SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- The Wyoming men's golf team closed out the 63rd annual Western Intercollegiate on Tuesday with a 15th-place finish at the Pasatiempo Golf Club. The Cowboys finished with a team score of 929 (+89).
“We had great individual rounds at different times, but we couldn’t put it all together and that is the difference,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “As a team, we have to get to a point where we are stringing good rounds together. If we can do that, we will be right where we want to be. This is a great tournament and the course was extremely challenging. We just made too many little mistakes.”
During Tuesday’s final round, the Cowboys shot a 307 (+27) and put them one stroke ahead of Kansas and within 20 strokes of six other teams.
Individually, sophomore Zach Zaremba had a very good final round, shooting a 71 (+1). With that score, Zaremba finished with a three-round total of 226 (+16) and was the Cowboys best finisher by tying for 32nd in the 93-man field.
Oregon overcame a four-stroke deficit to win the tournament with a three-round total of 865 (+25). Colorado and Fresno State tied for second with three-round totals of 873 (+33).
Oregon State’s Diego Velasquez ran away with the tournament title after posting an even-par three-round total of 210. Michigan State’s Jack Newman and Colorado’s Derek Tolan tied for second place with a total of 213 (+3).
The Cowboy golf team will return Monday and Tuesday, as they host the 2009 Cowboy Classic, presented by Cleveland Golf, at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. The event will be held in conjunction with the third annual Cowgirl Classic, which is held at the Ocotillo Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz.
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Zach Zaremba , 78-77-71=226 (+16, T 32nd)
Mike May, 74-81-77=232 (+22, T 53rd)
Phil Henzlik, 70-84-83=237 (+27, T 68th)
Gabe Maier, 81-82-76=239 (+29, T 73rd)
Max Curnow, 89-79-87=255 (+45, 93rd)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Cowboy golfers struggle in second round
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- The Cowboy golf team started strong on the second day of the 2009 Western Intercollegiate, but did not finish as well and fell to 15th place as the day ended. With the third and final round scheduled for Tuesday at the Pasatiempo Golf Club, the Cowboys are looking to improve in the standings, as six teams are within 20 strokes in the 18-team field.
“We played great through about the first nine holes today and moved up to 10th or 11th place. Unfortunately, we put up a couple of big numbers during the second nine and that really cost us,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “We played quality golf at times, but this tough course was demanding due to the windy conditions and we didn’t handle that very well. It wasn‘t that we played bad golf, we just had a few big numbers that really hurt. Overall, I am encouraged by most of the things we are doing, there are just a few big mistakes that need to be corrected.”
After shooting their best round of the spring season during Sunday’s opening round, the Cowboys shot a 319 (+39) on Monday.
Individually, Phil Henzlik has the best two-round score for the Cowboys. After an even par 70 on Sunday, Henzlik shot an 84 on Monday for a two-round total of 154 (+14). That total is tied for 52nd in the 93-man field. Due to the tough course and challenging conditions, only one player in the field shot par or better on Monday.
Sophomore Zach Zaremba turned in the best round by a Cowboy on Tuesday with a 77 (+7). Zaremba and fellow sophomore Mike May are each tied for 56th place with a two-round total of 155 (+15). Redshirt sophomore Max Curnow had the best turnaround on the team, improving 10 strokes from Sunday. After a disappointing 89 (+19) on Sunday, Curnow shot a 79 (+9) on Monday.
Fresno State continues to lead the tournament with a two-round total of 579 (+19). Oregon is currently is second place (583, +23) and Colorado is in third (585, +25).
Individually, Oregon State’s Diego Velasquez leads the tournament with an even-par total of 140. Colorado’s Pat Grady is in second place (141, +1), while Denver’s Klinton Krieger and Oregon’s Andrew Vijarro are tied for third (143, +3).
The final round of the 2009 Western Intercollegiate will begin on Tuesday morning with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
“We played great through about the first nine holes today and moved up to 10th or 11th place. Unfortunately, we put up a couple of big numbers during the second nine and that really cost us,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “We played quality golf at times, but this tough course was demanding due to the windy conditions and we didn’t handle that very well. It wasn‘t that we played bad golf, we just had a few big numbers that really hurt. Overall, I am encouraged by most of the things we are doing, there are just a few big mistakes that need to be corrected.”
After shooting their best round of the spring season during Sunday’s opening round, the Cowboys shot a 319 (+39) on Monday.
Individually, Phil Henzlik has the best two-round score for the Cowboys. After an even par 70 on Sunday, Henzlik shot an 84 on Monday for a two-round total of 154 (+14). That total is tied for 52nd in the 93-man field. Due to the tough course and challenging conditions, only one player in the field shot par or better on Monday.
Sophomore Zach Zaremba turned in the best round by a Cowboy on Tuesday with a 77 (+7). Zaremba and fellow sophomore Mike May are each tied for 56th place with a two-round total of 155 (+15). Redshirt sophomore Max Curnow had the best turnaround on the team, improving 10 strokes from Sunday. After a disappointing 89 (+19) on Sunday, Curnow shot a 79 (+9) on Monday.
Fresno State continues to lead the tournament with a two-round total of 579 (+19). Oregon is currently is second place (583, +23) and Colorado is in third (585, +25).
Individually, Oregon State’s Diego Velasquez leads the tournament with an even-par total of 140. Colorado’s Pat Grady is in second place (141, +1), while Denver’s Klinton Krieger and Oregon’s Andrew Vijarro are tied for third (143, +3).
The final round of the 2009 Western Intercollegiate will begin on Tuesday morning with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
Cowgirls easily win EWC rodeo
The message is pretty clear to the rest of the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR): The University of Wyoming women's rodeo team will not let up this spring.
The Cowgirls intend to reclaim the overall national points lead after holding it at the end of the fall season. But with several colleges across the nation getting an early start on the spring season a couple of weeks ago, the UW women have dropped to second place behind New Mexico State University.
But the way things went for UW's women last weekend in the spring season's opening rodeo, the Cowgirls should contend for the overall national lead during the next couple of weeks.
The UW women dominated Sunday's Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) rodeo, claiming their sixth team title in as many CRMR events this season. It was another dominating performance by a team that didn't even use all of its major weapons to score team points.
Only two of Coach George Howard's "big three" scored points, but seniors Nikki Steffes and Sarah Mulholland did enough to help lead the team to an impressive 415-point win over second-place regional rival, Central Wyoming College (CWC). UW scored 615 points, while the Lady Rustlers were a distant second and Casper College was third with 175 team points.
The Cowgirls have a 2,222-point lead over Gillette College in the regional standings.
Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., who leads the nation in all-around individual points, led the Cowgirls in Torrington with 335 of UW's total team points. Mulholland, nursing, Richland Center, Wis., added another 240. The pair also finished first and second, respectively, in the all-around points chase.
Steffes, who has finished second two straight seasons in the College National Finals Rodeo, won the EWC event and then added third-place average points in barrel racing, an event in which she is the regional leader. Mulholland finished strongly in two events as well. She was the breakaway roping average runner-up and also third in goat tying.
The final team points came from Lander kinieseology freshman Heather Bregar, who was fifth in goat tying.
The UW men remained in contention for the CRMR overall team title by finishing a close third in Torrington. Gillette College won with 550 points, front-running CWC was second with 510 and the Cowboys were just five points back. That left UW's men just 245 behind the regional-leading Rustlers.
The Cowboys showed decent balance on both sides of the arena in Torrington by scoring points in both roughstock and timed events.
Header Chad Nelson, agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D., and partner Beau Miller of Gillette College placed second in the team roping average. UW teammate Tyler Viles, finance senior from Cody, added opening round points, but did not place in the average with roping partner Jared Bilby of EWC.
Bucky Dickson, kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., placed third in the bareback riding average; and Troy Brandemuehl, wildlife biology senior, Gordon, Neb., was fifth in the steer wrestling competition.
Gillette animal science sophomore Merritt Smith placed fifth in the tie down average and he also added opening round points in saddle bronc riding. Jason Hubbard, an agriculture senior from Wheatland, was third in the tie down roping competition.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will travel to Fort Collins this weekend for the Colorado State University Rodeo.
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Men's team standings -- Gillette College (GC) 550; Central Wyoming College (CWC), 510; University of Wyoming (UW) and Lamar Community College (LCC), 505; Northeastern Junior College (NJC), 310; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC), 265; Casper College (CC) 245; Colorado State University (CSU) 180; Sheridan College (SC), 145; Chadron State College (CSC), 125; Laramie County Community College (LCCC), 40.
Women's team standings -- UW, 615; CWC, 200; CC, 175; LCC, 135; LCCC, 120; CSC and CSU, 60; GC and EWC, 50; NJC, 30; SC, 20.
Saddle bronc riding -- Blaze Hamaker, CWC, 147; Riley Knoll, CWC, 134; Travis Darling, CC, 131; Steven Johnston, SC, 127; Chason Floyd, GC, 123; Garet Groshans, EWC, 110.
Bareback riding -- Ty Breuer, CWC,153; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 146; Bucky Dickson, UW, 144; Bryan Jones, CWC, 143; Whitten Hoover, CSC, and Tucker Bringle, GC, 140. Bull riding -- Lane Lindsay, GC, 76; Mathew Nichols, CWC, and Cameron Weddle, NJC, 71; Tyson Donaven, EWC, 67.
Tie down roping -- Joey Dickens, CSU, 18.2; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 22.2; Jason Hubbard, UW, 23.6; Cody McCluskey, NJC, 24.6; Merritt Smith, UW, 24; Billy McCall, EWC, 25.4.
Steer wrestling -- Chason Floyd, GC, 10.7; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 11.3; Chance Threet, LCC, 13.1; Tyrel Bonnet, SC, 13.4; Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 14.9; Dustin Smith, CC, 16.9; Del Kraupie, CSC, 23.
Team roping -- Trice/T.J. Watts, NJC, 13.7; Chad Nelson, UW/Beau Miller, GC, 16.4; Jessica Picchietti/Riley Warren, CWC, 16.9; Riley Milward/Jack Brown, UW, 17.7; Justin Smith,/Cody Merritt, EWC, 29; Cole Dorenkamp/Brice Ingo, LCC, 31.4.
Barrel racing -- Becky Grimm, CSC, 33.95; Shaylee Jobman, LCCC, 33.78; Nicki Steffes, UW, 33.97; Baileee Novotny, SC, 34.12; Michelle Robinson, GC, 34.14; Kaylee Gallino, CSC, 34.20.
Breakaway roping -- Megan Schrock, CC, 5.4; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 6.1; Kendra Hemphill, LCC, 6.8; Shannon Vaughan, EWC, 7.8; Jessie Smith, CSU, 16.3.
Goat tying -- Nicki Steffes, UW, 15.4; Laura Waldo, CWC, 16.2; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 16.3; Lacey Roberts, CSC, 16.6; Heather Bregar, UW, 16.8; Kaylee Moyer, EWC, 18.9.
The Cowgirls intend to reclaim the overall national points lead after holding it at the end of the fall season. But with several colleges across the nation getting an early start on the spring season a couple of weeks ago, the UW women have dropped to second place behind New Mexico State University.
But the way things went for UW's women last weekend in the spring season's opening rodeo, the Cowgirls should contend for the overall national lead during the next couple of weeks.
The UW women dominated Sunday's Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) rodeo, claiming their sixth team title in as many CRMR events this season. It was another dominating performance by a team that didn't even use all of its major weapons to score team points.
Only two of Coach George Howard's "big three" scored points, but seniors Nikki Steffes and Sarah Mulholland did enough to help lead the team to an impressive 415-point win over second-place regional rival, Central Wyoming College (CWC). UW scored 615 points, while the Lady Rustlers were a distant second and Casper College was third with 175 team points.
The Cowgirls have a 2,222-point lead over Gillette College in the regional standings.
Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., who leads the nation in all-around individual points, led the Cowgirls in Torrington with 335 of UW's total team points. Mulholland, nursing, Richland Center, Wis., added another 240. The pair also finished first and second, respectively, in the all-around points chase.
Steffes, who has finished second two straight seasons in the College National Finals Rodeo, won the EWC event and then added third-place average points in barrel racing, an event in which she is the regional leader. Mulholland finished strongly in two events as well. She was the breakaway roping average runner-up and also third in goat tying.
The final team points came from Lander kinieseology freshman Heather Bregar, who was fifth in goat tying.
The UW men remained in contention for the CRMR overall team title by finishing a close third in Torrington. Gillette College won with 550 points, front-running CWC was second with 510 and the Cowboys were just five points back. That left UW's men just 245 behind the regional-leading Rustlers.
The Cowboys showed decent balance on both sides of the arena in Torrington by scoring points in both roughstock and timed events.
Header Chad Nelson, agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D., and partner Beau Miller of Gillette College placed second in the team roping average. UW teammate Tyler Viles, finance senior from Cody, added opening round points, but did not place in the average with roping partner Jared Bilby of EWC.
Bucky Dickson, kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., placed third in the bareback riding average; and Troy Brandemuehl, wildlife biology senior, Gordon, Neb., was fifth in the steer wrestling competition.
Gillette animal science sophomore Merritt Smith placed fifth in the tie down average and he also added opening round points in saddle bronc riding. Jason Hubbard, an agriculture senior from Wheatland, was third in the tie down roping competition.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will travel to Fort Collins this weekend for the Colorado State University Rodeo.
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Men's team standings -- Gillette College (GC) 550; Central Wyoming College (CWC), 510; University of Wyoming (UW) and Lamar Community College (LCC), 505; Northeastern Junior College (NJC), 310; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC), 265; Casper College (CC) 245; Colorado State University (CSU) 180; Sheridan College (SC), 145; Chadron State College (CSC), 125; Laramie County Community College (LCCC), 40.
Women's team standings -- UW, 615; CWC, 200; CC, 175; LCC, 135; LCCC, 120; CSC and CSU, 60; GC and EWC, 50; NJC, 30; SC, 20.
Saddle bronc riding -- Blaze Hamaker, CWC, 147; Riley Knoll, CWC, 134; Travis Darling, CC, 131; Steven Johnston, SC, 127; Chason Floyd, GC, 123; Garet Groshans, EWC, 110.
Bareback riding -- Ty Breuer, CWC,153; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 146; Bucky Dickson, UW, 144; Bryan Jones, CWC, 143; Whitten Hoover, CSC, and Tucker Bringle, GC, 140. Bull riding -- Lane Lindsay, GC, 76; Mathew Nichols, CWC, and Cameron Weddle, NJC, 71; Tyson Donaven, EWC, 67.
Tie down roping -- Joey Dickens, CSU, 18.2; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 22.2; Jason Hubbard, UW, 23.6; Cody McCluskey, NJC, 24.6; Merritt Smith, UW, 24; Billy McCall, EWC, 25.4.
