The NFL Network recently aired a half-hour documentary on the Heart Mountain Eagles football team, including an interview with the last surviving member of the team and the author of the book “The Eagles of Heart Mountain.” Here is a link to the full documentary on YouTube. (I would have embedded it here, but the NFL doesn’t allow embedding of its YouTube videos.)
Also, here’s my review of the book “The Eagles of Heart Mountain.” Check it out if you haven’t yet.
–patrick
Here’s a quick spring sports recap from Champlists on the highlights from last week’s state culminating events:
Soccer: The boys teams from Jackson (4A) and Cody (3A) and the girls teams from Kelly Walsh (4A) and Lander (3A) won the state soccer tournaments this spring.
The Jackson boys won the 4A state title for the fourth time in six years. In all, Jackson has won eight state championships, all since 2012, and tied Cheyenne East for the most state titles in boys soccer history. They outscored their state tournament foes by a combined 11-0.
Cody won the 3A boys title for the fifth time overall and for the first time since 2017. The Broncs’ combined winning margin at state was 13-1, including a 3-0 victory against host Green River in the title game; the Wolves’ appearance in the championship game was the program’s first.
Kelly Walsh’s girls were the only repeat champion from 2023. KW won its fourth title in program history and its first repeat championship. The Trojans needed two goals in overtime to beat Jackson 3-2 in the 4A championship game.
Lander’s 3A girls title was its second in program history, going with the one it won in 2021. The Tigers were in thrillers throughout the tournament, beating Buffalo 3-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals, Douglas 3-2 in a 7-6 shootout victory in the semifinals, and a tight 2-1 victory against Cody in the championship.
Jackson’s Taya McClennen became just the 20th girl in state history to be a four-time all-state selection. Six boys — Douglas’ Luke Ewing, Jackson’s Braden Hills and Teddy Opler, Kelly Walsh’s Parker O’Neill, Powell’s Chance Franks and Sheridan’s Dane Steel — were three-time all-state picks, as were six girls — Cheyenne Central’s Ekena Little, Kelly Walsh’s Peyton Hill, Laramie’s McKenna Barham, Natrona’s Rian Barthel, and Riverton’s Cameran Paskett and Savannah Morton.
Track and field: Boys team champions were Sheridan (4A), Douglas (3A), Big Horn (2A) and Burlington (1A); both Big Horn and Burlington were repeat champions. Girls team champions were Sheridan (4A), Lander (3A), Kemmerer (2A) and Cokeville (1A). Sheridan’s 4A sweep of team titles was the first time such a feat had been accomplished at the big-school level since Campbell County did so in 2006.
Two athletes joined the ranks of four-time event champions. Cheyenne East’s Taliah Morris won the Class 4A girls long jump for the fourth consecutive year, while Mountain View’s Mylie Micheli claimed the Class 3A pole vault championship for the fourth year in a row.
In all, a whopping 10 overall state meet records were broken; another 14 state meet classification records were broken:
Boys
Girls
Another eight all-time marks were set during the 2024 season; (1) Taliah Morris’ 23.45 in the 200 and (2) 20-8.5 in the long jump; (3) the Cody girls’ 4:06.74 in the 1600 medley relay; (4) Gavin Stafford’s 10.31 in the 100; (5) Chance Morris’ 21.11 in the 200; (6) the Thunder Basin boys’ 3:19.02 in the 4×400 relay; (7) the Cody boys’ 3:28.35 in the 1600 medley relay; and (8) Kelly Walsh’s Landon Walker’s 49-1 in the triple jump. All records were set at the state championships except for Walker’s.
Softball: For the third consecutive year, Thunder Basin won the state softball championship. The ‘Bolts ran through Cheyenne East 10-0 in the state title game. Thunder Basin’s closest game of the tournament was a 9-7 victory against Natrona in the first round; after that, Thunder Basin won its remaining four games by 10 runs apiece.
Campbell County’s Avery Gray became the state’s first four-time all-state softball selection. Meanwhile, Campbell County’s Lanae Kimbley, Thunder Basin’s Natalie Clonch and Macie Selfors, Cheyenne East’s Aleah Brooks and Gracie Oswald, Cody’s Riley Simone and Violet Wollschlager and Green River’s Kodi Allred all notched their third all-state selection.
