with a 15.7 second time. They ended three rounds of competition with an overall time of 34.5, which will drop them lower in the average. They'll have to play the waiting game to see if they reach the short go.

UW Cowgirls, Cowboys jump into Top 10 in respective CNFR events

by UW Media Services

CASPER -- Perhaps Nikki Steffes should get up at 4:30 each morning.

The University of Wyoming junior from Vale, S.D., turned in her best barrel racing time early Tuesday morning at the 60th College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in the Casper Events Center. She also moved up the national goat tying standings.

Her two-round aggregate time under 30 seconds (29.57) moved her higher up in the barrel racing average -- 12th after two full rounds -- and kept her chances of repeating as the national all-around champion alive.

She is among five UW contestants in the top 10 in their respective events.

It didn't hurt that Steffes was the fourth racer in the arena during the final round of slack competition, which began at 7 a.m. The day before, she was one of the last to compete. By then the arena was soft, leaving her with a time that kept her out of the top 20.

Aboard "Doc" the tandem had a better run, with the horse cutting the turns sharply.

"I thought my run went a lot better today. It was definitely an advantage to be one of the first ones out. It was a huge difference," she said outside the arena. "The ground was a lot more solid and was just that much better. There will be a lot faster times as well."

She was glad that she got her barrel racing run early so that she could rest up for her second goat tying run. However, she didn't like the fact that she had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get "Doc" fed and watered to prepare for their early run.

She later had an "average time" of 7.1 seconds in goat tying, not up to her usual high standards, she said. Her two-run time of 13.8 seconds put her third in the average, just five-tenths of a second out of first place. She was the national runner-up in the same event last season.

Teammate TaNaye Carroll put herself into breakaway roping contention when she stopped the clock in a quick 2.6 seconds, more than one second better than her initial run. Her two-round time of 6.5 left her ninth in the average after two rounds of competition.

She joins teammate Sarah Mulholland in the top 10 after two rounds of breakaway roping. Mulholland, a junior from Richland Center, Wis., is tied for third in the average at 6.1 seconds with one more round left before Saturday's short go. However, Mulholland suffered her second straight no time in goat tying Tuesday morning. Like the day before, the goat kicked out of its tie.

Carroll, a La Junta, Colo., junior, was pleased with her Tuesday morning performance.

"Who was that girl out there?" an elated Carroll said as she cooled down her horse outside the arena. "My strategy was the same today as my first run. I just wanted to go out there and rope as quickly as possible. I drew a good calf, but he was not quite as fast as my first one. He gave me a chance to rope him a little quicker though."

Carroll completed her morning with another solid goat tying round in 7.2 seconds, slightly faster than her 7.8 the day before. Her two-round average of 15 seconds put her ninth in the average.
"I got two down and have a pretty good average time," she said. "I hope I keep drawing the good ones."

Tie down roper Jake Pratt is one round away from securing his first short round bid.

The Ellensburg, Wash., sophomore successfully tied his second calf of the week, a little slower at 11.1 seconds, but still left him with a two-round time of 21.9 and fifth in the average after two full rounds. He's making his first CNFR appearance.

"I try not to think about it. It's like going to any rodeo down the road. I try to go out there and try my best on the calf I draw," said Pratt, who won the regional tie down title this season. But he said he's thinking of switching horses for his third run because the horse didn't pull tight enough to take out the rope's slack once the UW Cowboy lassoed the calf.

"I should have been a lot faster on both my runs," he said. "I just have to go out there, catch them and tie them down. We'll see what happens the rest of the week."

UW's top standing team roper, T.J. Teague, along with partner Quincy Opela of Eastern Wyoming College, took a slight hit on their overall average time. Teague, a senior from Loveland, Colo., managed to get his loop over the steer's horns, but Opela looped only one heel. The team's decent 7.5 time ballooned to 12.5 with a five-second penalty.

The pair's two-head time of 18.8 put them ninth in the average.

"If we had caught two feet we would have been there really good in the average," Teague said. "But now we just have to fight back."

The Viles brothers of Cody -- Tyler and Justin -- made up for a no-time the day before with a 6.3 time in the same event. The Cowboys' third team roper, Mark Morrison of Killdeer, N.D., and partner Brad Johnson of Gillette College had a no-time for the second straight day.

Jason Hubbard's bad luck continued in the tie down roping event when he suffered his second straight no-time Tuesday morning. The Wheatland junior got the calf tied in 9.1 seconds, but it kicked out of the tie. The same thing happened the day before.

Bareback competitor Neil DeZort opted out of his second ride Tuesday because he was still smarting from his shoulder injury during Sunday's opening competition. The Kalispell, Mont., sophomore's final ride of the week is scheduled for Thursday.

Rangers Prep sweep Rawlins

Richard Anderson photo

Laramie Prep coaches Armando Casas, left, and VerDon Hoopes check things out between innings of a recent home game at Cowboy Field.

Laramie has now won seven of nine

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie Rangers Prep American Legion baseball team continues its improved play, sweeping Rawlins Monday night at Cowboy Field.

Laramie, 10-10 on the season, downed Rawlins 11-5 and 9-1. The Rangers now have won seven of their last nine games. Last weekend, Laramie split with both the Longmont Vipers and the Fort Collins Storm in Fort Collins Baseball League play.