Steer wrestling -- Chason Floyd, GC, 10.7; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 11.3; Chance Threet, LCC, 13.1; Tyrel Bonnet, SC, 13.4; Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 14.9; Dustin Smith, CC, 16.9; Del Kraupie, CSC, 23.
Team roping -- Trice/T.J. Watts, NJC, 13.7; Chad Nelson, UW/Beau Miller, GC, 16.4; Jessica Picchietti/Riley Warren, CWC, 16.9; Riley Milward/Jack Brown, UW, 17.7; Justin Smith,/Cody Merritt, EWC, 29; Cole Dorenkamp/Brice Ingo, LCC, 31.4.
Barrel racing -- Becky Grimm, CSC, 33.95; Shaylee Jobman, LCCC, 33.78; Nicki Steffes, UW, 33.97; Baileee Novotny, SC, 34.12; Michelle Robinson, GC, 34.14; Kaylee Gallino, CSC, 34.20.
Breakaway roping -- Megan Schrock, CC, 5.4; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 6.1; Kendra Hemphill, LCC, 6.8; Shannon Vaughan, EWC, 7.8; Jessie Smith, CSU, 16.3.
Goat tying -- Nicki Steffes, UW, 15.4; Laura Waldo, CWC, 16.2; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 16.3; Lacey Roberts, CSC, 16.6; Heather Bregar, UW, 16.8; Kaylee Moyer, EWC, 18.9.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Henzlik leads Cowboy golfers in Santa Cruz
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Wyoming sophomore Phil Henzlik is tied for seventh place after the first round of the 63rd annual Western Intercollegiate on Sunday and the Cowboys are in 13th place.
Henzlik had a tremendous opening round and was one of only eight players in the 93-man field to shoot par or better. With an even par 70, Henzlik is currently tied for seventh and is only two strokes off the leaders.
As a team, the Cowboys matched their best round of the spring season by shooting a combined 303 (+23) on Sunday. That score places the Pokes in 13th place out of 18 teams. They also shot a 303 in the final round of their last tournament, the University of Arizona National Invitational.
Sophomore Mike May also had a solid opening round for the Cowboys, shooting a 74 (+4). That mark places May in a tie for 31st place.
“We had a pretty good start today but there are two rounds left and still a lot of golf left to be played,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “Phil had a really good start today and I am proud of him. As a team, we need to see a few more good rounds tomorrow. We need to get four guys playing well in rhythm and the good team scores will follow. I am hoping we can play a little better tomorrow and creep up the leaderboard.
“This is a great field and a really good, tight golf course. It is one of the most difficult courses we will play all year, which is exciting.”
Fresno State had the best opening round and shot a 278 (-2) on Sunday. Colorado is in second place (283, +3) and Oregon and Michigan State are tied for third (290, +10).
Individually, Colorado’s Pat Grady and Fresno State’s Bhavik Patel lead the tournament after shooting identical opening round scores of 68 (-2). Four other players are tied for third with first round scores of 69 (-1).
The second round of the 2009 Western Intercollegiate will begin on Monday morning with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament will play its third and final round on Tuesday.
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Wyoming Team Results
Phil Henzlik, So., 70 (E, T 7th)
Mike May, So., 74 (+4, T 31st)
Zach Zaremba, So., 78 (+8, T 69th)
Gabe Maier, So., 81 (+11, 83rd)
Max Curnow, R-So., 89 (+19, 93rd)
Henzlik had a tremendous opening round and was one of only eight players in the 93-man field to shoot par or better. With an even par 70, Henzlik is currently tied for seventh and is only two strokes off the leaders.
As a team, the Cowboys matched their best round of the spring season by shooting a combined 303 (+23) on Sunday. That score places the Pokes in 13th place out of 18 teams. They also shot a 303 in the final round of their last tournament, the University of Arizona National Invitational.
Sophomore Mike May also had a solid opening round for the Cowboys, shooting a 74 (+4). That mark places May in a tie for 31st place.
“We had a pretty good start today but there are two rounds left and still a lot of golf left to be played,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “Phil had a really good start today and I am proud of him. As a team, we need to see a few more good rounds tomorrow. We need to get four guys playing well in rhythm and the good team scores will follow. I am hoping we can play a little better tomorrow and creep up the leaderboard.
“This is a great field and a really good, tight golf course. It is one of the most difficult courses we will play all year, which is exciting.”
Fresno State had the best opening round and shot a 278 (-2) on Sunday. Colorado is in second place (283, +3) and Oregon and Michigan State are tied for third (290, +10).
Individually, Colorado’s Pat Grady and Fresno State’s Bhavik Patel lead the tournament after shooting identical opening round scores of 68 (-2). Four other players are tied for third with first round scores of 69 (-1).
The second round of the 2009 Western Intercollegiate will begin on Monday morning with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament will play its third and final round on Tuesday.
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Wyoming Team Results
Phil Henzlik, So., 70 (E, T 7th)
Mike May, So., 74 (+4, T 31st)
Zach Zaremba, So., 78 (+8, T 69th)
Gabe Maier, So., 81 (+11, 83rd)
Max Curnow, R-So., 89 (+19, 93rd)
Cowgirl tennis edges Weber State
OGDEN, Utah -- Despite losing the doubles point, the Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team pulled out a 4-3 victory against the Weber State Wildcats on Sunday.
“We are happy to close out the weekend with a victory,” UW head coach Kati Gyulai said. “This was our fourth match in four days, we were tired mentally and physically but the ladies played hard and are happy with their effort. We look forward getting home and resting a few days before we take on SDSU, UNLV and Northern Colorado next weekend.”
In doubles play, the Wildcats earned the point with wins at the number two and three spots. UW's Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen started off with an 8-3 win against Brittiny Moore and Caroline Drugge. In the number two spot, Wyoming's Jamie Nelson and Rebecca Berger fought hard against Keya Jenkins and Greyce Farias, but lost, 9-7. The Cowgirls' Carolina Chaix and Calli Pass were defeated by Elsje Beneke and Karlie Hancock, 8-2.
The Cowgirls made up for it by taking four of six matches in singles play. Summerfield began the day by defeating Jenkins, 6-3, 6-3. Berger played in the number two spot and beat Farias, 6-3, 6-1. Van Hollen won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, against Drugge, while Nelson followed with a three set win, 6-1, 5-7, 6-0, over Moore. In the number five spot, Chaix fought hard but came up short 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 against Hancock. In the number six spot, Pass finished up with a loss to Beneke, 6-2, 6-0.
The Cowgirls have some time off before heading to Colorado Springs, Colo., to take on San Diego State University on Friday and UNLV on Saturday. Wyoming will then finish up the weekend in Greeley, Colo., competing against Northern Colorado.
“We are happy to close out the weekend with a victory,” UW head coach Kati Gyulai said. “This was our fourth match in four days, we were tired mentally and physically but the ladies played hard and are happy with their effort. We look forward getting home and resting a few days before we take on SDSU, UNLV and Northern Colorado next weekend.”
In doubles play, the Wildcats earned the point with wins at the number two and three spots. UW's Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen started off with an 8-3 win against Brittiny Moore and Caroline Drugge. In the number two spot, Wyoming's Jamie Nelson and Rebecca Berger fought hard against Keya Jenkins and Greyce Farias, but lost, 9-7. The Cowgirls' Carolina Chaix and Calli Pass were defeated by Elsje Beneke and Karlie Hancock, 8-2.
The Cowgirls made up for it by taking four of six matches in singles play. Summerfield began the day by defeating Jenkins, 6-3, 6-3. Berger played in the number two spot and beat Farias, 6-3, 6-1. Van Hollen won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, against Drugge, while Nelson followed with a three set win, 6-1, 5-7, 6-0, over Moore. In the number five spot, Chaix fought hard but came up short 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 against Hancock. In the number six spot, Pass finished up with a loss to Beneke, 6-2, 6-0.
The Cowgirls have some time off before heading to Colorado Springs, Colo., to take on San Diego State University on Friday and UNLV on Saturday. Wyoming will then finish up the weekend in Greeley, Colo., competing against Northern Colorado.
Lambert, Shanklin qualify for regionals
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Throwers Sam Lambert and Jake Shanklin qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regionals Saturday at the Stanford, Invitational, bringing the total to five qualifiers for Wyoming.
Lambert placed second in his sectional and threw the hammer 190-feet, nearly four feet farther than the regional mark at 186-4. Shanklin, who is coming off his All-American campaign during the indoor season, competed for the first time during the outdoor season and placed sixth in his section with his toss of 195-10
Regional qualifier in both the long jump and triple jump, Jeremiah James competed in the triple jump on Saturday, along with John Alderson, as they finished in fourth and fifth respectively. James had a leap of 48-9, while Alderson jumped 47-5 1/4 for the ‘Pokes.
Jennifer Schmitz qualified and ran in the 100-meter hurdles on Saturday afternoon , placing seventh in 14.54 seconds. Afiya Walker finished 35th in the 800, with her time of 2:14.13 a personal best. The Cowgirls sent out a 4x400-meter relay team that placed fourth out of 15 teams and set the eighth-fastest time in UW history with their mark of 3:46.98.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls return to action on Friday at the Cougar Invitational in Provo, Utah.
Lambert placed second in his sectional and threw the hammer 190-feet, nearly four feet farther than the regional mark at 186-4. Shanklin, who is coming off his All-American campaign during the indoor season, competed for the first time during the outdoor season and placed sixth in his section with his toss of 195-10
Regional qualifier in both the long jump and triple jump, Jeremiah James competed in the triple jump on Saturday, along with John Alderson, as they finished in fourth and fifth respectively. James had a leap of 48-9, while Alderson jumped 47-5 1/4 for the ‘Pokes.
Jennifer Schmitz qualified and ran in the 100-meter hurdles on Saturday afternoon , placing seventh in 14.54 seconds. Afiya Walker finished 35th in the 800, with her time of 2:14.13 a personal best. The Cowgirls sent out a 4x400-meter relay team that placed fourth out of 15 teams and set the eighth-fastest time in UW history with their mark of 3:46.98.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls return to action on Friday at the Cougar Invitational in Provo, Utah.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Utah blanks Cowgirls
SALT LAKE CITY -- In their third match of the week, the Wyoming Cowgirls fell 7-0 to 44th ranked Utah on Saturday afternoon.
The Utes earned the doubles point by winning all three matches. UW's Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen started off with an 8-6 loss to Erin Monson and Andrea Maughan. Wyoming's Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson fell to Anastasia Putilina and Lisa Johnson, 8-4. To wrap up doubles, the Cowgirls Carolina Chaix and Calli Pass were defeated by Leigh Walsh and Evgenia Kryuchkova, 8-0.
The Cowgirls struggled in singles play as well. In the number one spot, Summerfield battled against Putilina, but fell in three sets 7-6, 5-7, 10-5. Berger lost to Monson, 7-6, 6-2. Van Hollen also lost a tough one, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1, against Walsh. Nelson competed in the number four spot and fell to Johnson, 7-6, 6-4, while Chaix was defeated by Lexi Provancha, 6-0, 6-0. The Utes closed things out as Andrea Maughan defeated Pass, 6-0, 6-0.
Wyoming will head to Ogden, Utah, ro face Weber State Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m.
to compete in their final match of the weekend.
The Utes earned the doubles point by winning all three matches. UW's Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen started off with an 8-6 loss to Erin Monson and Andrea Maughan. Wyoming's Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson fell to Anastasia Putilina and Lisa Johnson, 8-4. To wrap up doubles, the Cowgirls Carolina Chaix and Calli Pass were defeated by Leigh Walsh and Evgenia Kryuchkova, 8-0.
The Cowgirls struggled in singles play as well. In the number one spot, Summerfield battled against Putilina, but fell in three sets 7-6, 5-7, 10-5. Berger lost to Monson, 7-6, 6-2. Van Hollen also lost a tough one, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1, against Walsh. Nelson competed in the number four spot and fell to Johnson, 7-6, 6-4, while Chaix was defeated by Lexi Provancha, 6-0, 6-0. The Utes closed things out as Andrea Maughan defeated Pass, 6-0, 6-0.
Wyoming will head to Ogden, Utah, ro face Weber State Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m.
to compete in their final match of the weekend.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Three UW tracksters qualify for regionals
PALO ALTO, Calif., --Three University of Wyoming track and field athletes will be heading to the NCAA Midwest Regional, after qualifying in the first day of competition at the Stanford Invitational.
Junior Emily Higgins and senior Sharon Larrier qualified for the Cowgirls, while sophomore Jeremiah James punched his ticket for the second time for the Cowboys.
Higgins qualified in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as she easily beat her previous school record by more than 21 seconds.
Larrier, the Mountain West Conference champion in the 400-meter dash, regionally qualified with her time of 54.30 with her second-place finish Friday. Fellow sprinter, junior Jennifer Schmitz, qualified for Saturday's finals in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 14.47.
James, the lone Cowboy to qualify thus far this season, has already done so in the triple jump last week at the Potts Invitational in Boulder, Colo. He added the long jump, as he had a best jump of 24-feet, 1 3/4 inches to place second. Along with James was senior John Alderson, who failed to qualify, but placed third with his leap of 22-6 1/4.
“It’s really exciting, getting some people qualified and we are getting real close on some others,” UW head coach Don Yentes said. “Again, we had some good performances today and we really look forward to tomorrow. We have a real good chance at getting another couple on the list for the regionals.”
Also for Wyoming, sophomore Taylor Kelting ran a personal best time in the 5,000-meter run in 14:32.45 which is good for ninth-best all-time in UW history. Fellow sophomore Alysha Davis placed fifth in her section of the 5,000-meter run and improved on her already sixth-best time in UW history that she set as a freshman for the Cowgirls. Her previous time of 17:18.25 was wiped away with her time of 17:15.87 Friday afternoon.
As for the throwers, junior Sam Lambert won his respective shot put sectional with his toss of 50-0 3/4, while sophomore Amanda Aimone had her personal best in the discus throw as she placed sixth with a toss of 140-3. Freshman Cowboy Joe Plante finished the discus throw in sixth with a toss of 154-2.
Action will continue at the Stanford Invite Saturday afternoon with live stats available at www.gostanford.com.
Junior Emily Higgins and senior Sharon Larrier qualified for the Cowgirls, while sophomore Jeremiah James punched his ticket for the second time for the Cowboys.
Higgins qualified in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as she easily beat her previous school record by more than 21 seconds.
Larrier, the Mountain West Conference champion in the 400-meter dash, regionally qualified with her time of 54.30 with her second-place finish Friday. Fellow sprinter, junior Jennifer Schmitz, qualified for Saturday's finals in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 14.47.
James, the lone Cowboy to qualify thus far this season, has already done so in the triple jump last week at the Potts Invitational in Boulder, Colo. He added the long jump, as he had a best jump of 24-feet, 1 3/4 inches to place second. Along with James was senior John Alderson, who failed to qualify, but placed third with his leap of 22-6 1/4.