What stuck out to you in this spring sports season? Leave a comment below, and be sure to visit Champlists for full champion histories of all of Wyoming’s high school sports.
–patrick
Correction, updated 8:09 a.m. MDT May 17: As it turns out, Campbell County HAS won a girls discus title, with Shana Paynor winning in 2004. I had Shana’s title mislabeled as a victory for Rock Springs. So, as it turns out, Campbell County’s girls have also won every state track and field event, in addition to those listed below. The lists have been updated to reflect that, although the story has not been changed. Thanks to Matt Albin for catching that mistake and letting me know!
+++
Burns’ Brooke Hansen and Campbell County’s Halo Miller will compete in the same event at this weekend’s Wyoming State Track and Field Championships — the discus.
And although they’ll be competing in different classifications, with Hansen in Class 2A and Miller in Class 4A, they’ll both be in competition for state championships.
If they do win, they’ll accomplish something no one in their gender at their school has ever completed, a state discus championship. And they’ll win a state title in the final remaining event for their school to claim a track and field full event sweep.
Track team championships are a good way to measure a school’s overall athletic ability.
But if you want to try to find a school’s athletic diversity, another measure might work better — looking at schools who have had at least one winner of every track and field event.
In all, 13 boys teams and four girls teams have won each of the 17 track and field events since 1970, the start of the first girls state track meet. Those tallies do not include the recently added 18th event, the 1600 medley relay, which only became part of the state track meet in 2018.
Also, keep in mind that boys and girls have not had the same opportunities over those 54 years to win every event. At the state meet, girls did not add the 3200, the 200/300 hurdles or the triple jump until 1980, the 4×400 or 4×800 relays until 1983, or the pole vault until 1996.
Since 1970, the start of the girls state track meet, here are the schools that have won each currently offered event at the state track meet aside from the 1600 medley relay:
Boys
Campbell County
Cheyenne Central
Cheyenne East
Cody
Cokeville
Douglas
Glenrock
Kelly Walsh
Lander
Laramie
Natrona County
Southeast
Torrington
Girls
Campbell County
Cheyenne Central
Dubois
Sheridan
Worland
Some schools are just one event away from a sweep. Burns’ Hansen and Campbell County’s Miller are two of close to 30 athletes competing this weekend in Casper who have a chance to add their school to the list of programs with event sweeps. Here’s those schools, with the event they have never won, or in some cases for the boys haven’t won since 1970, along with the competitors in those events from those schools for 2024:
Boys
Big Horn: discus (Chase Garber, Will Taylor, Paul Lobdell)
Burlington: discus (Hunter Aagard, Mickey Maroni)
Evanston: 4×800 relay (team of Jamar McDowell, Paul Baxter, Aidan Conrad and Gideon Stahl)
Green River: 4×100 relay (4×110 relay last won by Green River in 1953) (none)
Guernsey: pole vault (Kaiser Edwards)
Lingle: high jump (none)
Rock Springs: high jump (high jump last won by Rock Springs in 1960) (Chandler Smith, Jonas Slater)
Saratoga: 4×100 relay (none)
Sheridan: 1600 (mile run last won by Sheridan in 1959) (Shaun Gonda, Landrum Wiley, Aadan Luna)
Upton: 1600 (mile run last won by Upton in 1960) (Ben Carpenter, Tyson Huckins)
Worland: 110 hurdles (120 hurdles last won by Worland in 1955) (Noah Mitchell, Dawson Utterback, Wyatt Dickinson)
Girls
Burns: discus (Brooke Hansen)
Guernsey: 4×800 relay (none)
Kelly Walsh: 1600 (Lexi Longhurst)
Mountain View: 100 (none)
Natrona: pole vault (none)
Powell: 3200 (Kinley Cooper, Shelby Zickefoose, Kenna Jacobsen, Karee Cooley)
Southeast: 800 (Kaycee Kosmicki, Lizzy Boche, Anna Hartman)
Ten Sleep: pole vault (none)
–patrick
Not all that long ago, Wyoming high school track athletes would have been forgiven for having dirty spikes.