Against Rawlins, Laramie jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the first game en route to the easy win. The Rangers had 10 hits in the game, led by Kevin Dooley and Dylan Watson with two hits and an RBI each; Taylor Boggess, Alex Jordan and Tyler Warren all had RBI singles in the game. Hunter Wick, Casey Stangle and Sam Feldman all pitched for the Rangers.

In the second game, Boggess and Jordan combined for a three-hitter in the 9-1 victory. Boggess also had three hits and an RBI, with Dooley adding two singles and two RBI.

“We didn’t play as sharp as we have been in the last two games. We were just well enough to get the wins,” Laramie manager VerDon Hoopes said. “We had pretty good pitching and we were able to get players some time at different positions and still be able to be solid in the field.

“All in all, we have been playing a lot lately -- six games in eight days. We have responded well and I’m real pleased with how far we have come.”

On June 12, Laramie split with the Longmont Vipers, losing the first game 8-6 but coming back to win the second game 10-9. Boggess had a pair of hits in the first game and Wick knocked in a pair of runs. In the second game, Abel Casas and Dooley had two hits to lead the way.

On June 14, Laramie fell to the Fort Collins Storm 6-2, but bounced back to win the second game, 9-8. Laramie scored two runs in the top if the seventh for the game-winner in the nightcap. Watson had two hits in the first game for Laramie, while the Rangers combined for 18 hits in the second game. Casas, Tommy Johnson and Boggess all had three hits in the second game.

Laramie returns to the diamond for the Fort Collins baseball league playoffs on June 28-29. Hoopes said the time off from competition will be good for the team.

“We will get back to the practice field, which we haven’t seen a loot of lately, and work at getting better and ready for our tournament at the end of June,” Hoopes said.

Steffes off to solid start at CNFR

BY UW Media Services

CASPER -- For nearly five minutes at around high noon, Nikki Steffes stared down goat No. 7 at the Casper Events Center. One of them would win the battle 45 minutes later. It wasn't the animal.

The University of Wyoming's all-time points leader had a solid 6.7-second performance in the opening round Monday, putting her third overall after one round in the goat tying competition at the 60th College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).It was a good start for the defending national all-around champion who also ran the barrels in 14.95 seconds earlier in the day for the Cowgirls.

The UW women are seeking to repeat as CNFR team champions. With the first round complete and the second to be finished Tuesday, the UW women have scored 93 interim points, meaning not all rounds are done. Walla Walla Community College is the leader with 170 interim points.

Steffes' teammates, Sarah Mulholland and TaNaye Carroll, also competed in goat tying, while Mulholland completed her second of three breakaway roping attempts. Halfway through the latter event, Mulholland is tied for the national lead, but her chances of making the short go in goat tying took a hit when her goat kicked out of its tie. Carroll put down her goat in 7.8 seconds, giving the Cowgirls two women still in contention. Carroll is sitting 16th overall.

Steffes, who also leads the national standings in both the all-around competition and in goat tying, quickly jumped into contention in the opening round. But she did something she normally does not do: Check out the goat herd beforehand. Steffes said she flanks differently when bringing a goat down, depending on how big it is, and wanted to craft a game plan before her name was called. Competitors tie the same goat three times before a fresh one is brought in. Steffes' goat was new, which sometimes can prove difficult.

"Being the first one out on the goat, I wanted to have a pretty good idea what he was going to be like. I don't usually study them as much as I did today, but I was a little nervous going at there," Steffes said. "I stumbled on my dismount and rolled my ankle a little but, but I feel pretty good with my time. I think it will be great the rest of the week."

She made up time on her tie, but had to wait a few anxious moments as the fresh goat kicked repeatedly to get out of its tie. But Steffes uses extra rosin on her rope to help keep the loop tighter on the goat's legs. Steffes also had things working against her earlier in barrel racing, but she overcame what was thrown her way. She was one of the last to compete in her section, which left the dirt around the barrels soft instead of being smoothed over by the rake handlers. The loose dirt caused her horse some problems turning the corners.

"It definitely made a difference. The ground was just so deep and my horse had somewhat of a difficult time with it. I felt that my horse and I did the best we could and you really can't do anything about the ground," she said. "I'm fourth or fifth out on Tuesday and it should make a big difference."

She is currently 22nd after one round of competition. With the team's consistent showing after two days, the defending CNFR champion women are back in contention. But Steffes says that being the only returning member, she can't take that for granted.

"It does help with my confidence but, at the same time, it's a whole new year," she said. "What happened last year doesn't really matter. There are 50 girls here that are so capable of winning a national title. I feel very fortunate to have had success last year, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee that I will too this year."

Carroll, a La Junta, Colo., junior, was a little more than a full second behind Steffes in goat tying. But she was glad to get the first one out of the way.

"It felt all right. I had a first run on a goat and I really didn't know what he was going to do. I did OK and I got the first one down," she said.

As for Mulholland, she has been consistent in breakaway roping. After posting a three-second time Sunday, the Richland Center, Wis., junior had a 3.1-second run Monday, putting her at 6.1 on two. Another lower time Wednesday will perhaps put her into Saturday's short go. But she's not looking that far ahead.With just one section of breakaway ropers left, Mulholland is tied for first with McNeese State University's Hope Thompson.