“It’s really exciting, getting some people qualified and we are getting real close on some others,” UW head coach Don Yentes said. “Again, we had some good performances today and we really look forward to tomorrow. We have a real good chance at getting another couple on the list for the regionals.”
Also for Wyoming, sophomore Taylor Kelting ran a personal best time in the 5,000-meter run in 14:32.45 which is good for ninth-best all-time in UW history. Fellow sophomore Alysha Davis placed fifth in her section of the 5,000-meter run and improved on her already sixth-best time in UW history that she set as a freshman for the Cowgirls. Her previous time of 17:18.25 was wiped away with her time of 17:15.87 Friday afternoon.
As for the throwers, junior Sam Lambert won his respective shot put sectional with his toss of 50-0 3/4, while sophomore Amanda Aimone had her personal best in the discus throw as she placed sixth with a toss of 140-3. Freshman Cowboy Joe Plante finished the discus throw in sixth with a toss of 154-2.
Action will continue at the Stanford Invite Saturday afternoon with live stats available at www.gostanford.com.
BYU blanks Cowgirl tennis
PROVO, Utah -- The Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team (6-9 overall, 1-1 in MWC) had a tough day, as they suffered a 7-0 loss against the 53rd-ranked BYU Cougars on Friday morning.
BYU jumped out early as they earned the doubles point with victories in all three matches. Uw's Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen lost 8-4 against Elle Carney and Megan Price. At the number two spot, Elizaveta Ezhova and McCall Jones defeated Wyoming's Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson, 8-6, while Chie Hayasaka and Jocelyn Jensen closed it out with an 8-0 win over the Cowgirls' Carolina Chaix and Calli Pass.
The Cougars continued their dominance in singles play. In the closest match of the day, Van Hollen lost a tough three-set match, 5-7, 6-2, 10-7, against Price at the number three spot. Summerfield fell to 6-1, 6-3, as did Berger, 6-3, 6-3, against Hayasaka. In the number four position, Chaix was defeated by Carney, 6-0, 6-4, while Nelson also came up short against Ezhova, 6-2, 6-0. Jensen would seal the victory with a straight set win, 6-0, 6-1 over Pass.
Wyoming continues conference play Saturday at noon against Utah Utes in Salt Lake City.
BYU jumped out early as they earned the doubles point with victories in all three matches. Uw's Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen lost 8-4 against Elle Carney and Megan Price. At the number two spot, Elizaveta Ezhova and McCall Jones defeated Wyoming's Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson, 8-6, while Chie Hayasaka and Jocelyn Jensen closed it out with an 8-0 win over the Cowgirls' Carolina Chaix and Calli Pass.
The Cougars continued their dominance in singles play. In the closest match of the day, Van Hollen lost a tough three-set match, 5-7, 6-2, 10-7, against Price at the number three spot. Summerfield fell to 6-1, 6-3, as did Berger, 6-3, 6-3, against Hayasaka. In the number four position, Chaix was defeated by Carney, 6-0, 6-4, while Nelson also came up short against Ezhova, 6-2, 6-0. Jensen would seal the victory with a straight set win, 6-0, 6-1 over Pass.
Wyoming continues conference play Saturday at noon against Utah Utes in Salt Lake City.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Cowgirl tennis edges Utah State
LOGAN, Utah -- The Wyoming tennis team earned a tough 4-3 victory over the Utah State Aggies on Thursday afternoon.
“We started out very focused, strong and dominated in doubles today,” UW head coach Kati Gyulai said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t carry over into singles play and we were lucky to have escaped a loss.”
The Cowgirls earned the doubles point by sweeping all three matches. Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen started the day with a win against Bridgette Strickland and Hailey Swenson, 8-3. In the number two spot, Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson defeated Monica Abella and Carla Limon, 8-2. To wrap up doubles play, Carolina Chaix and freshman Calli Pass beat Britney Watts and Taylor Perry, 8-4.
In singles play, each team would win three singles matches apiece. Summerfield started off with a loss to Swenson, 6-3, 6-4. Van Hollen played in the number two spot and fell in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4 to Strickland. Berger earned the Cowgirls a win, 7-5, 6-4, against Abella. Nelson followed with a three set-victory, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, over Perry. In the number five spot, Chaix clinched the win with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Limon. Pass finished the day with a loss to Watts, 6-0, 6-0.
Wyoming returns to Mountain West Conference play, taking on BYU Friday in Provo beginning at 10 a.m.
“We started out very focused, strong and dominated in doubles today,” UW head coach Kati Gyulai said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t carry over into singles play and we were lucky to have escaped a loss.”
The Cowgirls earned the doubles point by sweeping all three matches. Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen started the day with a win against Bridgette Strickland and Hailey Swenson, 8-3. In the number two spot, Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson defeated Monica Abella and Carla Limon, 8-2. To wrap up doubles play, Carolina Chaix and freshman Calli Pass beat Britney Watts and Taylor Perry, 8-4.
In singles play, each team would win three singles matches apiece. Summerfield started off with a loss to Swenson, 6-3, 6-4. Van Hollen played in the number two spot and fell in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4 to Strickland. Berger earned the Cowgirls a win, 7-5, 6-4, against Abella. Nelson followed with a three set-victory, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, over Perry. In the number five spot, Chaix clinched the win with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Limon. Pass finished the day with a loss to Watts, 6-0, 6-0.
Wyoming returns to Mountain West Conference play, taking on BYU Friday in Provo beginning at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cowgirls finish ninth at BYU Dixie
ST. GEORGE, Utah – The University of Wyoming women’s golf team finished ninth at the BYU/Dixie Classic on Wednesday.
The Cowgirls finished with a three-round total of 947 (+83), five strokes behind eighth-place Texas State and 70 strokes behind the leading Denver University Pioneers.
Jonelle Martinez finished the two-day tournament in a tie for 18th place with her final round 76 (+4). Martinez had two of the best round totals in the tournament, while Sarah Fogerty had the other. Fogerty was right behind Martinez as she finished in 26th place. She shot a final round 79 (+7) for her three-round total of 235 (+19).
“Jonelle had a great tournament and played great today,” said head coach Josey Stender. “We are a little disappointed since our first round was so good. Once we get some consistency back into our games, we will be where we know we can be.”
Molly Black and Juanita Rico finished the Dixie Classic in a tie for 43rd place with matching 243’s (+27), while Mikala Henzlik followed in a tie for 55th place.
Up next for the Cowgirls will be their host tournament held in Chandler, Ariz., at the Ocotillo Golf Course, April 6-7.
“We have about 10 days of quality practice before we head down to Chandler, Ariz., and host our own tournament where we placed second in last year,” said Stender.
The Cowgirls finished with a three-round total of 947 (+83), five strokes behind eighth-place Texas State and 70 strokes behind the leading Denver University Pioneers.
Jonelle Martinez finished the two-day tournament in a tie for 18th place with her final round 76 (+4). Martinez had two of the best round totals in the tournament, while Sarah Fogerty had the other. Fogerty was right behind Martinez as she finished in 26th place. She shot a final round 79 (+7) for her three-round total of 235 (+19).
“Jonelle had a great tournament and played great today,” said head coach Josey Stender. “We are a little disappointed since our first round was so good. Once we get some consistency back into our games, we will be where we know we can be.”
Molly Black and Juanita Rico finished the Dixie Classic in a tie for 43rd place with matching 243’s (+27), while Mikala Henzlik followed in a tie for 55th place.
Up next for the Cowgirls will be their host tournament held in Chandler, Ariz., at the Ocotillo Golf Course, April 6-7.
“We have about 10 days of quality practice before we head down to Chandler, Ariz., and host our own tournament where we placed second in last year,” said Stender.
UW rodeo teams back in action
University of Wyoming Cowgirl TaNaye Carroll competes in a fall rodeo. Carroll ended the fall season as the national goat tying leader. She and her UW teammates enter the spring season ranked number one in the nation. (UW Photo)by UW Media Relations
George Howard thinks positive all the time, so much so that he compares his team against the nation's best.
Sure, the veteran University of Wyoming rodeo coach wants to win the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) title each season, because it means topping UW's rivals in the arena.
What he likes even more is knowing that his teams, especially his women's club, the last few years, are good enough to compete for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) championship. That is Howard's ultimate goal even before his teams come back to campus each fall semester.
Two years ago, Howard's Cowgirls won it all, bringing back to UW the school's fourth women's title. And last year, his women were the heavy favorites to repeat, but a tough short go moved them from first place heading into the championship round to an overall fourth place finish.
With their top three Cowgirls back again for the 2008-09 season, the UW women are again challenging for collegiate rodeo's biggest prize -- the CNFR title.
The spring season begins this weekend (Friday through Sunday) at the Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) rodeo in Torrington. Not only are the Cowgirls dominating the CRMR, but the UW women sat atop the national standings after the fall season concluded.
Warmer climate schools began the spring season earlier this month. With eight rodeos already completed, New Mexico State University (Las Cruces) has retaken the overall national lead. The UW Cowgirls have yet to begin the spring season, and Howard expects his women to reclaim the national lead. They are now 800 points behind.
"I've never had a national leader during the regular season, and hopefully we can make up the difference in a couple of weeks," Howard said.
After five fall rodeos, UW has 3,045 points -- averaging an eye-opening 609 team points per competition. The Cowgirls have a big lead in the CRMR over Gillette College, which has 1,390. Central Wyoming College (CWC) is a distant third with 890.
The Cowgirls' dominance is directly correlated to returning CNFR senior veterans TaNaye Carroll, Sarah Mulholland and Nikki Steffes. Combined, they have nine years of CNFR experience.
This is one balanced lineup and it shows in the national and regional rankings after the fall season.
Steffes, who has won the women's regional all-around title in each of her three previous seasons at UW, was the national leader, meaning she also heads the CRMR standings. The Vale, S.D., molecular biology straight "A" major, won the CNFR all-around title during the Cowgirls' national championship run. She's placed second twice in the CNFR goat tying competition.
Going into the spring season, she was 13th overall in the national goat tying standings (third in the region) and is sitting first overall in the CRMR's and third nationally in barrel racing. The consistent competitor also is third regionally in breakaway roping.
Carroll, a kinesiology student from La Junta, Colo., was the fall season's national goat tying leader and currently heads a 1-2-3 Cowgirl domination in the regional standings.
Mulholland, a nursing major from Richland Center, Wis., is second in the CRMR goat tying competition and seventh in breakaway roping. She also made a move on the national goat tying standings, sitting third heading into the spring season.
"With the notoriety the three have received regionally, and especially nationally, they are taking all of this with a grain of salt. They're not letting it go to their heads; they're just going about their business," Howard said. "I expect big things for our women this spring. They practically have their tickets punched for the college finals. Going by what they did in the fall, I believe that no one in the region can get close to them."
Howard's "big three" will be joined by Lander kinesiology freshman Heather Bregar in the four-women team for this weekend's EWC rodeo.
With an almost entirely new men's lineup this season, the UW Cowboys late last fall surged into second place in the CRMR behind perennial front-running CWC. The Rustlers have 2,325 points, while the Cowboys are 240 points back. Gillette College is third with 1,736. Only the top two men's and women's teams advance to the CNFR this June at the Casper Events Center.
Going into the spring season, CWC and UW were 13th and 15th, respectively in the overall national points standings.
Gillette animal science sophomore Merritt Smith leads all CRMR saddle bronc riders and was fifth overall in the national rankings. UW also has a second regional leader in his event -- team roping header Chad Nelson, agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D. His point totals were good enough to put him 12th overall nationally.
Teammate Justin Viles, a finance senior from Cody, is second in the current regional team roping points standings as a header and was 16th nationally after the fall season.
The Cowboys also have the second through fourth-place CRMR steer wrestlers. Senior John Franzen, communications, Riverton, is the region's number two bulldogger followed by teammates Troy Brandemuehl, wildlife biology senior, Gordon, Neb., and Seth Bolerjack, geophysics junior, Gillette.
In tie down roping, Brandemuehl enters the spring schedule at number three in the CRMR and Viles is one place back. Bucky Dickson, kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., heads into the spring season as the region's third best bareback rider.
Brandemuehl, Dickson, Nelson, Smith, Viles and Jason Hubbard. an agriculture senior from Wheatland, will compete for the six-man UW team this weekend.
UW's annual Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo closes the regular spring season May 1-3 at the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena.
Sure, the veteran University of Wyoming rodeo coach wants to win the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) title each season, because it means topping UW's rivals in the arena.
What he likes even more is knowing that his teams, especially his women's club, the last few years, are good enough to compete for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) championship. That is Howard's ultimate goal even before his teams come back to campus each fall semester.
Two years ago, Howard's Cowgirls won it all, bringing back to UW the school's fourth women's title. And last year, his women were the heavy favorites to repeat, but a tough short go moved them from first place heading into the championship round to an overall fourth place finish.
With their top three Cowgirls back again for the 2008-09 season, the UW women are again challenging for collegiate rodeo's biggest prize -- the CNFR title.
The spring season begins this weekend (Friday through Sunday) at the Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) rodeo in Torrington. Not only are the Cowgirls dominating the CRMR, but the UW women sat atop the national standings after the fall season concluded.
Warmer climate schools began the spring season earlier this month. With eight rodeos already completed, New Mexico State University (Las Cruces) has retaken the overall national lead. The UW Cowgirls have yet to begin the spring season, and Howard expects his women to reclaim the national lead. They are now 800 points behind.
"I've never had a national leader during the regular season, and hopefully we can make up the difference in a couple of weeks," Howard said.
After five fall rodeos, UW has 3,045 points -- averaging an eye-opening 609 team points per competition. The Cowgirls have a big lead in the CRMR over Gillette College, which has 1,390. Central Wyoming College (CWC) is a distant third with 890.
The Cowgirls' dominance is directly correlated to returning CNFR senior veterans TaNaye Carroll, Sarah Mulholland and Nikki Steffes. Combined, they have nine years of CNFR experience.
This is one balanced lineup and it shows in the national and regional rankings after the fall season.
Steffes, who has won the women's regional all-around title in each of her three previous seasons at UW, was the national leader, meaning she also heads the CRMR standings. The Vale, S.D., molecular biology straight "A" major, won the CNFR all-around title during the Cowgirls' national championship run. She's placed second twice in the CNFR goat tying competition.
Going into the spring season, she was 13th overall in the national goat tying standings (third in the region) and is sitting first overall in the CRMR's and third nationally in barrel racing. The consistent competitor also is third regionally in breakaway roping.
Carroll, a kinesiology student from La Junta, Colo., was the fall season's national goat tying leader and currently heads a 1-2-3 Cowgirl domination in the regional standings.
Mulholland, a nursing major from Richland Center, Wis., is second in the CRMR goat tying competition and seventh in breakaway roping. She also made a move on the national goat tying standings, sitting third heading into the spring season.