It would have made sense, given that many runners ran their races on dirt.
All-weather track and field surfaces have been around since the 1970s, and state track meets have been run on all-weather surfaces since the early to mid-1970s, but only recently have the rubberized surfaces become commonplace at nearly every Wyoming high school.
In fact, from what I can find, only five schools still have the old dirt or cinder track surfaces.
As of early 2024 via Google Maps, Satellites Pro and/or current photos I could find, the five schools still running on dirt or cinder track surfaces appear to be Encampment, Hulett, Lingle, Rock River and Southeast.
Two other schools have non-regulation tracks for practice. Arvada-Clearmont has an all-weather track that’s about half sized; Ten Sleep has some weird non-regulation track that has a surface that is… um… difficult to ascertain. (Anyone in Ten Sleep want to let me know what this is made of?)
Moreover, almost two-thirds of Wyoming high schools now have eight-lane, all-weather tracks, a number that has grown steadily over the years. Several others have six-lane tracks.
Here is a breakdown of who has what, at least what I could see of it:
Eight lanes (46): Big Piney, Buffalo, Burns, Campbell County, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Cheyenne South, Cody, Douglas, Evanston, Fort Washakie, Glenrock, Green River, Guernsey, Jackson, Kelly Walsh, Kemmerer, Lander, Laramie, Lusk, Lyman, Mountain View, Natrona, Newcastle, Pine Bluffs, Pinedale, Powell, Rawlins, Riverton, Rock Springs, St. Stephens, Saratoga, Sheridan, Shoshoni, Snake River, Star Valley, Sundance, Thermopolis, Thunder Basin, Torrington, Upton, Wheatland, Wind River, Worland, Wright, Wyoming Indian.
Six lanes (13): Burlington, Cokeville, Dubois, Farson, Greybull, Kaycee, Lovell, Meeteetse, Midwest, Moorcroft, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Tongue River.
Four lanes (2): Big Horn, Hanna.
Not regulation size (2): Arvada-Clearmont, Ten Sleep.
Dirt or cinder (5): Encampment, Hulett, Lingle, Rock River, Southeast.
No track (2): Arapahoe Charter, Casper Christian.
–patrick
Quick: Name the first consensus all-America college football player who grew up in Wyoming.
Even the most seasoned Wyoming sports trivia veteran might struggle to come up with the name that answers this question. The reason makes sense, though: The first all-America pick to come from the Equality State never played football in the state, opting instead to make a name for himself back east before returning to Wyoming.
Richard “Dick” Luman was a consensus all-America choice while playing end at Yale in 1924. The Pinedale native is believed to be the first Wyoming native to be chosen as a consensus all-America football player.
Luman was born in 1900 in Sublette County into a prominent ranching family. For secondary school, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, which eventually led him to Yale. As a Bulldog, he emerged as an equally effective offensive and defensive player at end and a hard-to-stop center for the basketball team.
In 1924, Luman earned consensus all-America status by being named to two of the six all-America teams — the All America Board team and the International News Service team. He was one of four ends to earn consensus all-America status.
He was also named the Yale basketball team’s captain in 1925.
After Yale, Luman lived in a few different places before he returned to work the Luman family ranch near Pinedale. He later embarked on a career of public service. He served in both the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives before becoming the chairman of Wyoming’s state Board of Equalization and Public Service Commission; he was also Wyoming’s deputy state treasurer. His career ended in 1969.
Luman died on his 73rd birthday — April 26, 1973 — in Houston, Texas, where he had been living with his son, Edgar.
The list of college all-American football players with roots in Wyoming is indeed short; looking only at consensus all-Americans produces a list that’s even shorter. At a glance, I can’t find any other consensus all-America choices with Wyoming roots — something beyond being born in the state’s borders. Does that make Luman the first, and only, of his kind? Trivia buffs can help me out with this one. I’d love to hear from you! Comment below.
–patrick
Editor’s note: This post was written by “Stat Rat” Jim Craig, formerly of Lusk and now of Cheyenne, who has provided significant help to the research on Wyoming sports history.
