Laramie River Rendezvous has long tradition

UW American Heritage Center photo

Cowboys have competed in the Laramie River Rendezvous for 60 years.

by Milton Ontiveroz

UW Media Relations

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The Laramie River Rendezvous will celebrate its 60th anniversary this weekend.

The celebration, though, might be a few years late.

Pete Burns and Bill Laycock, who, collectively, probably possess more knowledge about the history of intercollegiate rodeo at the University of Wyoming than anybody else, say the springtime tradition that has featured the likes of Dale Stiles, Jimmi Jo Martin and Todd Suhn over the years is a bit older.

"Oh, I think it's more than 60 years old because we had a rodeo club in 1939 and the first intercollegiate rodeo was in ‘41,'" said Burns, who rodeoed for UW in the late 1940s and then coached the rodeo club for 15 years from 1982-96. "Even if they stopped for a few years during the war (World War II, 1939-45), it's probably been 65 or 66 years."

He adds, "It's been around for a long time and it's always a good show."

The UW club's only annual home event of the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) season opens Friday and runs through Sunday at the Cliff and Martha Livestock Teaching Arena west of Laramie on Highway 230. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The 2009 event will differ dramatically from the inaugural Rendezvous in 1941, which was at the outdoors at Antelope Park and included such events as a Boot and Spur Race, a Girls' Musical Chair Race and a Wild Cow Milking Contest.

Another major difference: UW's first intercollegiate rodeo was a single afternoon affair that featured but two teams: The host school from Laramie and Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University.

The Rendezvous, which now includes men's and women's contestants from 12 schools in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, has since grown into one of Laramie's most popular annual events.

"It's always standing-room only on Saturday night and Sunday," says Laycock, a longtime rodeo club supporter who volunteered his time from 1985-99, first as an announcer and then as club adviser.

Burns says rodeo fans have an added incentive to show up for this year's Rendezvous.

"This girls team is the greatest that's ever been here," he said.

That's especially high praise coming from Burns, who coached three national championship women's teams at UW in the early 1990s, including the ‘91 squad that featured Lori Rhodes, Shanna Newland and Toni Christinck.

A year earlier, Martin single-handedly won the national title for the Cowgirls, earning the goat tying and all-around championships to account for all of UW's team points.

The Cowgirls also won the 1993 college finals.

"We just dominated women's rodeo during that time," Burns said.

The present-day Cowgirls -- fronted by Nikki Steffes, TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland -- are doing just the same.

Entering its final event of the season, UW leads the national overall standings by nearly 900 points over second-place Cal Poly State University-San Luis Obispo. In the CRMR, the Cowgirls have outpaced their closest rival, Central Wyoming College of Riverton, by a staggering 3,755 points.

Steffes, a molecular biology/medical microbiology senior from Vale, S.D., tops the national all-around standings, sits third in goat tying and ranks sixth in barrel racing.

"This Steffes girl could be a great success in pro rodeo, I really believe that," Burns said. "She's bullet-proof. No nerves. You just can't scare her."

Added Laycock, "She is a hand."

Steffes is just the latest in a long line of UW standouts who have displayed their vast talents at the Rendezvous. From Stiles to Bill Whitney, Suhn to Frank Shepperson, Martin to Jason Miller and Sunnie Fish to Birch Negaard, UW's annual springtime rodeo has featured the rodeo stars of tomorrow for 60 years.

Or how many ever years it's been.

"It's more than 60," Laycock insists.

But who's counting?

Cowboy golfers open MWC in 9th

TUCSON, Ariz. -- After the opening day of competition at the 2009 Mountain West Conference Men’s Golf Championship in Tucson, Ariz., sophomore Zach Zaremba is tied for 12th place after firing a 72 (+1).

The conference championship is being played at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club, which plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,163 yards.

As a team, the Cowboys are currently in ninth place after shooting an opening round 295 (+11). However, the Pokes are within four strokes of four different teams.

Individually, Zaremba is leading the Cowboys with that opening round 72 (+1). Fellow sophomores Phil Henzlik and Mike May are right behind Zaremba after opening round scores of 73 (+2). Henzlik and May are tied for 22nd in the field.