"With the notoriety the three have received regionally, and especially nationally, they are taking all of this with a grain of salt. They're not letting it go to their heads; they're just going about their business," Howard said. "I expect big things for our women this spring. They practically have their tickets punched for the college finals. Going by what they did in the fall, I believe that no one in the region can get close to them."
Howard's "big three" will be joined by Lander kinesiology freshman Heather Bregar in the four-women team for this weekend's EWC rodeo.
With an almost entirely new men's lineup this season, the UW Cowboys late last fall surged into second place in the CRMR behind perennial front-running CWC. The Rustlers have 2,325 points, while the Cowboys are 240 points back. Gillette College is third with 1,736. Only the top two men's and women's teams advance to the CNFR this June at the Casper Events Center.
Going into the spring season, CWC and UW were 13th and 15th, respectively in the overall national points standings.
Gillette animal science sophomore Merritt Smith leads all CRMR saddle bronc riders and was fifth overall in the national rankings. UW also has a second regional leader in his event -- team roping header Chad Nelson, agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D. His point totals were good enough to put him 12th overall nationally.
Teammate Justin Viles, a finance senior from Cody, is second in the current regional team roping points standings as a header and was 16th nationally after the fall season.
The Cowboys also have the second through fourth-place CRMR steer wrestlers. Senior John Franzen, communications, Riverton, is the region's number two bulldogger followed by teammates Troy Brandemuehl, wildlife biology senior, Gordon, Neb., and Seth Bolerjack, geophysics junior, Gillette.
In tie down roping, Brandemuehl enters the spring schedule at number three in the CRMR and Viles is one place back. Bucky Dickson, kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., heads into the spring season as the region's third best bareback rider.
Brandemuehl, Dickson, Nelson, Smith, Viles and Jason Hubbard. an agriculture senior from Wheatland, will compete for the six-man UW team this weekend.
UW's annual Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo closes the regular spring season May 1-3 at the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cowgirl golfers sixth at BYU Dixie Classic
ST. GEORGE, Utah – After two rounds of the BYU Dixie Classic at the Entrada at Snow Canyon Golf Course, the University of Wyoming Cowgirl golf team owns the sixth spot out of 15 teams.
“We played well this morning on a very difficult course,” UW coach Josey Stender said. “We were making our putts and minimized our mistakes.”
After an opening 301, the Cowgirls shot a 324 in the second round.
“This course is very unforgiving and it makes you pay for your mistakes if you don’t learn from them,” said Stender.
Junior Jonelle Martinez is tackling this course for the third-time in her career and played consistent and conservative, as she opened with a two-round total of 154 (+10) strokes, and currently sits in a tie for 16th place. Fellow junior Sarah Fogerty is not far behind as she sits in a tie for 20th place with her first-day total of 156 (+12) strokes.
“This is one of those courses that the more you play the better you know it and better you play,” said Stender. “Jonelle played very well and showed great leadership for us on the course. Tomorrow if we can go out there and play without fear and play the way we know we can we should do pretty well."
The Cowgirls will continue action on Wednesday, beginning at 8:30 a.m., with live stats at http://www.golfstat.com/.
---
Jonelle Martinez 76+78=154 (+10, T 16th)
Sarah Fogerty 76+80=156 (+12, T 20th)
Molly Black 75+84=159 (+15, T 33rd)
Mikala Henzlik 78+82=160 (+16, T 36th)
Juanita Rico Calgary 74+86=160 (+16, T 36th)
“We played well this morning on a very difficult course,” UW coach Josey Stender said. “We were making our putts and minimized our mistakes.”
After an opening 301, the Cowgirls shot a 324 in the second round.
“This course is very unforgiving and it makes you pay for your mistakes if you don’t learn from them,” said Stender.
Junior Jonelle Martinez is tackling this course for the third-time in her career and played consistent and conservative, as she opened with a two-round total of 154 (+10) strokes, and currently sits in a tie for 16th place. Fellow junior Sarah Fogerty is not far behind as she sits in a tie for 20th place with her first-day total of 156 (+12) strokes.
“This is one of those courses that the more you play the better you know it and better you play,” said Stender. “Jonelle played very well and showed great leadership for us on the course. Tomorrow if we can go out there and play without fear and play the way we know we can we should do pretty well."
The Cowgirls will continue action on Wednesday, beginning at 8:30 a.m., with live stats at http://www.golfstat.com/.
---
Jonelle Martinez 76+78=154 (+10, T 16th)
Sarah Fogerty 76+80=156 (+12, T 20th)
Molly Black 75+84=159 (+15, T 33rd)
Mikala Henzlik 78+82=160 (+16, T 36th)
Juanita Rico Calgary 74+86=160 (+16, T 36th)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Cowboy golfers improve at NIT
The University of Wyoming Cowboy golf team closed out the 2009 National Invitational Tournament on Monday in Tucson, Ariz. and steadily improved with each round of the tournament, saving their best round for Monday’s final day.
The NIT, which is hosted by the University of Arizona, was held at Omni Tucson National. In all, nine of the 15 teams in the tournament are ranked in the top-46 of the country. Three teams are ranked in the top-20.
“We started this tournament out poorly with a tough first round, but I am pleased in how we finished,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “It is early in the spring with this only being our eighth round, but we are starting to get back into the swing of things. We need more consistency, especially in the opening round, but I believe we will continue to improve as we get deeper into the spring.”
As a team, the Cowboys shot a 310 (+22) in the first round, a 306 (+18) in the second round and a 303 (+15) in Monday’s final round. While the Cowboys first round score was the highest in the 15-team field, their third round score was tied for the 10th best. Wyoming’s three-round total of 919 (+55) placed 15th.
The Cowboys took a major blow on Monday morning as their leading player, sophomore Gabe Maier, had his second round score disqualified due to a scorecard issue. That cost the Cowboys 11 strokes in the team scoring. Despite the unfortunate scorecard issue, Maier rebounded nicely to lead the Pokes with a third round 73 (+1).
“Gabe was upset but did the right thing by choosing to DQ himself,” said Jensen. “It was a tough morning but he did a great job of coming back and playing well today. I am so proud of him for handling this situation the way that he has.”
Sophomore Phil Henzlik led the Cowboys in the tournament by shooting a three-round total of 225 (+9). That score tied Henzlik for 60th in the tournament.
New Mexico won the tournament with a team score of 850 (-14). Arizona finished second with a score of 857 (-7) and TCU finished third at 861 (-3).
Individually, New Mexico’s Nick Geyer won the tournament with a score of 207 (-9). TCU’s James Sacheck finished second (209, -7) and Arizona’s Philip Bagdade finished third (210, -6).
The Cowboys will continue the 2009 spring season this coming weekend as they travel to Santa Cruz, Calif. for the 63rd Annual Western Intercollegiate, hosted by San Jose State University at the Pasatiempo Golf Club Friday through Sunday.
Wyoming Team Results Hometown Class Scores/Place
Phil Henzlik Rapid City, S.D. So. 79-71-75=225 (+9, T 52nd)
Zach Zaremba Pueblo, Colo. So. 76-76-75=227 (+11, T 62nd)
Mike May Big Piney, Wyo. So. 82-80-80=242 (+26, 82nd)
Max Curnow Liberty, Mo. R-So. 79-79-86=244 (+28, 83rd)
Gabe Maier Cody, Wyo. So. 76-DQ-73=DQ
The NIT, which is hosted by the University of Arizona, was held at Omni Tucson National. In all, nine of the 15 teams in the tournament are ranked in the top-46 of the country. Three teams are ranked in the top-20.
“We started this tournament out poorly with a tough first round, but I am pleased in how we finished,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “It is early in the spring with this only being our eighth round, but we are starting to get back into the swing of things. We need more consistency, especially in the opening round, but I believe we will continue to improve as we get deeper into the spring.”
As a team, the Cowboys shot a 310 (+22) in the first round, a 306 (+18) in the second round and a 303 (+15) in Monday’s final round. While the Cowboys first round score was the highest in the 15-team field, their third round score was tied for the 10th best. Wyoming’s three-round total of 919 (+55) placed 15th.
The Cowboys took a major blow on Monday morning as their leading player, sophomore Gabe Maier, had his second round score disqualified due to a scorecard issue. That cost the Cowboys 11 strokes in the team scoring. Despite the unfortunate scorecard issue, Maier rebounded nicely to lead the Pokes with a third round 73 (+1).
“Gabe was upset but did the right thing by choosing to DQ himself,” said Jensen. “It was a tough morning but he did a great job of coming back and playing well today. I am so proud of him for handling this situation the way that he has.”
Sophomore Phil Henzlik led the Cowboys in the tournament by shooting a three-round total of 225 (+9). That score tied Henzlik for 60th in the tournament.
New Mexico won the tournament with a team score of 850 (-14). Arizona finished second with a score of 857 (-7) and TCU finished third at 861 (-3).
Individually, New Mexico’s Nick Geyer won the tournament with a score of 207 (-9). TCU’s James Sacheck finished second (209, -7) and Arizona’s Philip Bagdade finished third (210, -6).
The Cowboys will continue the 2009 spring season this coming weekend as they travel to Santa Cruz, Calif. for the 63rd Annual Western Intercollegiate, hosted by San Jose State University at the Pasatiempo Golf Club Friday through Sunday.
Wyoming Team Results Hometown Class Scores/Place
Phil Henzlik Rapid City, S.D. So. 79-71-75=225 (+9, T 52nd)
Zach Zaremba Pueblo, Colo. So. 76-76-75=227 (+11, T 62nd)
Mike May Big Piney, Wyo. So. 82-80-80=242 (+26, 82nd)
Max Curnow Liberty, Mo. R-So. 79-79-86=244 (+28, 83rd)
Gabe Maier Cody, Wyo. So. 76-DQ-73=DQ
UW equestrian club doing well
A year ago, the University of Wyoming equestrian club qualified just one competitor for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championships.
The UW contingent will be much larger in 2009.
Katie French (Plymouth, Minn.) and McCabe Jones (Dillon, Colo.) have already qualified for nationals in western riding and three of their teammates have a chance to join them with strong showings April 5 at the IHSA's Zone 7 Championships at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.
"I'm so happy with the way the team has performed this season, and I think our success just shows that we're moving the program in the right direction," said UW Coach Kari (Randle) Bright. "This is an exciting time for our club. I'm so proud of everybody!"
Elizabeth Kinnally (Westwood, N.J.), Stephanie Pruitt (Cheyenne) and club president Brittany Waltz (Anchorage, Alaska) will compete in hunter seat riding at the zone championships in Cheyenne. They qualified by placing among the top three in their respective divisions at the regional competition earlier this month in Colorado.
Jones and Lauren Heisel (Story) also represented UW at the hunter seat regional event but did not advance to zones.
French and Jones punched their ticket to the national championships, April 23-26 at Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with standout performances at one of three national semifinal events earlier this month in Texas.
"They rode their tails off," Bright said.
.
In 2008, Erin Downey was UW's only representative at the IHSA national event, and the university's first contestant at nationals since Michelle Schwope of Lovell and Amy Goodson of Sundance qualified in 2004.
The UW club is seeking sponsorships and donations to help pay for travel expenses for the national show. To offer financial assistance, call Bright at 760-9474.
The UW contingent will be much larger in 2009.
Katie French (Plymouth, Minn.) and McCabe Jones (Dillon, Colo.) have already qualified for nationals in western riding and three of their teammates have a chance to join them with strong showings April 5 at the IHSA's Zone 7 Championships at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.
"I'm so happy with the way the team has performed this season, and I think our success just shows that we're moving the program in the right direction," said UW Coach Kari (Randle) Bright. "This is an exciting time for our club. I'm so proud of everybody!"
Elizabeth Kinnally (Westwood, N.J.), Stephanie Pruitt (Cheyenne) and club president Brittany Waltz (Anchorage, Alaska) will compete in hunter seat riding at the zone championships in Cheyenne. They qualified by placing among the top three in their respective divisions at the regional competition earlier this month in Colorado.
Jones and Lauren Heisel (Story) also represented UW at the hunter seat regional event but did not advance to zones.
French and Jones punched their ticket to the national championships, April 23-26 at Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with standout performances at one of three national semifinal events earlier this month in Texas.
"They rode their tails off," Bright said.
.
In 2008, Erin Downey was UW's only representative at the IHSA national event, and the university's first contestant at nationals since Michelle Schwope of Lovell and Amy Goodson of Sundance qualified in 2004.
The UW club is seeking sponsorships and donations to help pay for travel expenses for the national show. To offer financial assistance, call Bright at 760-9474.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
UW track opens outdoor season
BOULDER, Colo. -- The University of Wyoming track and field teams opened the outdoor portion of their season Saturday at the Potts Invitational and came away with nine titles and 27 top five finishes.
Junior Emily Higgins led the charge for the Cowgirls, as she competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time ever and set the school record with her time of 11 minutes, 09.29 seconds, good for second place. Higgins was only a few seconds off qualifying for the regional meet later this season.
Sophomore Jeremiah James was able to qualify for the NCAA Regional meet in the triple jump, as he came away with one of the nine titles the Wyoming track team won. His jump of 50-feet, 6 inches was good for fifth all-time and will compete in the regional meet for the second straight year. Fellow jumper, Lindsey Fuller came away with her own crown in the long jump and was second in the triple jump for the Cowgirls.
“It is quite the accomplishment to be a school record holder in more than one event as Higgins does, and not bad for her first time running in that event,” said head coach Don Yentes. Higgins currently holds the indoor 3,000-meter record for the University of Wyoming. “We had quite a few kids perform well for us today. It was nice to get outside and not be so confined to the indoor track.”
The Cowboy sprinters were led once again by junior Jay Petsch, who finished first in the 110-meter hurdles with his time of 15.09, which is good for tenth all-time. Kekoa Chavez also came away with a first-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with his time of 54.66.
The Cowgirls were led by their returning All-Mountain West Conference performer and defending 100-meter hurdle champion, Shaylee Babbitt, who won her event with a time of 14.01, while also placing fifth in the 200-meter dash. Junior Jennifer Schmitz was not far behind Babbitt in the 100-meter hurdles with her second-place finish and time of 14.22.
Newcomer Afiya Walker entered her name into the record books with her sixth-fastest time in the 400-meter dash and first-place finish of 55.11. Senior Sharon Larrier came away with a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash and time of 24.28.
Junior Sam Lambert placed fifth in the hammer throw, while freshman Joe Plante was not far behind in 10th. Plante also etched his name in the record books with his third-place finish in the discus throw and ninth-best throw all-time of 166-5.
Sophomore Amanda Aimone led the Cowgirls to a fifth-place finish in the hammer throw with her toss of 150-9.
“Our numbers were a little down today, but not because we were technically off, it was because we were competing with a heavy ball today,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett. “I like to train with the heavy ball for a few weeks before we move to the competition ball, and we just didn’t have enough time before this weekend. They did a great job competing and showed the coaching staff that once again we will be a tough group to beat.”