+++
The 1960s was a tumultuous decade in the United States as the country came to grips with numerous changes within its social fabric. The civil rights movement, Great Society programs, space race and counterculture gains were offset by the Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, a spate of assassinations and the Vietnam War. Wyoming was not immune from controversy as “The Black 14″— the number of black UW football teammates suspended in 1969 for wanting to wear armbands protesting BYU—grabbed national headlines in an era of protests, sit-ins, and anti-war/anti-establishment sentiments.
It was, however, a stellar time for us Baby Boomers to grow up in, even among all the turmoil and change. The music, for one, brought us folk/protest ballads, the British Invasion, the Motown sound, soul music, and psychedelic rock, and was immortalized at the decade’s end at a concert and subsequent film called “Woodstock.” So bear with the Stat Rat as he dons a tie-dye then waxes and wanes on 60s-related prep basketball. From a time of love-ins, sit-ins and be-ins, the Rat will stage a “coach-in” and discuss the best to walk the sidelines from 1960 to 1969.
First, as always, a chart:
| Top 1960s Coaching Records by Wins | |||||||
| Coach | School(s) | Seasons | Wins | Win% | Q-Factor | Medal | Champ |
| *Jim Storey | Cheyenne Central | 10 | 194 | .782 | 1.000 | .600 | 4 |
| *Lloyd McCullough | University Prep | 10 | 181 | .767 | .800 | .600 | 3 |
| *Bob Doerr | Lyman; Byron | 10 | 169 | .738 | .600 | .200 | 1 |
| Bill Sollars | Shoshoni; St. Mary’s | 10 | 135 | .590 | .500 | .300 | 3 |
| *Keith Bloom | Powell | 10 | 132 | .557 | .700 | .200 | 1 |
| *Burt St. John | Pavillion; Glenrock | 8 | 131 | .712 | .750 | .125 | 1 |
| Otto Low | Big Piney | 8 | 130 | .688 | .500 | .375 | 0 |
| Lewis Monsen | Star Valley | 8 | 128 | .736 | .625 | .375 | 1 |
| *B. F. ‘Tead’ Weaver | Upton | 10 | 126 | .529 | .900 | .000 | 0 |
| Ron Schliske | LaGrange | 7 | 122 | .705 | .857 | .571 | 3 |
| *Bud Milliken | Rock River | 10 | 121 | .590 | .800 | .200 | 0 |
| *Jack Rafferty | Sunrise; Guernsey; Buffalo | 9 | 113 | .546 | .444 | .111 | 0 |
| Dean Gerke | Lovell | 6 | 104 | .703 | 1.000 | .500 | 1 |
| *Sandy Michelena | Ten Sleep; Mountain View; Tongue River | 7 | 104 | .658 | .571 | .143 | 0 |
| *Bob Cook | Laramie | 7 | 104 | .658 | .429 | .286 | 2 |
| Bill Kennedy | Cody; Campbell County | 9 | 98 | .485 | .556 | .111 | 0 |
| Morris Zempel | Sheridan | 6 | 98 | .662 | .833 | .500 | 0 |
| Gene Hittner | Rawlins | 8 | 97 | .495 | .625 | .000 | 0 |
| John Birleffi | Douglas | 8 | 94 | .461 | .625 | .250 | 0 |
| Tom Kennedy | Riverton | 7 | 91 | .558 | .429 | .286 | 0 |
| *Bill Strannigan | St. Stephens; Riverton | 5 | 90 | .738 | .800 | .400 | 1 |
| Jacque Schmiedt | Wheatland | 8 | 88 | .503 | .375 | .000 | 0 |
| Joe Lindsey | Kaycee | 7 | 86 | .606 | .429 | .286 | 1 |
Q-Factor=percentage of times qualified for the state tourney
Medal=percentage of times finishing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd
*Wyoming Coaches Association Hall of Fame member
The WHSAA regulated the number of regular-season games to 18, so the overall win numbers are lower compared to earlier decades. The top three separated themselves from the rest of the pack, so to speak, that cement their Wyoming Coaches Association Hall of Fame credentials. Jim Storey leads the decade, and his 194 wins during the ’60s comprise over 80% of his 238 wins at Cheyenne Central in 13 years there as head coach. Lloyd McCullough coached his entire career at University Prep, and his Buckaroos were never far out of the running for championship consideration. Like Coach Storey, McCullough’s teams hung up four championship banners and finished second five times. His career win total at UPrep was 311 dating from the 1954-55 season to the school’s final year in 1972-73. Bob Doerr’s career was a lengthy one beginning with Lyman in the 1954-55 season, moving to Byron/Rocky Mountain in the 1961-62 season and ending in 1985-86. His boys teams totaled 501 wins and add to that another 25 girls hoops wins, as well. For the top three in the chart, the three total over an impressive thousand combined Ws.