"Right now, I'm just focusing round-by-round. I don't want to look at the end picture. I want to think calf-by-calf, otherwise it will get too stressful," Mulholland said. "I'm happy with my times and maybe I'll get a little faster on my next one. I just want to get into the short go for a chance to win."

She won't get that chance in goat tying. After making a smooth run and a clean dismount with a fast tie, the goat, which was fresh, kicked out of its tie. Mulholland fell to her knees in disappointment.

The UW men struggled for the second consecutive day, although one of the Cowboys' three team roping teams jumped into contention. And it came with the pair that hadn't roped together all season. Both T.J. Teague, a Loveland, Colo., junior and partner Quincy Opela of Eastern Wyoming College were drawn together as partners after both finished fourth in the regional team roping standings. But both had different partners throughout the year.The pair stopped the clock in 6.3 seconds, with Teague getting his loop on the steer's horns in one quick motion coming out of the box and Opela catching the heels just as quickly. Teague left the arena with a huge grin on his face.

"I didn't get a good look at the scoreboard after we went because there are so many people back there behind the chutes. But I guess I just went out there and did what I do all the time," Teague said as he and Opela slapped high fives. "We both roped well and we just put it all together when it counts the most. We are both here at the CNFR for the first time and this is the time to do well. We'll come back tomorrow and hopefully put another good one together."

Their initial effort put them fourth overall after one round. The other two UW team ropers weren't as successful.T he roping duo of Cody brothers Tyler and Justin Viles had a no time. Tyler's loop slipped over the steer's head and the brothers chased the steer around the arena, but time ran out before they could get off a second attempt. Mark Morrison, a Killdeer, N.D., senior, couldn't get his loop around the steer's heels after partner Brad Johnson of Gillette College got his over the horns. The two UW tie down ropers had mixed results Monday morning.

Ellensburg, Wash., junior Jake Pratt tied his calf in 10.8 seconds in his initial run. He roped the calf quickly coming out of the chute, but lost valuable time taking it down, which could have made his run even quicker. Halfway through the opening tie down roping round, Pratt, who won the regional title this past spring, is sitting eighth overall in the CNFR standings. UW's Jason Hubbard of Wheatland had a difficult opening round. It was a doomed run from the outset when the calf broke sharply to the right. Then the junior had a tough time bringing the calf down and tying the hind legs. Finally, the calf kicked out of the tie, giving Hubbard a no time. The Cowboys have 60 interim points for 24th place. Panhandle State University leads with 230.

Lions crush Rangers

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie second baseman Rylan Harding is congratulated by coach Kyle Deck after a play in the field against Mountain View.


by Wyoming Sports.org

When the Laramie Rangers are into the game, they play with the best of them. When they're not, the end result is predictable.

Trailing just 5-4 going into the top of the seventh Saturday against Mountain View High School (Loveland, Colo.), the Rangers fell apart, giving up eight runs enroute to a 13-5 loss. Mountain View then completed the sweep at Cowboy Field with an 18-0 undressing.

As has been the case all season against quality teams, one bad inning has done in the Rangers. That disappointing loss then leads to a blowout. That was the case on Saturday.

Laramie led 3-0 after three innings after a big three-run double by first baseman Mike Garner. Mountain View, however, chipped away against starting pitcher Coleton Wilson with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings and a single run in the sixth. Laramie made it 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

But the Lions took advantage of two high pop flies in the sun that fell against the Rangers' defense and never looked back.

Sean Gardea and Garner led the Laramie offense with two hits each.

The second game was never in doubt, as Mountain View scored four times in the first inning and three more in the second off of Laramie starting pitcher Jordan Rhodine. An eight-run fourth blew the game open.

Gardea and Ryan Ivy had the only two hits for the Rangers in the game off of Mountain View starter Miller (first name not available).

The Rangers, 5-13, return to action next weekend at the Rich Hinseth Agency Tournament in Rapid City, S.D.

Bridgmon competes in NCAAs

By Eastern Washington Sports Information

There has been a change in plans.

Mattie Bridgmon competed for All-America honors Friday as the Eastern Washington University track and field athlete qualified for the finals in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Track and Field Championships Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa.

Although she will be missing EWU's commencement ceremony on Saturday, that didn’t take away from any of her excitement of competing in the finals Friday night. The top eight American finishers are given All-America status.

"If I am going to have to pick between nationals and graduation, I would definitely pick nationals," said an overjoyed Bridgmon after her race on Wednesday "It is a shock that I made it to finals and I am definitely excited."

Bridgmon, a 2005 graduate of Laramie High School, came out a little short on Friday in her attempt to be an all-America runner, as she finished 13th in the race in 16 minutes, 35.28 seconds.

Bridgmon made her first appearance at the national level in track and field. However, she advanced to the NCAA Championships in cross country last fall, finishing 64th.

She had the 10th-fastest time out of 27 runners (17:18.39) as the top six finishers in each of the two heats and the next four fastest times qualified for finals. Bridgmon was 10th in her heat and was actually the last competitor to qualify. She entered ranked 23rd with a time of 16:33.60, which was a new school record set at the Oregon Relays earlier this season.

"Today race was about getting a place and making it to finals," said EWU distance/cross country coach Chris Zeller on Wednesday. "I would have liked to see Mattie a little quicker but she did what she had to do. Friday it all depends on how the race goes to see if she can earn All-America status."