“Our kids did a good job of making some improvements this weekend and we just need to continue to improve and not be satisfied with where we are right now,” said Yentes.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will have an opportunity to improve next weekend as they head to Palo Alto, Calif., to compete in the Stanford Invitational.
Junior Emily Higgins led the charge for the Cowgirls, as she competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time ever and set the school record with her time of 11 minutes, 09.29 seconds, good for second place. Higgins was only a few seconds off qualifying for the regional meet later this season.
Sophomore Jeremiah James was able to qualify for the NCAA Regional meet in the triple jump, as he came away with one of the nine titles the Wyoming track team won. His jump of 50-feet, 6 inches was good for fifth all-time and will compete in the regional meet for the second straight year. Fellow jumper, Lindsey Fuller came away with her own crown in the long jump and was second in the triple jump for the Cowgirls.
“It is quite the accomplishment to be a school record holder in more than one event as Higgins does, and not bad for her first time running in that event,” said head coach Don Yentes. Higgins currently holds the indoor 3,000-meter record for the University of Wyoming. “We had quite a few kids perform well for us today. It was nice to get outside and not be so confined to the indoor track.”
The Cowboy sprinters were led once again by junior Jay Petsch, who finished first in the 110-meter hurdles with his time of 15.09, which is good for tenth all-time. Kekoa Chavez also came away with a first-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with his time of 54.66.
The Cowgirls were led by their returning All-Mountain West Conference performer and defending 100-meter hurdle champion, Shaylee Babbitt, who won her event with a time of 14.01, while also placing fifth in the 200-meter dash. Junior Jennifer Schmitz was not far behind Babbitt in the 100-meter hurdles with her second-place finish and time of 14.22.
Newcomer Afiya Walker entered her name into the record books with her sixth-fastest time in the 400-meter dash and first-place finish of 55.11. Senior Sharon Larrier came away with a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash and time of 24.28.
Junior Sam Lambert placed fifth in the hammer throw, while freshman Joe Plante was not far behind in 10th. Plante also etched his name in the record books with his third-place finish in the discus throw and ninth-best throw all-time of 166-5.
Sophomore Amanda Aimone led the Cowgirls to a fifth-place finish in the hammer throw with her toss of 150-9.
“Our numbers were a little down today, but not because we were technically off, it was because we were competing with a heavy ball today,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett. “I like to train with the heavy ball for a few weeks before we move to the competition ball, and we just didn’t have enough time before this weekend. They did a great job competing and showed the coaching staff that once again we will be a tough group to beat.”
“Our kids did a good job of making some improvements this weekend and we just need to continue to improve and not be satisfied with where we are right now,” said Yentes.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will have an opportunity to improve next weekend as they head to Palo Alto, Calif., to compete in the Stanford Invitational.
LeBlanc finishes fifth at NCAAs
Wyoming redshirt freshman Joe LeBlancST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc became the 24th All-American in Wyoming wrestling history as he finished fifth at 184 pounds on Saturday in the NCAA Championships.
LeBlanc was 1-1 on Saturday, 5-2 overall at the tournament, with his only two losses at the hands of top three finishers.
“Joe had a great tournament, there is no denying that,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. “He was crushed after his loss today in overtime to the kid from Rider, but he cooled off and really put it together in his last match, just as he did several times over the last three days. However, he is not satisfied with fifth and will use what he learned here as motivation for next year.”
LeBlanc is UW’s first freshman All-American in program history, as well as the ‘Pokes first All-American in wrestling since 1996 when Brent Voorhees (seventh), Brandon Alderman (sixth) and Reese Andy (second) all earned the distinction. The five wins by LeBlanc at the NCAA Tournament was also the highest number for the Cowboy program since ‘96 when Voorhees was 5-2.
“Coach Branch had us prepared for this tournament,” LeBlanc said. “I was ready to compete here and to have this kind of success at NCAAs, in front of my family and friends means a lot.
“As a team, we were trying to make a statement here about Wyoming wrestling. This is just the beginning and none of us are satisfied yet, including myself.”
LeBlanc matched up with No. 7 seed Doug Umbehauer from Rider in his first match on Saturday morning. The winner of the match would compete for third and fourth place, while the loser would wrestle for fifth and sixth.
It was a high-scoring, overtime affair with 24 points scored between the two. LeBlanc would come out on the losing end by a final of 13-11. LeBlanc used a takedown and nearfall in the first period to lead 5-2 after the first three minutes. He then added to that lead in the second with two escapes and another takedown for a 9-5 advantage heading into the final period. In the third, LeBlanc managed only two escapes and a riding time point, while Umbehauer racked up two takedowns and a nearfall to take the match into sudden victory overtime. In sudden victory, Umbehauer wasted no time getting to LeBlanc’s legs and ending the match with a takedown.
Umbehauer would go on to take third place later in the day by beating Iowa’s Phil Keddy. LeBlanc’s only other loss of the tournament came to the No. 1 seed from Northwestern, Jake Herbert, who has cruised through his half of the bracket and will wrestle Saturday night for the title.
LeBlanc had to recover from the heart-breaking loss to Umbehauer quickly, as he had a brief two-hour rest period before meeting No. 12 seed Vince Jones of Nebraska to decide fifth and sixth place. The two had met earlier this season at the Las Vegas Invitational with LeBlanc winning a 9-7 sudden victory overtime decision.
In what would be his final match of the season, LeBlanc dominated from beginning to end. He took Jones down 45 seconds into the match and then earned another takedown with only 10 seconds remaining in the first period. Leading 4-1, LeBlanc chose to start the second period on bottom and promptly earned an escape point to take a 5-1 margin into the third period. He gave up only one escape during the final period, adding a takedown, a stalling point and a riding time point to win 9-2.
LeBlanc finishes the season with a record of 45-8 and is tied for third place on UW’s single season victories list with Wes Gasner, who had 45 wins during the 1983-84 season.
“As a team, we need to build on this tournament and get to the point where we put out All-Americans every year," Branch said. "Our guys were not here for the experience, they were here to compete. They were not perfect by any means, but overall wrestled very good and gave everything they had.”
Friday, March 20, 2009
LeBlanc advances to Saturday's action; earns All-America honors
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Wyoming redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc earnd the right to wrestle on Saturday at the NCAA Championships, thus becoming the first Cowboy All-American in 13 seasons.
After winning two matches on Thursday, LeBlanc, at 184 pounds, went 2-1 and can finish no worse than sixth place.
At 174 pounds Cowboy Shane Onufer went 1-1 before being knocked out of the back draw, while UW’s Michael Martinez (125) and Cory VomBaur (133) each lost their only matches.
“I knew that Joe was capable of what he has accomplished so far in this tournament, but the fashion in which he has done it is just icing on the cake,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. “He beat two kids back-to-back who had beaten him earlier this year. It is kind of hard to put into words. It was difficult to bring him down off of Cloud-Nine after he won his first match, but he was not satisfied with seventh or eighth place and won again in dominating fashion.
“All of our guys competed hard today, which is a positive sign and I’m proud of their effort. No one laid down, we just had some tight matches and had trouble scoring.”
In his quarterfinal bout with No. 1 seed Jake Herbert of Northwestern, LeBlanc got a taste of what it takes to compete with a national champion. UW’s redshirt freshman phenom was soundly beaten by the sixth-year NWU senior, who won his 64th straight match dating back to the 2007 season. Herbert, the 2007 national champion, took an Olympi redshirt last year.
Although he occasionally got inside on Herbert, LeBlanc could not finish his scoring chances and lost by major decision 18-5.
LeBlanc then had to wait until the evening session for his next match, against No. 10 seed Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) in the wrestlebacks. Honeycutt and LeBlanc had met earlier this season in the finals at the Reno Tournament of Champions, with Honeycutt winning 4-1. This time, LeBlanc would not be denied. He scored a double-leg takedown 45 seconds into the match and then rode out Honeycutt for the rest of the first period to rack up riding time. LeBlanc then started down in the second period, recorded an escape and led 3-0 heading into the final two minutes. After giving up a takedown to bring the score to 3-2, LeBlanc escaped, recorded a takedown of his own at 6:30 and then tacked on a riding time point to win 7-2.
That win assured that LeBlanc would finish no worse than eighth and would be named an All-American. It will be the ‘Pokes first All-American in wrestling since 1996 when Brent Voorhees (seventh), Brandon Alderman (sixth) and Reese Andy (second) all earned the distinction.
His third match of the day brought No. 6 seed Josh Patterson of Binghamton, who had beaten LeBlanc 10-7 earlier this season. Patterson got two quick takedowns and was leading 4-1 when LeBlanc scored a reversal, put Patterson on his back and then brought the crowd to their feet with a pin at 2:30. The fall was the seventh of the season for LeBlanc and assured him of no worse than sixth place.
LeBlanc will face the tournament’s No. 7 seed, Doug Umbehauer, in his next match on Saturday morning. LeBlanc is now 44-7 and is tied for fourth place on UW’s single season victories list with his teammate Onufer and Wes Gasner, who had 44 wins during the 1982-83 season..
Onufer gave Wyoming its first win of the morning session against Scott Giffin from Penn in the consolation bracket. After no scoring in the first period, the Cowboy redshirt freshman chose bottom position to begin the second and then went to work. He earned an escape point, followed quickly by a takedown at 4:00. Onufer sealed the victory with another takedown at 5:40 in the third period and the final score went in the books at 5-3.
With a short turn-around in that same session, Onufer found himself matched up with No. 19 ranked John Dergo of Illinois. A takedown by Dergo at 2:20 in the first period put Onufer in a hole he could not recover from and he lost a 5-3 decision. Onufer managed only three escape points in the match that ended his tournament.
Onufer, who finished 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, finished 44-11 this season.
Martinez faced Brandon Zoetewey of Cal State Bakersfield first thing Friday morning in the wrestlebacks and suffered a one-point loss, 4-3. Zoeteway got the only takedown of the match early in the third period. A riding time point ultimately determined the outcome after Martinez was unable to shake off his opponent and counter with any offense.
The UW redshirt freshman finishes his season with a record of 38-11, 1-2 at the NCAA Championships.
The Cowboys would fall victim to another one-point loss when VomBaur matched up with No. 8 seed Joe Baker from Navy in the consolation round. After no scoring in the first period, VomBaur would take a 2-1 lead in the second with a takedown at 3:40. However, he then gave up two third-period takedowns and could not escape at the end of regulation, losing 5-4.
VomBaur concludes his junior season with an overall record of 28-14, 1-2 at this year’s NCAA event.
“Only time will tell what this means for our program, but our performances here are a great example for the rest of the team,” Branch said. “We still have a lot to learn, but guys like Joe can now be looked to for how to come to a national tournament and compete.”
There will be two sessions of matches on Saturday as the tournament concludes. Bouts begin with the consolation third through eighth medal rounds at 8:30 a.m., MT. The finals begin at 4:30 p.m., MT. ESPNU will telecast Saturday’s action.
After winning two matches on Thursday, LeBlanc, at 184 pounds, went 2-1 and can finish no worse than sixth place.
At 174 pounds Cowboy Shane Onufer went 1-1 before being knocked out of the back draw, while UW’s Michael Martinez (125) and Cory VomBaur (133) each lost their only matches.
“I knew that Joe was capable of what he has accomplished so far in this tournament, but the fashion in which he has done it is just icing on the cake,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. “He beat two kids back-to-back who had beaten him earlier this year. It is kind of hard to put into words. It was difficult to bring him down off of Cloud-Nine after he won his first match, but he was not satisfied with seventh or eighth place and won again in dominating fashion.
“All of our guys competed hard today, which is a positive sign and I’m proud of their effort. No one laid down, we just had some tight matches and had trouble scoring.”
In his quarterfinal bout with No. 1 seed Jake Herbert of Northwestern, LeBlanc got a taste of what it takes to compete with a national champion. UW’s redshirt freshman phenom was soundly beaten by the sixth-year NWU senior, who won his 64th straight match dating back to the 2007 season. Herbert, the 2007 national champion, took an Olympi redshirt last year.
Although he occasionally got inside on Herbert, LeBlanc could not finish his scoring chances and lost by major decision 18-5.
LeBlanc then had to wait until the evening session for his next match, against No. 10 seed Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) in the wrestlebacks. Honeycutt and LeBlanc had met earlier this season in the finals at the Reno Tournament of Champions, with Honeycutt winning 4-1. This time, LeBlanc would not be denied. He scored a double-leg takedown 45 seconds into the match and then rode out Honeycutt for the rest of the first period to rack up riding time. LeBlanc then started down in the second period, recorded an escape and led 3-0 heading into the final two minutes. After giving up a takedown to bring the score to 3-2, LeBlanc escaped, recorded a takedown of his own at 6:30 and then tacked on a riding time point to win 7-2.
That win assured that LeBlanc would finish no worse than eighth and would be named an All-American. It will be the ‘Pokes first All-American in wrestling since 1996 when Brent Voorhees (seventh), Brandon Alderman (sixth) and Reese Andy (second) all earned the distinction.
His third match of the day brought No. 6 seed Josh Patterson of Binghamton, who had beaten LeBlanc 10-7 earlier this season. Patterson got two quick takedowns and was leading 4-1 when LeBlanc scored a reversal, put Patterson on his back and then brought the crowd to their feet with a pin at 2:30. The fall was the seventh of the season for LeBlanc and assured him of no worse than sixth place.
LeBlanc will face the tournament’s No. 7 seed, Doug Umbehauer, in his next match on Saturday morning. LeBlanc is now 44-7 and is tied for fourth place on UW’s single season victories list with his teammate Onufer and Wes Gasner, who had 44 wins during the 1982-83 season..
Onufer gave Wyoming its first win of the morning session against Scott Giffin from Penn in the consolation bracket. After no scoring in the first period, the Cowboy redshirt freshman chose bottom position to begin the second and then went to work. He earned an escape point, followed quickly by a takedown at 4:00. Onufer sealed the victory with another takedown at 5:40 in the third period and the final score went in the books at 5-3.
With a short turn-around in that same session, Onufer found himself matched up with No. 19 ranked John Dergo of Illinois. A takedown by Dergo at 2:20 in the first period put Onufer in a hole he could not recover from and he lost a 5-3 decision. Onufer managed only three escape points in the match that ended his tournament.
Onufer, who finished 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, finished 44-11 this season.
Martinez faced Brandon Zoetewey of Cal State Bakersfield first thing Friday morning in the wrestlebacks and suffered a one-point loss, 4-3. Zoeteway got the only takedown of the match early in the third period. A riding time point ultimately determined the outcome after Martinez was unable to shake off his opponent and counter with any offense.
The UW redshirt freshman finishes his season with a record of 38-11, 1-2 at the NCAA Championships.