Two to consider—While longevity is a key consideration for Hall of Fame eligibility, possibly a greater indication in my opinion is the number of state championships won. It’s tough to win one, even tougher to repeat, and notching three is rarefied air for only a handful, the elite in the profession. Bill Sollars has a brief decade-long career of hoops coaching in Wyoming. However, during a remarkable three-year stretch during the 1961-62, 1962-63, and 1963-64 seasons, his Shoshoni Wranglers won three state titles, the first as a No. 4 seed. Granted, his teams featured a cat named Bebout in the paint, but Class B play in the Big Horn Basin was tougher than pig hide boots, with notable opposition like St. Stephens (state runners-up in 1961-62), Cowley, Byron, and Manderson (runners-up in 1963-64). Winning three championships in a row is special, and Coach Sollars deserves a HOF nod.
Ron Schliske only coached eight seasons in LaGrange before giving up his hoops coaching gig to move into school administration. But over those eight seasons, Coach Schliske won four state championships, the first in the 1958-59 season (which isn’t reflected in the above chart of 1960’s success.) That title was followed by successive championships in 1959-60 and 1960-61, as his Longhorns three-peated as well, part of a four-in-row span of banners. In the 1964-65 season, the Longhorns took first in the state again, followed by a second-place finish during his final season of coaching in 1965-66. In fact, LaGrange qualified for the state tourney in seven of his eight seasons as hoops mentor. LaGrange thrived due in part to playing Class C ball in the loaded-for-bear SE where state Class C champs from that corner of the state reigned in 15 of 17 years dating from the early 1950s to the end of the 1960s. That’s HOF worthy, period.
Given the Rat’s snail-like progress constructing and deconstructing hoops seasons, don’t hold your breath for a 1970s chart anytime soon. Or better yet, make your own chart with a glimpse at Patrick Schmiedt’s wyoming-basketball.com, a veritable treasure of Wyoming prep hoops information and date.
In concert with updates to sister sites champlists.com and wyoming-basketball.com, here are some highlights from the 2023-24 winter high school sports season in Wyoming:
Alpine skiiing: Jackson swept the team titles for the 13th consecutive year, with the Jackson girls winning their 15th consecutive state championship, after the state meet was cut short due to dangerous conditions on the second day of the meet. Only the giant slalom was contested, with Jackson’s Dylan Witherite winning the girls title and Liam Logan winning the boys. The cancelation was the first time since 1986 and just the second time ever that the state meet could not be finished.
Nordic skiing: For the first time since 2009, neither Jackson team won a state title, with Kelly Walsh winning its first boys Nordic title since 1995 and the Lander girls winning their second straight Nordic championship. Natrona’s Ally Wheeler swept the girls individual titles for the second consecutive year, winning the 5K freestyle and 10K classic events, and in doing so became just the sixth girl in state history to notch at least four individual Nordic championships. Lander’s Bennett Hutchison won the boys freestyle race for the second straight year, while Kelly Walsh’s Fisk-Bergstrom Johansson won the 10K classic race.
Boys swimming: Lander continued its 3A run of dominance, winning its 28th consecutive state championship. Meanwhile, the Laramie boys won their seventh consecutive 4A championship. Double championship winners were Sheridan’s Ben Forsythe (4A 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke), Lander’s Benny Kulow (3A 100 and 200 freestyle), Cheyenne South’s Caleb Brewer (4A 200 IM and 100 butterfly), Lander’s Finn Richards (3A 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke), and Lander’s Reed McFadden (3A 200 IM and 100 butterfly).