Bridgmon won't be in person to receive her bachelor's degree in exercise science Saturday in Cheney, Wash., but she had her family by her side cheering for her in Des Moines. Her father and step-mother watched her run on Wednesday and, had she not qualified for finals, would have made the long drive to Cheney for commencement.

Instead, they were joined in Des Moines by Bridgmon's brother and mother, who drive 676 miles Friday from Wyoming to watch her in the finals.

Wednesday's first heat in the 5,000 was slow-paced and was won by Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego with a time of 17:23.14. Thus, all Bridgmon had to do to make it to finals was to beat the sixth-place time of 17:37.46 and finish in the top 10 in the second and final heat.

She was actually 11th when Rice's Allison Pye fell, putting Bridgmon in the top 10. She then held off 11th-place finisher Tone Hjalmarsen from Oklahoma State by three seconds to advance to the finals.

"As long as Mattie's heat ran at a decent clip and made the top 10 they were in," explained Zeller. "In over half the race she was in 11th until the Rice runner fell. It was fortunate for Mattie and she kept enough separation to make finals. Friday is a new race and we will see what she can do."

Burton misses finals at NCAA Championships

by Wyoming Sports.org

DES MOINES, Iowa -- University of Wyoming senior,Kate Burton was eight inches away from making the finals and being named All-American in the hammer throw on Friday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships

After finishing the prelims on Wednesday in eighth place, Burton slipped two spots to finish the day in 10th place with her toss of 199-feet. The winner was Eva Orban, a junior from USC with her throw of 225-5.

“Kate did a great job today, it’s bitter-sweet to make it this far and be on the outside looking in by only eight inches,” UW head throws coach Paul Barrett said.

Burton fouled on her first throw where her toss just missed the sector and would have been long enough for her to make the finals. Her next two throws were for 193-5 and 199-0 respectively.
Burton finishes her career as the record holder in the hammer throw by three feet and fifth best all-time in the 20-pound weight throw during the indoor season; one of Wyoming’s best.

“Kate is going to be missed and very hard to replace,” said Barrett. “She did a great job in setting the bar very high for many Cowgirls to come.”

Burton will continue to compete as she will now move onto the Olympic Trials, which she qualified earlier for this season. The trials will be at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore., June 27-July 6.

Cowgirls look to defend rodeo title

UW photo service

Wyoming junior Nikki Steffes looks to defend her CNFR all-around title in Casper.

UW's Steffes shoots for second straight all-around championship

By UW News Service

Wherever the University of Wyoming women's rodeo team went the past year, they were greeted with plenty of congratulations -- just like their Cowgirl basketball counterparts: Both were coming off championship seasons.

Not to take away from what the UW women did on the basketball court, but the big difference was that this particular Cowgirl team won a national championship.

This season, the UW women's rodeo team was more dominant than the club that won its first College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) championship in more than 15 years. And like those early 1990s team that dominated women's rodeo with three national titles, this year's Cowgirls are looking to repeat.

Nearly 400 of the best cowboys and cowgirls representing colleges and universities in 11 regions across the United States start competition this weekend at the CNFR at the Casper Events Center.

The 60th CNFR begins Sunday with afternoon performances at 1 and 4 p.m. Slack is scheduled from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Public performances start at 7 p.m. On Wednesday and the rodeo culminates with the championship round at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Student athletes will compete for more than $200,000 in scholarships.

Veteran UW Coach George Howard says last year's women's team championship wasn't totally unexpected because the previous couple of seasons built up to the title run.

"Last year's team was so focused and determined because they got a taste of it the last couple of years," Howard said. "Going in this weekend we still have to be considered one of the top teams. Balance-wise, I think we are a tougher team than a year ago."

Only one member from the 2007 CNFR championship club is back -- the defending all-around title holder, junior Nikki Steffes. And she's coming off a dominating regional run that earned the Vale, S.D., junior her third consecutive all-around championship.

She and bareback rider Tilden Hooper of Panola (Texas) College are the only returning individual champions from last season.

Steffes is the national goat tying runner-up after being surpassed in the championship round last season by two-time CNFR champion and UW teammate Kayla Nelson. This season Steffes, who won both the regional goat tying and barrel racing titles, led the Cowgirls to a school-record 5,735 points -- second most in the nation behind New Mexico State University. The UW women won nine of the region's 10 rodeos during the fall and spring schedules.

She will be joined on the three-member UW team by community college transfers TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland, both CNFR veterans. The two juniors finished behind Steffes in the final regional all-around competition.

Carroll, from La Junta, Colo., won the regional breakaway roping title, while Mulholland, from Richland Center, Wis., was fourth. Steffes, Carroll and Mulholland went 1-2-3 in the goat tying competition.

Those three goat tyers will help offset New Mexico State's power in barrel racing where three competitors have qualified.

"I rate our chances of repeating very strong," Howard said. "We have to place high in each round in all three women's events and get to the short round. The women have been consistent all year long and that is what makes this team so tough."

While the Cowgirls cruised to their third consecutive regional title this past spring, the UW Cowboys struggled and didn't even qualify for the CNFR until the final weekend of the regular season. Only the top two teams from the region qualify for college's biggest rodeo and the UW men barely made it, ending a one-year hiatus from the CNFR.

"We weren't healthy most of the year," Howard said. "But now everyone starts back at zero."
If the makeup of the UW women's team is balanced with the three women competing in all three events, the Cowboys are an unbalanced bunch dominated by ropers.