The Cowboys would fall victim to another one-point loss when VomBaur matched up with No. 8 seed Joe Baker from Navy in the consolation round. After no scoring in the first period, VomBaur would take a 2-1 lead in the second with a takedown at 3:40. However, he then gave up two third-period takedowns and could not escape at the end of regulation, losing 5-4.
VomBaur concludes his junior season with an overall record of 28-14, 1-2 at this year’s NCAA event.
“Only time will tell what this means for our program, but our performances here are a great example for the rest of the team,” Branch said. “We still have a lot to learn, but guys like Joe can now be looked to for how to come to a national tournament and compete.”
There will be two sessions of matches on Saturday as the tournament concludes. Bouts begin with the consolation third through eighth medal rounds at 8:30 a.m., MT. The finals begin at 4:30 p.m., MT. ESPNU will telecast Saturday’s action.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
LeBlanc unbeaten; all four Cowboys alive in NCAAs
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Competing in front of over 15,000 wrestling fans on Thursday at the Scottrade Center, all four University of Wyoming Cowboy wrestlers that made the trip won matches and remained in contention at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
Wyoming redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc, the No. 9 seed at 184 pounds, won two matches and advanced to the quarterfinals. Cowboys Michael Martinez at 125 pounds, Cory VomBaur (133) and Shane Onufer (174) all went 1-1 and remain alive in the tournament.
“It’s important for our team that all four guys will still be wrestling on Friday,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. “I thought they all wrestled well and I am pleased that they are all still alive in the tournament.
“We haven’t looked our best yet, but this was a new experience for the three freshmen and they adapted well."
LeBlanc wrestled No. 12 ranked Jordan Blanton of Illinois to begin his first NCAA Tournament. He weathered two early takedowns by Blanton and then took control of the match. LeBlanc earned a takedown of his own and a nearfall to end the first period with a 6-4 lead. From there he added two additional takedowns and went on to win the match, 12-7.
In his second-round match against No. 8 seed David Craig (Lehigh), LeBlanc again fell behind early, but then rallied in a big way for a major decision victory. Craig got a takedown 25 seconds into the match to go up 2-0 and then it was all LeBlanc. The Wyoming redshirt freshman earned a takedown with one second remaining in the first period to take a 3-2 lead, followed by a second-period escape, two third-period nearfalls and one last takedown for the 11-3 final margin in his favor.
“Joe was a little tentative to start both of his matches, but he was able to overcome being down early and then dominated both opponents," Branch said.
LeBlanc, 42-6, moves on to the quarterfinals, where he will meet No. 1 seed Jake Herbert of Northwestern. Herbert is undefeated this season, a three-time All-American and was the NCAA champion at 184 pounds in 2007.
Martinez opened the tournament for Wyoming by upsetting No. 17-ranked Marcus Orozco of UC Davis by a score of 7-1. UW’s light-weight was aggressive all match, got to Orozco’s legs frequently and used a late, third-period takedown and nearfall to seal the match. The win by Martinez avenged a narrow loss to Orozco earlier this season.
The second round for Martinez brought returning 2008 All-American, No. 4 seed Brandon Precin from Northwestern. Precin jumped out to a 5-0 first period lead that Martinez could not overcome, with the match ending in a 6-1 loss for the Cowboy redshirt freshman.
Martinez is now 38-10 this year and will face Brandon Zoetewey of Cal State Bakersfield on Friday morning in the wrestlebacks.
VomBaur faced David Marble of Bucknell in his first match of the day and lost by major decision 10-0. Marble had upset No. 3 seed James Kennedy of Illinois in his previous match.
Searching for his first win in three years at the NCAA Championships, VomBaur next did battle with Frank Celorrio of Appalachian St. in the wrestlebacks. The UW junior would lead from start to finish, with two takedowns, an escape and a riding time point to get the 6-0 victory.
VomBaur now has a record of 28-13 this season and will match-up with No. 8 seed Joe Baker from Navy in the next round of consolation bouts on Friday.
Onufer had a difficult match-up in his first bout, facing the No. 4 seed Jay Borschel of Iowa on a mat directly in front of the Hawkeye seating section. Onufer lost to Borschel by major decision, 13-1.
Wyoming’s season wins leader then reversed his fortunes in the wrestlebacks against Anthony Trongone of Virginia Tech. He used a first-period takedown, a second-period reversal and then a third-period takedown to win 7-2.
Onufer, ranked 17th and 43-10, will face Scott Giffin from Penn in the consolation bracket on Friday.
There will be two sessions of matches on both Friday and Saturday as the tournament continues. Bouts begin on Friday with the quarterfinals at 9 a.m., MT.
The quarterfinals will air on ESPNU and ESPN360.com, and the semifinals at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com.
Wyoming redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc, the No. 9 seed at 184 pounds, won two matches and advanced to the quarterfinals. Cowboys Michael Martinez at 125 pounds, Cory VomBaur (133) and Shane Onufer (174) all went 1-1 and remain alive in the tournament.
“It’s important for our team that all four guys will still be wrestling on Friday,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. “I thought they all wrestled well and I am pleased that they are all still alive in the tournament.
“We haven’t looked our best yet, but this was a new experience for the three freshmen and they adapted well."
LeBlanc wrestled No. 12 ranked Jordan Blanton of Illinois to begin his first NCAA Tournament. He weathered two early takedowns by Blanton and then took control of the match. LeBlanc earned a takedown of his own and a nearfall to end the first period with a 6-4 lead. From there he added two additional takedowns and went on to win the match, 12-7.
In his second-round match against No. 8 seed David Craig (Lehigh), LeBlanc again fell behind early, but then rallied in a big way for a major decision victory. Craig got a takedown 25 seconds into the match to go up 2-0 and then it was all LeBlanc. The Wyoming redshirt freshman earned a takedown with one second remaining in the first period to take a 3-2 lead, followed by a second-period escape, two third-period nearfalls and one last takedown for the 11-3 final margin in his favor.
“Joe was a little tentative to start both of his matches, but he was able to overcome being down early and then dominated both opponents," Branch said.
LeBlanc, 42-6, moves on to the quarterfinals, where he will meet No. 1 seed Jake Herbert of Northwestern. Herbert is undefeated this season, a three-time All-American and was the NCAA champion at 184 pounds in 2007.
Martinez opened the tournament for Wyoming by upsetting No. 17-ranked Marcus Orozco of UC Davis by a score of 7-1. UW’s light-weight was aggressive all match, got to Orozco’s legs frequently and used a late, third-period takedown and nearfall to seal the match. The win by Martinez avenged a narrow loss to Orozco earlier this season.
The second round for Martinez brought returning 2008 All-American, No. 4 seed Brandon Precin from Northwestern. Precin jumped out to a 5-0 first period lead that Martinez could not overcome, with the match ending in a 6-1 loss for the Cowboy redshirt freshman.
Martinez is now 38-10 this year and will face Brandon Zoetewey of Cal State Bakersfield on Friday morning in the wrestlebacks.
VomBaur faced David Marble of Bucknell in his first match of the day and lost by major decision 10-0. Marble had upset No. 3 seed James Kennedy of Illinois in his previous match.
Searching for his first win in three years at the NCAA Championships, VomBaur next did battle with Frank Celorrio of Appalachian St. in the wrestlebacks. The UW junior would lead from start to finish, with two takedowns, an escape and a riding time point to get the 6-0 victory.
VomBaur now has a record of 28-13 this season and will match-up with No. 8 seed Joe Baker from Navy in the next round of consolation bouts on Friday.
Onufer had a difficult match-up in his first bout, facing the No. 4 seed Jay Borschel of Iowa on a mat directly in front of the Hawkeye seating section. Onufer lost to Borschel by major decision, 13-1.
Wyoming’s season wins leader then reversed his fortunes in the wrestlebacks against Anthony Trongone of Virginia Tech. He used a first-period takedown, a second-period reversal and then a third-period takedown to win 7-2.
Onufer, ranked 17th and 43-10, will face Scott Giffin from Penn in the consolation bracket on Friday.
There will be two sessions of matches on both Friday and Saturday as the tournament continues. Bouts begin on Friday with the quarterfinals at 9 a.m., MT.
The quarterfinals will air on ESPNU and ESPN360.com, and the semifinals at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Four Cowboy wrestlers to begin NCAAs
From left, Shane Onufer, Joe LeBlanc, Cory VomBaur, Michael Martinez
Four University of Wyoming Cowboy wrestlers will have a chance to fulfill their season-long training goals this week at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The tournament fruns from Thursday through Saturday in St. Louis.
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The tournmaent attracts 330 wrestlers in 10 different weight classes for the prestige of All-American honors and national champion titles. Wyoming will be represented by redshirt freshman Michael Martinez at 125 pounds, junior Cory VomBaur (133), redshirt freshman Shane Onufer (174) and redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc (184), all of whom won their weights at the West Regional Tournament to earn automatic NCAA spots.
“No matter who our guys drew at their weight in the first round, they are in a tournament with the 33 best wrestlers in the country, and in some weight classes there is not much difference between number one and number 33,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. “Any guy in the field could win and that is how I look at the brackets and how I want my team to look at the brackets. Every wrestler in this tournament is talented, so success at nationals comes down to toughness and who is willing to work the hardest.
“We are preparing for that first match and that match only. If we want to be successful in this tournament we will have to make some noise with upsets, due to our lack of experience. However, upsets happen every year, in every weight class, and that is the mind-set we need to wrestle with.”
Martinez, who is 37-9 this year, will open the event against No. 17-ranked Marcus Orozco of UC Davis. It will be a rematch of a bout earlier this season when Orozco rallied in the third period and narrowly beat Martinez 6-3 in Reno. Orozco is a senior with a 21-8 record, who placed third at the PAC-10 Championship. Martinez has a 4-6 season record against opponents in his 33-person bracket, with wins over Anthony Mustari of Northern Colorado (twice), Brian Owen of Boise State and Derek Reber of Bucknell.
VomBaur has a record of 27-12 this season. He is a three-time NCAA qualifier, the last two years via wild card selection. In VomBaur’s first match, he will face the winner of No. 3-seed and No. 3-nationally ranked James Kennedy (Illinois) versus David Marble (Bucknell). Kennedy, a junior who is 28-4, recently placed third at the Big Ten Championships. Marble is also a junior, with a record of 27-10. He placed fourth at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association qualifier. VomBaur is 3-7 against the field at his weight, having beaten Tyler Dillashaw of Cal State Fullerton, Darius Little from North Carolina State and Christian Smith of Liberty.
Onufer, ranked 17th, leads the Cowboy team in victories at 42-9. He will begin the national tournament against the No. 4-seed and No. 4-ranked Jay Borschel of Iowa. Although Wyoming and Iowa met earlier this season at the National Duals, Onufer has not previously wrestled Borschel. Borschel is a junior with a record of 27-3. He recently took third place at the Big Ten Championships. Despite wrestling over 50 matches this season, Onufer has not matched up against very many of the competitors at his weight head-to-head. He is 1-4 against the few he has met, with a win over Nate Rock of Buffalo.
LeBlanc, ranked No. 8, enters the championships with a record of 40-6. He is the only Cowboy to be seeded (top 12 at each weight) and is event’s No. 9-seed at 184 pounds. LeBlanc will open versus No. 12-ranked Jordan Blanton of Illinois, the first meeting between the two. Blanton is a freshman with a 26-8 record and a recent fourth place finish at the Big Ten Championships. LeBlanc has the most wins of any UW wrestler against the NCAA field, with a mark of 5-5. He has wins over Anthony Biondo of Michigan, Alex Dolly from Northern Iowa, Vince Jones of Nebraska, Chris McNeil from Oklahoma State and Mickey Moran of Buffalo.
The three-day event will take place at the Scottrade Center. There will be two sessions of matches each day, beginning on Thursday at 10 a.m., MT.
The quarterfinals will air Friday at 9 a.m. MT on ESPNU and ESPN360.com, and the semifinals at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com. For the third consecutive year, the semifinals will be telecast in a side-by-side format, allowing viewers to see both semifinal matches in each weight class at the same time, both on ESPNU and ESPN2.
ESPNU will telecast the championship medal round on Saturday at 8:30 a.m., and the hunt for the Div. I title culminates with the Finals at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN. During the finals, two referees per match each will wear a microphone, providing fans with even more access to and understanding of the action.
Last season, Wyoming had two qualifiers for the national tournament, VomBaur at 133 pounds and Carter Downing (141).
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Shanklin seventh; named All-American
UW senior Jake ShanklinUniversity of Wyoming senior Jake Shanklin earned his second All-American award Saturday by placing seventh in the 35-pound weight throw at the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas.
Shanklin had a best toss of 69-feet, 5 1/2 inches. Jason Lewis of Arizona State won the event at 75-0 3/4. Shanklin out-threw Mountain West Conference foes Leif Arrhenius from BYU and Alex Godell of Colorado State.
“It was a great way to end his indoor career, and he is really one of the best in Wyoming history,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett. “He really fought through some back pain and competed extremely well.”
Shanklin improved on his 2008 NCAA Championship 11th-place finish.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will now move outside to begin their 2009 campaign at the Potts Invitational in Boulder, Colo., next Saturday.
“I am looking forward to getting Jake outside and ready for the hammer,” said Barrett.
UW diving concludes Zone Championships
Four Wyoming divers finished up day three of the 2009 NCAA Zone "E" Championships in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.
Sophomore Allie Smith finished 12th overall with a final score 397.95 points. Smith was the only Cowgirl to compete on Saturday, and competed in the one-meter dive.
"Allie did great today and gained great experience this season, and in the Zone’s," UW diving coach Ben Herdt said. "For Smith to be our only Cowgirl performing in the finals, we thought she did great."
On the men’s side, diving the three-meter, sophomore Mark Murdock led the way with an eight-place finish at 592.75. Senior Tyler Miller came in 13th with a 497.30 and sophomore Kyle Bogner finished 15th at 466.05.
"Mark did an okay job today, but just wasn’t able to finish higher than eighth," said Herdt. "This was Tyler’s last appearance as a Cowboy and I think he was very successful."
The finals of the Zone Championship marked the end of the UW diving season.
Sophomore Allie Smith finished 12th overall with a final score 397.95 points. Smith was the only Cowgirl to compete on Saturday, and competed in the one-meter dive.
"Allie did great today and gained great experience this season, and in the Zone’s," UW diving coach Ben Herdt said. "For Smith to be our only Cowgirl performing in the finals, we thought she did great."
On the men’s side, diving the three-meter, sophomore Mark Murdock led the way with an eight-place finish at 592.75. Senior Tyler Miller came in 13th with a 497.30 and sophomore Kyle Bogner finished 15th at 466.05.
"Mark did an okay job today, but just wasn’t able to finish higher than eighth," said Herdt. "This was Tyler’s last appearance as a Cowboy and I think he was very successful."