Indoor track: Sheridan won the 4A boys title for the fifth time in six years, while Cheyenne East won the 4A girls title for the second time and the first since 2012. Cody swept the 3A team titles for the second consecutive year in just the second year of the 3A level being offered. Multiple individual champions included Cheyenne East’s Taliah Morris (4A girls 55, 200, long jump) and Maggie Madsen (4A girls 800, 1600, 3200); Star Valley’s Valerie Jirak (3A girls 55, 200, 400); Cody’s Ada Nelson (3A girls 800, 1600); Cheyenne Central’s Tegan Krause (4A boys 55, 200); Natrona’s Kaiden Lee (4A boys high jump, long jump, triple jump); Star Valley’s Habtamu Wetzel (3A boys 1600, 3200); and Lander’s Reed McFadden (3A boys 55 hurdles, 200, 400).
Wrestling: Three wrestlers completed four-time state championship runs, with Thunder Basin’s Antonio Avila, Rock Springs’ Broc Fletcher and Green River’s Kale Knezovich all pulling off the feat in 2024 — the first time three wrestlers had ever finished four-year title runs in a year. Thunder Basin won its first state title in wrestling by winning the 4A title, while Green River repeated as 3A champ and Moorcroft won its first 2A championship since 2020. Star Valley won the second girls wrestling title even though the Braves only had one individual champion.
Boys basketball: Some familiar teams won state titles in 2024. Cheyenne Central won its 27th state championship in taking the 4A title, extending its state record; Wyoming Indian won its 13th 2A championship; Upton won its third 1A title in four years. And then Powell finished 26-0 to win the 3A title and become the first Wyoming boys team to go undefeated since 2012. Buffalo’s Eli Patterson became just the sixth boys basketball player from the state to notch four all-state selections.
Girls basketball: Douglas’ 27-0 run in Class 3A led to the Bearcats’ state-record sixth consecutive state title (not counting 2020, when the state tournament was canceled). Sheridan (4A), Tongue River (2A) and Southeast (1A) also took home state crowns. Cheyenne East’s Bradie Schlabs and Cody’s Molly Hays became the 21st and 22nd girls basketball players from Wyoming to finish their careers with four all-state selections.
What were some of your highlights of the winter sports season? Leave a comment below. And please let me know if any of my 2023-24 winter sports season updates are wrong or look weird; I appreciate the help!
–patrick
The players for the 2024 Wyoming-Nebraska Six-man Shootout all-star game have been selected.
The annual cross-border game will kick off at 7 p.m. May 31 at Chadron State College in Chadron, Neb.
Wyoming six-man football players selected for the 2024 team include:
Burlington: Hunter Aagard, Mickey Maroni, Jordan Michaels
Dubois: Kaleb Gleim, Jonah Oard, Wyatt Trembly
Encampment: Quade Jordan, Ryon Miller, Kaben Pickett
Farson: Ory Johnson
Hulett: Christian Reilly
Kaycee: Vaun Pierson
Meeteetse: Jason Moody, Joe Pina
Snake River: Tanner Duncan, Seth Maxson, Isaiah Skalberg, Jaden Thomas
Coaches include Trent Aagard, Wade Aagard and Nate Kreider from Burlington; Jack Cobb from Snake River; and David Trembly from Dubois.
The all-time series is tied 6-6, but Nebraska has won three of the past four games and won last year 52-16.
–patrick
The rosters for the 2024 Wyoming Shrine Bowl all-star football game were announced Sunday night by the game’s executive director, Frank Selby.
In all, 72 players — 36 each for both the North and South teams — were selected for the 51st edition of the game, which will be played June 8 at Natrona County High School in Casper.
Players selected by the respecting coaching staffs for each team include:
NORTH
Big Horn: Kiefer Dunham, Drew Heermann, Gavin Stafford.
Buffalo: Will Hammond, Eli Patterson, Lance Rabel.
Campbell County: Aidan Dorr, Wyatt Herther, Levi Palmer.
Cody: Zach Barton, Logan Class, Conner Moss.
Dubois: Wyatt Trembly.
Hulett: Christian Reilly.