Sophomore Neil DeZort, in saddle bronc riding, is the only UW roughstock rider competing. Points will have to come from the rest of his teammates who will compete in either tie down or team roping. And this is a fairly inexperienced group coming into the finals.

DeZort barely missed qualifying for last season's short go when he was tossed in his final ride, but he suffered the entire week with a dislocated shoulder. That same shoulder, which doesn't effect his free arm, popped out again throughout the season. The Kalispell, Mont., native had a consistent year, however, finishing third in the event.

UW had the top two tie down regional ropers in Jake Pratt, a sophomore from Ellensburg, Wash., and junior Jason Hubbard from Wheatland. But the pair is making its first CNFR appearance.

The Cowboys are entering three pairs of team ropers: first-time CNFR qualifiers juniors T.J. Teague, of Loveland, Colo., and Tyler Viles from Cody.

The other team roper is Mark Morrison, a Killdeer, N.D., senior, who qualified for the CNFR two years ago in the same event.

Viles teamed up with older brother, Justin, to place second in the final regional standings. Justin's points will not count in the team standings because his eligibility ended in 2007, but as the student regional director, he received an invitation to the CNFR competition.

"The philosophy has been to stop the clock," Howard said of his stable of ropers. "Each one has won at least one regional roping event during the year."

The Cowboys are seeking their first team title since 1961.

Burton qualifies for finals

by Wyoming Sports.org

DES MOINES, Iowa -- After a rain soaked morning, Wyoming senior Kate Burton finished the qualifying round of the hammer throw in eighth place, moving to the finals of the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Burton finished with a toss of 201-feet, 5 inches on Wednesday, which was good for eighth out of 29 competitors. Brittany Riley of Southern Illinois is in the lead after day one with a toss of 211-7. The top 12 move onto the finals on Friday.

Burton had her only mark on her first throw, with fouls on her next two tosses.

“Kate did a great job today in getting through to the finals,” Wyoming throws coach Paul Barrett said. “Today can sometimes be more stressful than the finals, but she got through and now we look forward to Friday.”

The finals for the hammer throw will begin at 3:15 p.m. Live results can be found at www.trackshark.com. At the conclusion of the hammer throw the top eight will be named All-American.

Burton heads to NCAA Championships

By Wyoming Sports.org

Wyoming senior Kate Burton will take to the field for the last time as a Cowgirl, as she competes in the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Burton, who has been ranked all season in the hammer throw, goes into the national meet coming off a second-place finish in the hammer in last week’s NCAA Midwest Regional meet at 202 feet, 8 inches. She is currently ranked eighth in the country with a personal best and UW record 209-8. Eva Orban, a junior from USC, leads the country with a toss of 230-3.

This will be Burton’s second trip to the NCAA Championships, as she placed 21st two years ago at 185-7.

“Kate has been a tremendous athlete here at the University of Wyoming and it’s nice to see all the hard work she has put in has paid off for her,” Wyoming head throws coach Paul Barrett said. “If she throws to her ability she will have a great chance to move onto the finals on Friday.”

The 29 competitors will begin the qualifying round of the hammer throw at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The top 12 will move onto the finals on Friday at 3:15 p.m.

CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) will be airing live coverage of the NCAA Track and Field Championships on Friday from 6-9 p.m. MST. CBS will also broadcast live coverage of the final day of competition from 2-4 p.m. MST. Currently there are no live streams available.

Results will be posted at www.wyomingathletics.com immediately following each day of competition.

UW golfers playing at high level

Cowgirls Fogerty and Podlesny qualify for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships; former Cowboy David Hearn will play the U.S. Open

By Wyoming Sports.org

The University of Wyoming golf programs are being represented on the highest amateur and professional levels this summer by current junior Sarah Fogerty, freshman Kelsey Podlesny and former Cowboy David Hearn. Both Fogerty and Podlesny qualified through sectional events to compete in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships, while Hearn topped a sectional field to earn a berth at the U.S. Open.

Current UW squad members, Fogerty (San Diego and Podlesny (Green River), will play June 16-21, in the 32nd Annual U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at Erin Hills Golf Course, in Erin, Wis.

To qualify for the USWAPL Championship, Fogerty won the USGA sectional event in Denver, on May 21 with a round of 76 at the Wellshire Golf Course. She had UW’s second best stroke average this past season at 78.36 and earned the first top-five finish of her career at the Cowgirl Classic, where she tied for fourth place. Sarah also finished in seventh place three times this past season. In total, Fogerty now has five top-10 finishes in two seasons, nine in the top 25.

Podlesny secured her spot in the top amateur event by placing third at the sectional qualifier in Layton, Utah, on May 27. She shot a round of 80 at the Valley View Golf Course. She will attend UW this coming fall as a freshman and play for the Cowgirl golf program. She was the Wyoming 4A state high school champion as a junior in 2006 and runner-up in both 2005 and 2007.

Podlesny was named to the Wyoming Junior America’s Cup Team twice, in 2006 and 2007. She was the Wyoming Junior Amateur champion in 2006, a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier in 2007 and was runner-up at the 2007 Utah Junior Open.

The first two days of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship consists of stroke play, with the field then reduced and the low 64 scorers moving on to four days of elimination match play. The championships culminate with 36 holes of match play. The USWAPL medalist earns an exemption from local qualifying for the next five U.S. Women’s Open championships, among other things.