The finals of the Zone Championship marked the end of the UW diving season.
Cowgirl golfers third at Hiddenbrooke Intercollegiate
The University of Wyoming women’s golf team took opened in third place Saturday at the Hiddenbrooke Intercollegiate in Vallejo, Calif.
The Cowgirls shot a team 327 (+39) which is only six strokes behind the leading Central Arkansas ladies.
Sophomore Molly Black and junior Jonelle Martinez are tied for sixth place in the field with an 80, eight shots above par. Fellow junior Sarah Fogerty was not far behind with her opening 83 (+11), good for a tie of 24th place. Sophomore Jenna Zamprelli concluded the first-round with an 84 (+12) and a tie for 31st-place.
“Molly and Janelle played really tough today and really hung in there on a day where the conditions were not great,” Cowgirl coach Josey Stender said. “There was quite a bit of wind to combine with a lot of hazards and elevation changes made for a tough course. I think if we gut it out we can make up those strokes, hopefully the conditions are better.”
The tournament concludes with 18 holes on Sunday and a final 18 on Monday.
The Cowgirls shot a team 327 (+39) which is only six strokes behind the leading Central Arkansas ladies.
Sophomore Molly Black and junior Jonelle Martinez are tied for sixth place in the field with an 80, eight shots above par. Fellow junior Sarah Fogerty was not far behind with her opening 83 (+11), good for a tie of 24th place. Sophomore Jenna Zamprelli concluded the first-round with an 84 (+12) and a tie for 31st-place.
“Molly and Janelle played really tough today and really hung in there on a day where the conditions were not great,” Cowgirl coach Josey Stender said. “There was quite a bit of wind to combine with a lot of hazards and elevation changes made for a tough course. I think if we gut it out we can make up those strokes, hopefully the conditions are better.”
The tournament concludes with 18 holes on Sunday and a final 18 on Monday.
Monday, March 9, 2009
UW Nordic teams win national titles
UW Photo by Susan Oderwald
University of Wyoming Nordic club teammates Kari Boroff, senior from Daniel and Laramie junior Gwynn Barrows, compete in Saturday's relay race at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Nationals.
After 10 years at the helm, University of Wyoming Nordic Ski Club coaches Christi Boggs and Rachel Watson were rewarded with double national champions on Saturday.
Both the UW men's and women's Nordic teams won their respective divisions at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) Nationals at Devil's Thumb Ranch near Frisco, Colo.
The UW teams are celebrating their 10th year of competition since cross country skiing was reinstated as a club sport. And during that run, Boggs, a UW Outreach Credit Programs assistant lecturer, and Watson, a lecturer in the UW Department of Molecular Biology, have coached the program.
The pair have now led the women's program to four national titles, while the men have captured two.
"We couldn't be more proud. This is our 10th year of coaching and although we never hoped for this, it sure is a nice gift," Boggs said. "We're just extremely proud of our athletes. We thought they might have a chance going in and they all saved their best races of the year for the most important. Not only did they ski like champions, but they also behaved as true champions, gracious, friendly, supportive and respectful."
The Cowboys completely dominated the week-long USCSA Nationals from the beginning through Saturday's closing 15km team relay race. After four races, the UW men scored a team-low 25 points, while a distant second was St. Olaf College of Northfield, Minn., with 117. Whitman College of Walla Walla, Wash., placed third with 140.
The Cowgirls had a much closer time wrapping up their national title, when they finished third in the overall team relay race. However, the UW women had a sufficeint overall cushion in the team standings to finish with 67 points, edging Whitman College by just five points. The St. Olaf women placed third with 83 points.
The Cowboys swept all three individual men's races at the USCSA Nationals and added the relay team competition as well. The team of Eliah Pederson, Lander freshman; Jackson junior Daniel Lewis, who won all three individual national titles; and Evgeniy "Zheny" Panzhinskiy, senior from Russia, won the relay race.
They finished ahead of St. Olaf and Paul Smith's College of Paul Smith, N.Y.
"The men had an amazing day. We figured the point standings before the race and even if we took the top three men off the team, our men would still have won nationals," Boggs said. "Zhenya, anchoring the team, came to the finish line, grabbed a UW flag and skied to the finish like a world cup winner, waiving the UW flag."
The UW women gave their coaches a few anxious moments in the final team relay race when the Cowgirls finished third behind St. Olaf and Whitman. On the UW team were Jackson freshman Gracey Lewis; Kari Boroff, senior, Daniel; and Laramie junior Gwynn Barrows.
"Our women started the day 12 points in front of Whitman, this meant that as long as they were within one place of Whitman they would win the overall title," Boggs says. "The women decided to make it interesting and almost gave their coaches heart failure."
UW also had eight academic All-Americans: Boroff; Marie Cartwright, sophomore, Lander; Michael Fitzgerald, sophomore, Laramie; Adam Karges, Grand Rapids, Minn.; Gracey Lewis; Panzhinskiy; Jacob Peterson, junior, Casper; and junior Shannon Wilson, also from Casper.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Cowboys win four; place second at regionals
GREELEY, Colo. – Four Cowboys won individual titles and freshman Jacob Scharbrough pinned his opponent in his third-place match to give the University of Wyoming wrestling team a shot at the NCAA West Regional and Western Wrestling Conference team title on Saturday night at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.
However, the fate of UW’s league title hopes depended on the heavyweight from South Dakota State to win a match against Northern Iowa, and when that did not happen, the Cowboys lost by one and a half points to the Panthers.
Wyoming got individual titles at four weight classes from three redshirt freshmen and one junior. Michael Martinez won at 125 pounds, junior Cory VomBaur at 133, No. 18-ranked Shane Onufer at 174 and No. 8 Joe LeBlanc at 184 pounds. As a team the ‘Pokes took second place with 92.5 points, just behind UNI who totaled 94.
Winners of the NCAA West Regional automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship on March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person next week to select the remaining at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11.
Five Cowboys wrestled in the finals, the four champions and junior Alex Rieder at 165 pounds, who placed second. The other five UW student-athletes all competed in the consolation finals. Both Wyoming and Northern Iowa had four champions, but the Panthers held a 2-4 edge in head-to-head match-ups with the Cowboys.
The No. 22-ranked Panthers have now won the team regional title for 24 straight seasons. This was the 10th year (since 2000) that Wyoming has qualified for the NCAA Championships through the West Regional Tournament. UW has now finished in second place three times, 2004, 2006 and now 2009. The Cowboys were undefeated in the WWC during the regular season and claimed a share of the league dual championship along with Northern Iowa.
Behind UNI and UW in the tournament team scoring were Northern Colorado 70.5, North Dakota State 39.5, South Dakota State 24.5 and Air Force at 12.5.
"We didn’t decide the team title when we had a chance in head-to-head matches with Northern Iowa," said Wyoming head coach Mark Branch, who was named the WWC Coach of the Year. "We ended up rooting for another team to win and that is not a good way to win titles. No one is happy with second place and we still have a long ways to go. This was a big learning lesson for this team and hopefully it helps mature us. It was however, a step in the right direction for the growth of this program.
"It was not a surprise to me at all that we had four individual champions. They all wrestled well and earned their spots at Nationals. They took any decision making out of the hands of the NCAA selection committee and made certain they were going to St. Louis."
Martinez was the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds and started the event with two major decisions before meeting Northern Colorado’s Tony Mustari in the finals. In a low-scoring match, all Martinez would need was one takedown at 5:45 in the third period to seal his 3-2 decision. He now has a record of 37-9 this season.
VomBaur was also a No. 1 seed at 133, beating Derek Gillespie (AFA), by major decision, 10-2, as well as Brett Bahe (UNCo) in the finals by major decision, 11-2. He is now a three-time NCAA Tournament qualifier.
After a narrow loss to Kenny Hashimoto (UNCo), 6-5 in the opening round at 141 pounds, Cowboy Cole Dallaserra would rally to win two matches in the back draw and get a third place trophy.
Senior Eric Coxbill was 3-1 at 157 pounds and also took third place. His NCAA Tournament hopes were dashed when he lost on a last-second takedown to Tyson Reiner of UNI, 4-3.
In the 165-pound weight class, Rieder earned himself a match-up with No. 5-ranked Moza Fay (UNI) in the finals by defeating Tyler Johnson (NDSU), 8-7. Rieder gave all he had in a 19-8 loss to Fay, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, and placed second.
Onufer, ranked No,. 18, defeated Adam Aho (NDSU), by fall at 6:32, then beat Scott Elliott (SDSU), by decisio, 10-4. In the finals against Stephen Crozier (AFA) he would earn a tough 14-6 major decision for the title. Onufer is now 42-9 this season, which is fifth on UW’s All-Time Single-Season Victories list.
No. 8-nationally ranked, LeBlanc would garner another individual weight class title for Wyoming at 184 pounds. In his first match he beat Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU) by technical fall, 21-6 at 5:39. He then used a takedown and a reversal towards a 6-2 decision in the finals match with No. 15-ranked Alex Dolly (UNI). LeBlanc now has a season record of 40-6, which ties him for sixth on UW’s All-Time Single-Season Victories list with Mike Hamel (1985-86).
At 197 pounds, UW’s Alfonso Hernandez was the No. 4 seed and lost a heartbreaking sudden-victory overtime decision to No. 13-ranked Andrew Anderson (UNI), 3-1 in the opening round. He then went 2-1 for the remainder of the tournament and placed third. Hernandez had a true second-place match with Tyler Sorenson of SDSU, which could have earned him a spot at Nationals, but lost by decision, 8-1.
The Cowboys’ heavyweight, No. 3 seed Jacob Scharbrough, got two big wins by way of fall for his team and placed third. He pinned Stephen Larson of Air Force and Tyler Hemmesch of NDSU, after losing to Jason Stripling (SDSU), 8-4 in his first match.
Following the conclusion of the event, Mark Branch was announced as the WWC Coach of the Year.
However, the fate of UW’s league title hopes depended on the heavyweight from South Dakota State to win a match against Northern Iowa, and when that did not happen, the Cowboys lost by one and a half points to the Panthers.
Wyoming got individual titles at four weight classes from three redshirt freshmen and one junior. Michael Martinez won at 125 pounds, junior Cory VomBaur at 133, No. 18-ranked Shane Onufer at 174 and No. 8 Joe LeBlanc at 184 pounds. As a team the ‘Pokes took second place with 92.5 points, just behind UNI who totaled 94.
Winners of the NCAA West Regional automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship on March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person next week to select the remaining at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11.
Five Cowboys wrestled in the finals, the four champions and junior Alex Rieder at 165 pounds, who placed second. The other five UW student-athletes all competed in the consolation finals. Both Wyoming and Northern Iowa had four champions, but the Panthers held a 2-4 edge in head-to-head match-ups with the Cowboys.
The No. 22-ranked Panthers have now won the team regional title for 24 straight seasons. This was the 10th year (since 2000) that Wyoming has qualified for the NCAA Championships through the West Regional Tournament. UW has now finished in second place three times, 2004, 2006 and now 2009. The Cowboys were undefeated in the WWC during the regular season and claimed a share of the league dual championship along with Northern Iowa.
Behind UNI and UW in the tournament team scoring were Northern Colorado 70.5, North Dakota State 39.5, South Dakota State 24.5 and Air Force at 12.5.
"We didn’t decide the team title when we had a chance in head-to-head matches with Northern Iowa," said Wyoming head coach Mark Branch, who was named the WWC Coach of the Year. "We ended up rooting for another team to win and that is not a good way to win titles. No one is happy with second place and we still have a long ways to go. This was a big learning lesson for this team and hopefully it helps mature us. It was however, a step in the right direction for the growth of this program.
"It was not a surprise to me at all that we had four individual champions. They all wrestled well and earned their spots at Nationals. They took any decision making out of the hands of the NCAA selection committee and made certain they were going to St. Louis."
Martinez was the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds and started the event with two major decisions before meeting Northern Colorado’s Tony Mustari in the finals. In a low-scoring match, all Martinez would need was one takedown at 5:45 in the third period to seal his 3-2 decision. He now has a record of 37-9 this season.
VomBaur was also a No. 1 seed at 133, beating Derek Gillespie (AFA), by major decision, 10-2, as well as Brett Bahe (UNCo) in the finals by major decision, 11-2. He is now a three-time NCAA Tournament qualifier.
After a narrow loss to Kenny Hashimoto (UNCo), 6-5 in the opening round at 141 pounds, Cowboy Cole Dallaserra would rally to win two matches in the back draw and get a third place trophy.
Senior Eric Coxbill was 3-1 at 157 pounds and also took third place. His NCAA Tournament hopes were dashed when he lost on a last-second takedown to Tyson Reiner of UNI, 4-3.
In the 165-pound weight class, Rieder earned himself a match-up with No. 5-ranked Moza Fay (UNI) in the finals by defeating Tyler Johnson (NDSU), 8-7. Rieder gave all he had in a 19-8 loss to Fay, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, and placed second.
Onufer, ranked No,. 18, defeated Adam Aho (NDSU), by fall at 6:32, then beat Scott Elliott (SDSU), by decisio, 10-4. In the finals against Stephen Crozier (AFA) he would earn a tough 14-6 major decision for the title. Onufer is now 42-9 this season, which is fifth on UW’s All-Time Single-Season Victories list.
No. 8-nationally ranked, LeBlanc would garner another individual weight class title for Wyoming at 184 pounds. In his first match he beat Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU) by technical fall, 21-6 at 5:39. He then used a takedown and a reversal towards a 6-2 decision in the finals match with No. 15-ranked Alex Dolly (UNI). LeBlanc now has a season record of 40-6, which ties him for sixth on UW’s All-Time Single-Season Victories list with Mike Hamel (1985-86).
At 197 pounds, UW’s Alfonso Hernandez was the No. 4 seed and lost a heartbreaking sudden-victory overtime decision to No. 13-ranked Andrew Anderson (UNI), 3-1 in the opening round. He then went 2-1 for the remainder of the tournament and placed third. Hernandez had a true second-place match with Tyler Sorenson of SDSU, which could have earned him a spot at Nationals, but lost by decision, 8-1.
The Cowboys’ heavyweight, No. 3 seed Jacob Scharbrough, got two big wins by way of fall for his team and placed third. He pinned Stephen Larson of Air Force and Tyler Hemmesch of NDSU, after losing to Jason Stripling (SDSU), 8-4 in his first match.
Following the conclusion of the event, Mark Branch was announced as the WWC Coach of the Year.
Cowgirl tennis beats Air Force
In front of a large crowd at the UW Tennis Courts, the Cowgirls dominated the court on Saturday with a 5-2 victory against the Air Force Academy Falcons. The Cowgirls are now 4-5 overall and 1-0 in MWC play.'
“We came out with a mission to get on top early with leads in the doubles and we didn’t look back,” said head coach Kati Gyluai. “This match was very important for us. We planned, prepared and executed well against a solid conference rival.”