Kelly Walsh: Kadon Boyce, Caleb Ortberg.
Lovell: Adnan Khan, Jared Mangus.
Natrona: Timothy Edmondson, Beau Russell, Josef Sanchez, Noah Sides.
Powell: Trey Stenerson.
Riverton: Darrick DeVries, Nick McIntosh, Ty Sheets.
Sheridan: Dominick Berrettini, DJ Elchlinger, Alex Haswell, Dane Steel.
Thunder Basin: Peyton Brown, PJ Hatzenbuhler, Kavontae Montgomery, Landon Scalise.
Tongue River: Caleb Kilbride.
Wind River: Cooper Frederick.
Student trainers: Nadeen Dunham, Buffalo; Carsyn Thompson, Big Horn.
SOUTH
Big Piney: Zackery Murphy, Reuben Stoutenburg.
Cheyenne Central: Mason Counter, Tyler Gaer, Miles Porwoll.
Cheyenne East: Kolbe Dierks, Camden Hayes, Drew Jackson, Nathan Mirich, Colby Olson.
Cokeville: Jack Dayton, Micah Petersen.
Douglas: Malachy Lehnen, Trey Rinn, Tegen Seeds.
Encampment: Quade Jordan.
Evanston: Kai Barker, Cohen Morrow, Brady Roberts.
Green River: Axel Mackinnon.
Mountain View: Fletcher Black, Carson Eardley, Coby Jones.
Rock Springs: Kael Anderson, Michael Faigl, Goodness Okere.
Snake River: Seth Maxson.
Southeast: Tiegen Thompson.
Star Valley: Jayden Crook, Simon Gaskell, Jesse Leavitt, Clay Merritt.
Torrington: Ty Bennick, Brayden Frazier, Bryce Hager, Trey Parriott.
Student trainers: Destyni German, Green River; Sophie LaMunyon, Star Valley.
Officials for the game will be from the Casper officials’ association.
The North leads the all-time series 26-20-3. Last year, the South won 27-24.
–patrick
Some history could be made this weekend in Casper as two Class 3A basketball teams enter their respective state tournaments undefeated.
The Douglas girls, at 24-0, and the Powell boys, at 23-0, will try to join the ranks of Wyoming’s undefeated state basketball champions. In all, 20 boys teams and 23 girls teams have accomplished this feat in state history.
Another 49 teams — 25 boys, 24 girls — have entered the state tournament undefeated but lost in the final weekend of the season.
When I looked at undefeated teams three years ago, I could only look at teams from 1990 forward, the only time when full records were available. However, with some more digging, we’ve been able to uncover quite a bit in that time, mostly thanks to “Stat Rat” Jim Craig and his research into year-by-year game results, published on wyoming-basketball.com.
And although we’re still a little short on records for every team participating in the state tournament for every season, particularly on the girls’ side, I can say with a fairly high degree of certainty that the lists below represent every team that has ever entered the state tournament undefeated. (That said, if you see something missing, let me know!)
Here they are: The teams that didn’t lose a game for a whole season, and the teams that only lost on the final weekend of play.