The amateur public links events are open to amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1 of the calendar year, have been public course players and have not held privileges at any course that does not extend playing privileges to the general public.

Hearn, of Brantford, Ontario, earned medalist honors at the Beallsville, Md., sectional to qualify for the United States Golf Association’s top event. He shot 137 (71-66) at The Members Club at Four Streams to secure a spot in his second U.S. Open. Hearn also played the event in 2005 as a PGA Tour member. The 2008 U.S. Open is being played June 12-15, at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in San Diego, Calif.

A player at UW from 1998-2001, Hearn qualified three straight years for the NCAA West Regional Tournament, the only UW golfer to ever accomplish that feat. He was named to the 2001 All-Mountain West Conference team, won two career event titles, has the school record for low stroke average in a season (72.40) and had three top 10 conference tournament finishes during his collegiate career.

Cowboy Joe Club nearing $2 million mark

By Wyoming Sports Information

The Cowboy Joe Club, the fundraising organization for the University of Wyoming Athletics Department, is nearing the $2 million mark in annual fundraising through its first five months of the 2008 calendar year. As of June 1, the Cowboy Joe Club (CJC) had raised $1,788,102 for student-athlete scholarships and other athletic department funding. That is an increase of $349, 687 from the same time a year ago.

Only five months into the 2008 calendar year, CJC needs only $211,898 to achieve its cash fundraising goal for the entire year of $2,000,000.

“I can’t thank our Cowboy Joe Club members enough for the continued support they provide for Cowboy and Cowgirl Athletics,” said Tom Burman, UW Athletics Director. “The generosity of Wyoming fans is second to none. Their increased giving shows the commitment our donors have made to help our student-athletes and coaches succeed at the highest level of collegiate athletics.”

“We are very proud of how our members have stepped up in 2008. Being almost $350,000 ahead of where we were at this time last year, which was also a record -breaking year,” said Josh Rebholz, UW Associate Athletics Director for Development. “We couldn’t be happier right now.

“This year brought many changes in the club’s policies and procedures, which we believe will give members even greater benefits for their contributions. Our donors have embraced the change and stepped up to the plate at higher levels than we’ve ever seen.

“I can’t say enough about our staff, the Cowboy Joe Club Board of Directors and the many volunteers who work so hard all year long to make this club more and more successful. We will reach our goal of raising $3.3 million annually in a few short years, because we have the greatest supporters in the country and they wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The goal of raising $3.3 million annually through private donations grew out of a desire to raise the entire cost of athletic scholarships for nearly 400 UW student-athletes which totaled approximately $3.3 million in 2007-08. The funds raised by the Cowboy Joe Club help defray many of those educational costs, as well as contribute to other UW Athletic Department operating costs.

Some other numbers from this year’s Cowboy Joe Club fundraising efforts include:

•The fact that 83% of last year’s 4,225 members have already renewed

•A total of 856 members (24%) out of 3,523 renewals have increased their donations by at least one level and joined the $3.3 Million Club

•There have been 359 new members join the Cowboy Joe Club which totals $101,552 in new monies

•Cowboy Joe Club members are averaging more than $500 per donation in 2008, which is nearly $100 more than last year’s average gift

The Cowboy Joe Club wants to remind donors that the third and final renewal notice went out on Monday, June 2 to members who have yet to renew. Members are encouraged to renew prior to the June 30th renewal deadline to be guaranteed benefits for the upcoming 2008-09 athletic seasons, including priority parking and seating.

Wyoming Athletics also recently completed a $32 million Athletics Facility Campaign. A total of 110 donors contributed $25,000 or more to the campaign for a total of $16 million in private donations. The Wyoming Legislature’s matching program, which matched dollar for dollar each donation of $25,000 or greater, made up the other $16 million.

Anyone interested in joining the Cowboy Joe Club or renewing an existing membership may contact the Cowboy Joe Club at 766-6242, or may join online at www.WyomingAthletics.com.

UW's Young qualifies for Olympic Trials

By Wyoming Sports.org

OMAHA, Neb. -- The University of Wyoming’s Lesley Young qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials Saturday at the 2008 Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational.

In all, five members of the UW swimming team competed against the top athletes in the nation at the Qwest Center.

Young, a freshman at UW this past season, earned a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1 minute, 11.61 seconds. She was touche out by former Olympian Katie Hoff. Young also swam the 200-meter breaststroke on Friday and placed 29th with a time of 2:41.18.

Young, a native of Turlock, Calif., becomes the fourth swimmer with Wyoming ties to qualify for the Olympic Trials, which begin later this month. Junior Alex Larkin previously qualified as did Brandon Fischer, a high school standout who will join the Cowboys as a freshman this fall. Former Cowboy All-American Scott Usher, who made the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, will also compete in the trails.

“This was a very successful weekend for our team against the best talent in the nation,” said UW head coach Tom Johnson. “I am especially proud of Lesley for qualifying for the trials. She had a great weekend and is very deserving of her spot in the nation’s premier meet. We are really excited about coming back to Omaha later this month with a strong contingent of Wyoming athletes for the Olympic trials.”

Larkin competed in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststrokes this weekend with an attitude of using the meet for a tune-up for the trials. He placed 31st in the 200 and 44th in the 100. Larkin had the luxury of using this meet as a tune-up for the trials since he qualified at a previous meet.