The Cowgirls earned the doubles point by winning two of three matches. UW's Carly Van Hollen and Sarah Summerfield won a close match against Erlyn Rudico and Katrina Eromin, 8-6. In the number two spot, Wyoming's Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson beat Allie Chermel and Christen Monreal, 8-2. Air Force won the match at the number three spot with the Cowgirls Carolina Chiax and Kori Nochbaur losing to Sarah Cassman and Christine Abayan, 8-1.
In singles play, Wyoming took four of six matches to notch the victory. The day started with Summerfield beating Abayan 6-2, 6-4. Berger played won at the number two spot, 7-5, 6-2 against Monreal. Van Hollen earned a straight set victory, 6-2, 6-0, over Chermel. Nelson was successful in her bid over Eromin, 6-3, 6-4.
The Cowgirls have some time off before they head to Hawaii for four matches during spring break. Wyoming will start on March 17 against Washington State at 1 p.m. and Chaminade at 6 p.m.
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Wyoming 5, Air Force 2
Doubles
1. Van Hollen, Carly/Summerfield, Sarah (WY) def. Rudico, Erlyn/Eromin, Katrina (AFA) 8-6
2. Berger, Rebecca/Nelson, Jamie (WY) def. Chermel, Allie/Monreal, Christen (AFA) 8-2
3. Cassman, Sarah/Abayan, Christine (AFA) def. Chaix, Carolina/Nochbaur, Kori (WY) 8-1
Singles
1. Summerfield, Sarah (WY) def. Avayan, Christine (AFA) 6-2, 6-4
2. Berger, Rebecca (WY) def. Monreal, Christen (AFA) 7-5, 6-2
3. Van Hollen, Carly (WY) def. Chermel, Allie (AFA) 6-2, 6-0
4. Cassman, Sarah (AFA) def. Chaix, Carolina (WY) 6-2, 6-3
5. Nelson, Jamie (WY) def. Eromin, Katrina (AFA) 6-3, 6-4
6. Young, Shannon (AFA) def. Pass, Calli (WY) 6-1, 6-1
“We came out with a mission to get on top early with leads in the doubles and we didn’t look back,” said head coach Kati Gyluai. “This match was very important for us. We planned, prepared and executed well against a solid conference rival.”
The Cowgirls earned the doubles point by winning two of three matches. UW's Carly Van Hollen and Sarah Summerfield won a close match against Erlyn Rudico and Katrina Eromin, 8-6. In the number two spot, Wyoming's Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson beat Allie Chermel and Christen Monreal, 8-2. Air Force won the match at the number three spot with the Cowgirls Carolina Chiax and Kori Nochbaur losing to Sarah Cassman and Christine Abayan, 8-1.
In singles play, Wyoming took four of six matches to notch the victory. The day started with Summerfield beating Abayan 6-2, 6-4. Berger played won at the number two spot, 7-5, 6-2 against Monreal. Van Hollen earned a straight set victory, 6-2, 6-0, over Chermel. Nelson was successful in her bid over Eromin, 6-3, 6-4.
The Cowgirls have some time off before they head to Hawaii for four matches during spring break. Wyoming will start on March 17 against Washington State at 1 p.m. and Chaminade at 6 p.m.
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Wyoming 5, Air Force 2
Doubles
1. Van Hollen, Carly/Summerfield, Sarah (WY) def. Rudico, Erlyn/Eromin, Katrina (AFA) 8-6
2. Berger, Rebecca/Nelson, Jamie (WY) def. Chermel, Allie/Monreal, Christen (AFA) 8-2
3. Cassman, Sarah/Abayan, Christine (AFA) def. Chaix, Carolina/Nochbaur, Kori (WY) 8-1
Singles
1. Summerfield, Sarah (WY) def. Avayan, Christine (AFA) 6-2, 6-4
2. Berger, Rebecca (WY) def. Monreal, Christen (AFA) 7-5, 6-2
3. Van Hollen, Carly (WY) def. Chermel, Allie (AFA) 6-2, 6-0
4. Cassman, Sarah (AFA) def. Chaix, Carolina (WY) 6-2, 6-3
5. Nelson, Jamie (WY) def. Eromin, Katrina (AFA) 6-3, 6-4
6. Young, Shannon (AFA) def. Pass, Calli (WY) 6-1, 6-1
Friday, March 6, 2009
Lewis wins third national title
Dan Lewis hit the trifecta and the University of Wyoming men's and women's Nordic ski club teams can start acting like national champions.
Lewis, a junior from Jackson, won his third consecutive individual national title, taking the 15km freestyle race Friday at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) Nationals at Devil's Thumb Ranch near Frisco, Colo.
He led a perfect six-point score for the team when the Cowboys swept the top three positions. Finishing behind Lewis were Evgeniy Panzhinskiy, senior from Russia, and Casper junior John Kirlin.
The men have an insurmountable lead for the USCSA national title over runner-up Whitman College of Walla Walla, Wash., UW Coach Christi Boggs said.
"It's a ridiculous lead right now," she said, although official team points were not available. "We thought the men had a shot at winning the national title this year. We figured that they would just be solid, but we didn't think that they would be this dominant."
This would be the Cowboys' second-ever USCSA national title since Nordic skiing was reinstated 10 years ago as a UW club sport.
The UW women also built a lead Friday that should give the team its fourth national title in the past decade.With four women in the top 10 in the 15km freestyle race Friday morning, UW had a team-low 12 points to widen its overall lead against Whitman College, which is 16 points back.
Gracey Lewis, freshman, Jackson, led the Cowgirls with a third-place finish, followed by teammates Kari Boroff, senior, Daniel, in fourth place; Laramie junior Gwynn Barrows in fifth; and Marie Cartwright, sophomore, Lander, in sixth place.
"I am so ecstatic that both our teams are this close to winning national titles the same year. It's just been a great year for us," Boggs said.
The UW men and women also had several other skiers finish among the top 20 racers.Eliah Pederson, freshman, Lander, placed seventh; Lander junior Jacob Peterson, placed 14th; and Justin Kinner, junior, Casper, was three places back.
The UW men competed against 49 other competitors in the 15km freestyle race. Western State College of Gunnison, Colo., placed second in the competition to the front-running Cowboys with 23 points, while Whitman College was third with 29.
Two UW Cowgirls finished in the top 20 among the 35-person competition. Freshman Morgan Cropsey placed 15th and junior Shannon Wilson, both from Casper, was 17th.
The UW women scored 12 points, while Whitman College had 20.
The final competition Saturday is the team relay event with two legs each of a 5km classic style ski and a 5km skate.
Lewis, a junior from Jackson, won his third consecutive individual national title, taking the 15km freestyle race Friday at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) Nationals at Devil's Thumb Ranch near Frisco, Colo.
He led a perfect six-point score for the team when the Cowboys swept the top three positions. Finishing behind Lewis were Evgeniy Panzhinskiy, senior from Russia, and Casper junior John Kirlin.
The men have an insurmountable lead for the USCSA national title over runner-up Whitman College of Walla Walla, Wash., UW Coach Christi Boggs said.
"It's a ridiculous lead right now," she said, although official team points were not available. "We thought the men had a shot at winning the national title this year. We figured that they would just be solid, but we didn't think that they would be this dominant."
This would be the Cowboys' second-ever USCSA national title since Nordic skiing was reinstated 10 years ago as a UW club sport.
The UW women also built a lead Friday that should give the team its fourth national title in the past decade.With four women in the top 10 in the 15km freestyle race Friday morning, UW had a team-low 12 points to widen its overall lead against Whitman College, which is 16 points back.
Gracey Lewis, freshman, Jackson, led the Cowgirls with a third-place finish, followed by teammates Kari Boroff, senior, Daniel, in fourth place; Laramie junior Gwynn Barrows in fifth; and Marie Cartwright, sophomore, Lander, in sixth place.
"I am so ecstatic that both our teams are this close to winning national titles the same year. It's just been a great year for us," Boggs said.
The UW men and women also had several other skiers finish among the top 20 racers.Eliah Pederson, freshman, Lander, placed seventh; Lander junior Jacob Peterson, placed 14th; and Justin Kinner, junior, Casper, was three places back.
The UW men competed against 49 other competitors in the 15km freestyle race. Western State College of Gunnison, Colo., placed second in the competition to the front-running Cowboys with 23 points, while Whitman College was third with 29.
Two UW Cowgirls finished in the top 20 among the 35-person competition. Freshman Morgan Cropsey placed 15th and junior Shannon Wilson, both from Casper, was 17th.
The UW women scored 12 points, while Whitman College had 20.
The final competition Saturday is the team relay event with two legs each of a 5km classic style ski and a 5km skate.
Cowboys ready for West Regionals
The season comes down to the final couple of weeks for the Wyoming wrestling team and that focus centers on Saturday, as the Cowboys compete in the NCAA West Regional and Western Wrestling Conference Tournament in Greeley, Colo.
Matches begin at 10 a.m. and will run all day. Finals are slated to be wrestled at approximately 4 p.m.
Participating schools include Air Force, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, No. 22-ranked Northern Iowa, South Dakota State and Wyoming. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for youth, and may be purchased at the door, online at unco.edu/tickets or by calling 970-351-4849.
Winners of the NCAA West Regional automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship, to be held March 19-21 in St. Louis.
Wyoming’s tentative lineup this year includes redshirt freshman Michael Martinez (125), junior Cory VomBaur (133), sophomore Cole Dallaserra (141), redshirt freshman Chase Smith (149), senior and team captain Eric Coxbill (157), junior Alex Rieder (165), No. 18-ranked redshirt freshman Shane Onufer (174), No. 8-ranked redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc (184), freshman Alfonso Hernandez (197) and freshman Jacob Scharbrough (Hwt.).
Leading the team, Onufer is 39-9, while LeBlanc is 38-6 and Martinez is 34-9. All other Cowboys competing this Saturday have a minimum of 20 wins: Rieder (26-15), Scharbrough (26-15), VomBaur (25-12), Dallaserra (22-12), Smith (22-21), Hernandez (21-17) and Coxbill (20-13).
It is the second straight year that both Coxbill and VomBaur have had 20-win seasons. Last season Coxbill was 26-12, while VomBaur was 20-17. VomBaur is a two-time NCAA Tournament qualifier.
With his 39 wins this season, Onufer is currently tied for sixth on UW’s All-Time Single-Season Victories list with Mike Hamel (1984-85). Only one win behind Onufer is LeBlanc, who is tied for eighth all-time with Reese Andy, who reached that number during the 1995-96 season.
The Cowboys will be attempting to snare the West Regional title away from the Northern Iowa Panthers, who have won the team regional title for 23 straight seasons. This will be the 10th year (since 2000) that Wyoming has qualified for the NCAA Championships through the West Regional Tournament. UW has finished in second place twice, 2004 and 2006.
With their win last Wednesday over Northern Colorado, the Cowboys remained undefeated in the WWC and claimed a share of the league regular season dual championship along with Northern Iowa. UW had five league victories, while UNI had only four wins within the conference and did not wrestle Wyoming and Utah Valley.
It is the first time in the three-year history of the league that UW has won a regular season title.
Last season at the West Regional in Fargo, N.D., Wyoming placed third with 49.5 points, behind Northern Iowa (119) and Air Force (64.5). VomBaur (133), Carter Downing (141), Coxbill (165) and Jason Still (Hwt.) all placed second. VomBaur and Downing earned wild card selections to the NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA announced the automatic qualifier allocations last week for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Based on a variety of pre-set standards, the West Regional was awarded 13 automatic qualifiers, in contrast to the 20 qualifiers the event was given last year under the old system. The tournament champion in each weight class qualifies, as well as the second-place finisher at 149, 184 and 197. However, those second-place finishers may have to win a true second-place match even if they reach the final, provided they haven't wrestled the third-place finisher yet.
The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person next week to select the remaining at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11.
Matches begin at 10 a.m. and will run all day. Finals are slated to be wrestled at approximately 4 p.m.
Participating schools include Air Force, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, No. 22-ranked Northern Iowa, South Dakota State and Wyoming. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for youth, and may be purchased at the door, online at unco.edu/tickets or by calling 970-351-4849.
Winners of the NCAA West Regional automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship, to be held March 19-21 in St. Louis.
Wyoming’s tentative lineup this year includes redshirt freshman Michael Martinez (125), junior Cory VomBaur (133), sophomore Cole Dallaserra (141), redshirt freshman Chase Smith (149), senior and team captain Eric Coxbill (157), junior Alex Rieder (165), No. 18-ranked redshirt freshman Shane Onufer (174), No. 8-ranked redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc (184), freshman Alfonso Hernandez (197) and freshman Jacob Scharbrough (Hwt.).
Leading the team, Onufer is 39-9, while LeBlanc is 38-6 and Martinez is 34-9. All other Cowboys competing this Saturday have a minimum of 20 wins: Rieder (26-15), Scharbrough (26-15), VomBaur (25-12), Dallaserra (22-12), Smith (22-21), Hernandez (21-17) and Coxbill (20-13).
It is the second straight year that both Coxbill and VomBaur have had 20-win seasons. Last season Coxbill was 26-12, while VomBaur was 20-17. VomBaur is a two-time NCAA Tournament qualifier.
With his 39 wins this season, Onufer is currently tied for sixth on UW’s All-Time Single-Season Victories list with Mike Hamel (1984-85). Only one win behind Onufer is LeBlanc, who is tied for eighth all-time with Reese Andy, who reached that number during the 1995-96 season.
The Cowboys will be attempting to snare the West Regional title away from the Northern Iowa Panthers, who have won the team regional title for 23 straight seasons. This will be the 10th year (since 2000) that Wyoming has qualified for the NCAA Championships through the West Regional Tournament. UW has finished in second place twice, 2004 and 2006.
With their win last Wednesday over Northern Colorado, the Cowboys remained undefeated in the WWC and claimed a share of the league regular season dual championship along with Northern Iowa. UW had five league victories, while UNI had only four wins within the conference and did not wrestle Wyoming and Utah Valley.
It is the first time in the three-year history of the league that UW has won a regular season title.
Last season at the West Regional in Fargo, N.D., Wyoming placed third with 49.5 points, behind Northern Iowa (119) and Air Force (64.5). VomBaur (133), Carter Downing (141), Coxbill (165) and Jason Still (Hwt.) all placed second. VomBaur and Downing earned wild card selections to the NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA announced the automatic qualifier allocations last week for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Based on a variety of pre-set standards, the West Regional was awarded 13 automatic qualifiers, in contrast to the 20 qualifiers the event was given last year under the old system. The tournament champion in each weight class qualifies, as well as the second-place finisher at 149, 184 and 197. However, those second-place finishers may have to win a true second-place match even if they reach the final, provided they haven't wrestled the third-place finisher yet.
The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person next week to select the remaining at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11.
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