Boys undefeated teams (20)
1A: Snake River 2012, 28-0
2A: Big Horn 2011, 28-0
3A: Thermopolis 2004, 25-0
4A: Campbell County 1993, 23-0
4A: Cheyenne Central 1991, 23-0
2A: Wyoming Indian 1985, 22-0
2A: Wyoming Indian 1984, 22-0
3A: Torrington 1987, 23-0
1A: Big Horn 1986, 21-0
B: Southeast 1981, 22-0
A: Glenrock 1978, 23-0
B: Mountain View 1977, 24-0
A: Lusk 1969, 23-0
C: Goshen Hole 1967, 23-0
AA: Cheyenne Central 1962, 27-0
B: University Prep 1961, 26-0
B: St. Stephens 1960, 28-0
A: Cheyenne Central 1947, 26-0
One: Laramie 1934, 24-0
One: Evanston 1919, 27-0
Another 25 boys teams have entered the state tournament undefeated but did not finish the job. Those teams, and their final record for the season, include:
1A: Saratoga 2023, 23-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Pine Bluffs 2017, 26-2 (lost in semis/3rd)
1A: Burlington 2013, 26-1 (lost in semis)
4A: Campbell County 2010, 26-1 (lost in championship)
2A: Southeast 2010, 26-1 (lost in championship)
2A: Wind River 2008, 29-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Lusk 2001, 22-1 (lost in championship)
1A: Arvada-Clearmont 2001, 23-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Tongue River 1999, 22-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Wyoming Indian 1994, 22-1 (lost in championship)
2A: Upton 1994, 22-1 (lost in quarters)
3A: Star Valley 1993, 23-1 (lost in quarters)
3A: Torrington 1991, 22-2 (lost in quarters/conso final)
AA: Natrona 1982, 22-1 (lost in semis)
B: Wyoming Indian 1982, 20-2 (lost in quarters/conso final)
B: Lyman 1980, 20-1 (lost in semis)
C: Burlington 1979, 19-1 (lost in semis)
AA: Rock Springs 1977, 22-1 (lost in championship)
B: Byron 1965, 24-1 (lost in championship)
B: University Prep 1960, 25-1 (lost in championship)
B: University Prep 1958, 23-1 (lost in championship)
C: Dayton 1956, 19-1 (lost in quarters)
C: Dayton 1955, 21-2 (lost in quarters/conso semis)
C: Big Horn 1952, 18-1 (lost in semis)
B: Rozet 1942, 29-1 (lost in championship)
Girls undefeated teams (23)
4A: Cody 2023, 25-0
4A: Cheyenne East 2022, 28-0
3A: Douglas 2021, 24-0
3A: Douglas 2018, 27-0
2A: Tongue River 2013, 28-0
1A: Snake River 2012, 28-0
3A: Douglas 2005, 26-0
2A: Tongue River 2005, 23-0
2A: Big Horn 2001, 26-0
3A: Mountain View 1998, 25-0
1A: Burlington 1998, 24-0
2A: Tongue River 1997, 22-0
3A: Lyman 1995, 23-0
4A: Campbell County 1991, 23-0
2A: Lusk 1991, 22-0
2A: Lusk 1990, 21-0
1A: Cokeville 1990, 21-0
2A: Greybull 1989, 21-0
4A: Riverton 1984, 23-0
B: Saratoga 1981, 22-0
AA: Rock Springs 1980, 24-0
AA: Lander 1978, 24-0
C: Snake River 1977, record unknown but finished undefeated
Another 24 girls teams (at least) have entered the state tournament undefeated but did not finish the job. Those teams, and their final record for the season, include:
4A: Cody 2022, 24-1 (lost in championship)
2A: Southeast 2015, 24-1 (lost in championship)
3A: Douglas 2013, 28-1 (lost in championship)
4A: Natrona 2012, 25-1 (lost in championship)
2A: Big Horn 2010, 28-1 (lost in championship)
1A: Guernsey 2006, 26-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Pine Bluffs 2004, 22-1 (lost in semis)
3A: Star Valley 2001, 25-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Wright 1999, 21-2 (lost in quarters/conso semis)
3A: Mountain View 1997, 23-1 (lost in championship)
4A: Green River 1996, 23-1 (lost in championship)
2A: Tongue River 1996, 24-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Tongue River 1994, 22-1 (lost in championship)
4A: Sheridan 1992, 22-1 (lost in semis)
2A: Saratoga 1992, 22-1 (lost in championship)
B: Tongue River 1987, 20-1 (lost in quarters)
B: Tongue River 1986, 20-1 (lost in semis)
1A: Kaycee 1984, 20-1 (lost in championship)
B: Shoshoni 1982, 19-2 (lost in semis/3rd)
A: Newcastle 1981, 20-1 (lost in championship)
AA: Lander 1979, 23-1 (lost in semis)
AA: Lander 1977, 21-2 (lost in semis/3rd)
A: Torrington 1976, 18-1 (lost in championship)
C: Snake River 1976, record unknown (lost in semis)
All boys championship team records have been accounted for. Girls championship team records are missing for 1978 Class B (Pine Bluffs, not undefeated), 1977 Class C (Snake River) and 1979 Class C (Byron, not undefeated).
–patrick