Aside from Larkin and Young, current UW swimmers Levi Bell, Tommy Gregory and Cassie Stelow also competed in the meet.

Bell, a senior captain this past season, had a solid meet and flirted with qualifying times in two events. He competed in the B final of the 200 breaststroke and the C final of the 100 breaststroke.

Sophomore sprinters Gregory and Stelow each competed in both sprint freestyle events on the weekend. As young swimmers, they gained valuable experience by swimming next to the best talent in the nation.

The 2008 Olympic Trials begin June 28 and run through July 6 at the same pool in Omaha as this weekend’s meet.

Rangers sweep Scottsbluff

Richard Anderson photos
Laramie Rangers AA manager Sean McKinney (1) and coach Kyle Deck (21) talk to the team after its sweep of the WESTCO Zephyrs, 11-1 and 13-3 Friday night at Cowboy Field. At bottom, the Rangers wait for first baseman Mike Garner to cross home plate after Garner hit the third of his three home runs in the nightcap. At left, Laramie pitchers Coleton Wilson, left, and Sri Sritharan combined to give up just four runs on eight hits in the two games.

Laramie rolls in home opener

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Mike Garner had a doubleheader players can only dream about; Coleton Wilson is beginning to look like the staff pitching ace the Laramie Rangers believe he can be and Sri Sritharan stopped using his head and relied on his arm.

It was that type of night for the Laramie Rangers in the sweep of the WESTCO Zephyrs Friday night at Cowboy Field.

Laramie rode the two-hit pitching of Wilson in the first game, an 11-1 win, while Garner blasted three home runs and knocked in nine RBI to give Sritharan his first win on the mound for the Rangers AA team in a 13-3 romp in the nightcap. Both games lasted just five innings due to the mercy rule.

The sweep moved the Rangers to 4-8 on the season. Granted, all four wins this season are against the Scottsbluff, Neb., team. Laramie manager Sean McKinney, however, said his team is just playing well in general.

“It doesn’t matter who we play,” McKinney said. “I think what matters the most and what we try to teach is that we try to play against the ball. It doesn’t matter who we are playing. The kids are working very hard in practice, the pitchers are throwing strikes for us and with runners in scoring position, and we’re coming up with big hits.”

Garner had one of the best days in Laramie Rangers history, with three hits and four RBI in the opener and three home runs and nine RBI in the second game. One of his blasts was a grand slam in the second inning. He ended the game with a two run shot in the bottom of the fifth and began the contest with a three-run home run in the first inning.

“Thirteen RBI in two games? That has to be a Rangers’ record,” McKinney said. “But that is what he can do when he stays within himself and does some of the things we work on in practice.”

Yet, Garner was eating humble pie after the game.

“It was Ok, I could have done better,” Garner said with an oh-shucks grin. “I had that strikeout; that killed me.”

Garner added that he is doing what his coaches are telling him, just “putting the bat on the ball and things like that.

“I’m just trying to give my team the best chance to win,” he said. “The wind helped a lot. I don’t know if the first one would have gone over without it. Or maybe the second.”

In was a big day offensively for the Rangers in this wind-aided twilight, as Laramie finished with 23 hits, including 11 for extra bases. Catcher/third baseman Jon Sorenson also had a two-run home run in the second game and Wilson added a pair of triples in the opener to help his cause.

“We want guys to hit doubles off of the wall,“ McKinney said. “We try to play wall hockey a lot. It helps when the wind is blowing out, some of those wall hockey ones go over. That was the case today. If not, we’re hitting doubles and triples off the wall.”

Wilson, meanwhile, had another strong outing, stopping the Zephyrs on two hits. A little over a week ago he had a one-hitter going into the final inning against the Greeley GoJos before coming up short in the end.

“That’s his second great outing in a row, and what he is going to do is he is going to keep building from that,” McKinney said. “We always talk about it being a marathon, it’s not a sprint. Every start we work on getting a little better.”

Wilson said he did a lot of off-season work and it is starting to pay off.

“I started throwing a slider and it is working pretty well,” Wilson said. “If you can just kind of keep guys off balance -- like throw a fastball and slow them down with a slider -- it seems to work.”

The Rangers also played solid defense behind Wilson and Sritharan and that made a difference on Friday night.

“When a ground ball is hit and they field it and throw the guy out, you have confidence to go on the mound to throw strokes and let them hit the ball, knowing they’ll get the out,” Wilson said.

Sritharan, who has bounced between the AA and A teams the past two seasons, had is best outing with the Rangers varsity, scattering six hits. He gave up two runs in the first and settled down in the final four innings.

“It’s a nice confidence booster and I feel like I can go ahead and get another win in the following week,” Sritharan.

A little encouragement from his teammates gave Sritharan a lift on Friday.

“We’d meet behind the pitcher’s mound before each inning and Rylan (Harding) and Skyler (Joy) would come out and tell me to turn off my brain,” Sritharan said. “I think too much and I get too nervous. I just need to get up there and throw.”

Laramie looks to feed off of this momentum today when it travels to Longmont, Colo., to face Mountain View, coached by former Cowboy great and Major Leaguer Greg Brock.

“It’s great to get two wins like this heading into Mountain View,” McKinney said. “Coach Brock will have a great squad, like he did last year. We had a great game against them last year, we beat them 4-3 in the Firecracker. We want to go down there and give everything we have and see if we can come away with two victories.”

