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.
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