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RANGERS 11, ZEPHYRS 1 (5)
WESTCO 000 10 -- 1 2 1
Laramie 025 4x -- 11 10 2
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RANGERS 13, ZEPHYRS 3 (5)
WESTCO 201 00 -- 3 6 2
Laramie 452 02 -- 13 13 0

Quarterback Club honors LHS seniors

Richard Anderson photo
Ryan Greisbach and April Johnson were named the winners of the Gene Benson Memorial Scholarship Award Tuesday night.

Greisbach, Johnson named top athletes

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Ryan Greisbach and April Johnson symbolize the ideal student-athlete for Laramie High School -- leaders on and off the court, pool, track or playing field. They ended their athletic and academic careers at LHS with a bang as winners of the annual Gene Benson Memorial Scholarship Award.

Presented by the Laramie Quarterback Club Tuesday night at the Laramie Country Club, Greisbach was named the LHS Senior Male Athlete of the Year and Johnson was named the LHS Senior Female Athlete of the Year. Johnson was then named the Outstanding Athlete for Laramie High School for her final year.

Both were taken aback, to say the least, when their name was called to conclude the annual Winter and Spring Senior Banquet.

“I was pretty surprised,” Greisbach said. “I thought there were some really good guys who deserved it.”

“I was definitely surprised. There are a lot of athletes, so I didn’t expect it,” Johnson added.

Criteria for the award were that the senior athlete had to participate in sports all year long and succeed not only as an athlete, but as a student. Greisbach sported a 4.0 grade point average in his senior year, while Johnson excelled with a 3.85 GPA. Both also participated in extra curricular activities.

Johnson was a well-rounded athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball and track and field.

“It wasn’t the greatest year of my sports (career), but it was fun,” Johnson said. “I didn’t go as far as I would have liked to in both volleyball, basketball and track. It was a good year.”
Johnson is heading to Torrington to play basketball for Eastern Wyoming College. She said she plans to major in marketing.

Greisbach excelled as a runner this season for the Plainsmen, placing fourth in the state cross country championships and third in the state indoor two-mile run. Injuries, however, hampered his progress in the outdoor season, although he competed well at the state meet.

“Cross country was really good,” Greisbach said. “In indoor and outdoor track, I felt like I had some really good races, some highs and some lows during the season. I think I had a fun year. I bonded really well with the team; it was fun to just hang out and hopefully I left a positive impact on some of the younger runners.”

Greisbach will stay in Laramie and study molecular biology at UW and run cross country and track.

For both athletes, the award means a lot to them personally.

“I’m kind of awestruck right now because there are so many good athletes, like Stephen Michel and Ryan Ivy, so I am really humbled,” Greisbach said.

“It is just an honor to get this award,” said Johnson.

Earlier in the banquet, the head coaches for the school’s winter and spring sports introduced their seniors and talked about their respective seasons.

Outgoing Lady Plainsmen basketball coach Bruce Schmidt introduced three of his seniors who were in attendance, including Johnson, Kendahl Avery and Heather Biggs.

“These three were together since eighth grade and what they have done for the girls’ basketball program was instrumental,” Schmidt said.

Laramie Nordic ski coach Becca Watson introduced her two seniors in attendance -- Catherine Schmidt and Kali McCrackin -- and read a couple of limericks about the two skiers.

LHS wrestling coach Brad Edmunds then talked about his three seniors at the banquet-- Ethan Riegel, Tyler West and Michael Poulos.

“These seniors have grown on and off the mats,” Edmunds said.

Poulos, the state champion at 189 pounds this season, will attend Wyoming on a wrestling scholarship. He was also awarded the Allen Family Award as the Most Outstanding Senior Wrestler and the Faulkner Award for the most pins.

Jason Mountain, the Plainsmen head basketball coach, introduced two of his seniors -- Galand Thaxton and Blake Maddox.

“They were two of my favorites,” Mountain said. “They were two of my hardest workers and two of my most dedicated players.”

Veteran Laramie swim coach Tom Hudson then introduced his lone senior at the banquet, Jonathon Power. The Plainsmen finished second at the state meet and set a state record in qualifiers with 26.

LHS downhill coach Lydia Wood talked about her lone senior at the banquet -- state champion Erin Niss.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better year from a better senior,” Wood said.

Laramie indoor and outdoor track and field coach Gil Bradfield then talked about his seniors, who also excelled in the classroom. Senior members on the track team had a combined 3.5 grade point average.

Among those seniors attending were Greisbach, Stephen Michel, Blake Garnich, Johnson, Ashley Page and Alex Bradfield.

Laramie girls’ soccer coach Anne Hawley was unable to attend because of a prior commitment and so were her two seniors. The Lady Plainsmen won their first-ever state soccer championship this spring.

Rounding out the team portion of the banquet, Laramie boys’ soccer coach Andy Pannell praised his seniors who helped the Plainsmen win their second state title this season.

Those in attendance were Cody Suder, Dalton Osterman, Isaiah Martin and Keith Kyhl.

“They are four of the seven of this senior group who were outstanding,” Pannell said.

KOWB sports director and Laramie Quarterback Club president David Settle was the emcee of the banquet, which was postponed from May 22 when a violent spring storm passed through Laramie.