“Things are very tight after today’s round,” Cowboy head coach Joe Jensen said. “We felt like we had three good rounds today but tomorrow we have to have four. In a great field like this, you have to have four guys finish within a couple strokes of even par. We are within four strokes of catching four different teams and with a good round tomorrow we can leap frog some teams.”

In a field that features five teams which are ranked in the top-40 of the latest GolfStat national rankings, TCU jumped out to an early lead with an opening round 276 (-8). San Diego State is currently in second place (283, -1) and are followed by New Mexico (284, E), UNLV (289, +5), Colorado State (291, +7), BYU (291, +7), Utah (291, +7), Air Force (293, +9) and Wyoming (295, +11).

TCU’s Tom Hoge leads the 45-man field after shooting an opening round 67 (-4). He is followed by San Diego State’s Bryan Martin and UNLV’s Ji Moon, each of whom shot an opening round 68 (-3). In all, 11 players shot par or better on Thursday.

The 2009 MWC Championship will continue on Friday with the second round of action. The Cowboys will be paired with Air Force and Utah and will begin teeing-off at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time). Live results can be followed online at www.golfstat.com.
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Wyoming Results
Zach Zaremba, 72 (+1, T 12th)
Phil Henzlik, 73 (+2, T 22nd)
Mike , 73 (+2, T 22nd)
Jared Butler, 77 (+6, T 40th)
Gabe Maier, 77 (+6, T 40th)

Longtime Wyoming and CSU radio announcer Rich Bircumshaw dies

Rich Bircumshaw

Sports fans across the states of Wyoming and Colorado, as well as throughout the Mountain West Conference, were saddened to hear the news of the passing of beloved radio broadcaster Rich Bircumshaw on Wednesday night.

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Bircumshaw, who was a former Wyoming and Colorado Broadcaster of the Year, most recently served as the radio play-by-play announcer for Colorado State University football and men’s basketball.

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Prior to his 10-years announcing CSU games, he was a longtime broadcaster in Riverton and Casper, and served as part of the broadcast team for Wyoming Radio Network coverage of University of Wyoming Athletics.

Bircumshaw suffered a stroke in his sleep on Tuesday night and passed away Wednesday evening at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo.

Having been affiliated with both programs making up the Wyoming-Colorado State rivalry, he had many friends and fans on both sides of the border. Upon his return to Wyoming’s Arena-Auditorium for Wyoming-CSU basketball games, the love Wyoming fans had for him could often be seen as they would come down to the edge of the court to shake his hand, visit with him and share old stories.

Dave Walsh, “Voice of the Wyoming Cowboys”, worked with Bircumshaw on Wyoming broadcasts for years and has many memories of his friend.

“One thing I will remember most about Rich was he made me laugh,” said Walsh. “He had such a great personality, and you always felt better after spending some time with Rich.

“He was a very genuine, honest person off the air, and those traits came across in his broadcasts. No one worked harder at his craft. Over the last 10 years that Rich was at Colorado State, we still talked all the time. On football Saturdays, no matter where each of us were broadcasting from, we would call each other and compare notes.

“Rich was a loveable character, and I will miss him a lot. He was one of a kind.”

University of Wyoming senior associate athletics director Kevin McKinney knew Bircumshaw from his earliest days of broadcasting in Wyoming.

“First and foremost, Rich was a great friend,” said McKinney. “He loved Wyoming, and was beloved by people across this state.

“Rich was the consummate professional. He was always extremely well-prepared, and was always enthusiastic. He had a great wit, and would do anything for his friends. He will be missed by all of us.”

UW Athletics Director Tom Burman remembers Bircumshaw both from Burman’s days in college at UW and then later as an administrator in the Wyoming Athletics Department.

“When I think of Rich, I think of how passionate he was about the teams he covered,” said Burman. “His passion for broadcasting and the pride he took in doing his job well were evident in the success he had over the years and the respect he had from coaches, players and fans.

“Whether it was talking to Rich before a game, or listening to him on the radio, he made me smile.”

Bircumshaw was born in Park City, Utah, on June 30, 1954. He is survived by his wife Wendy Lange, his sister Roberta King, his brother John and sister-in-law Georgia, nephew Christopher, nieces Jennifer and Angela, and many other great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary D. and Richard F. Bircumshaw of Salt Lake City, Utah.

A memorial service will be held for Bircumshaw on Monday at the 1 p.m. at the Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive, in Fort Collins, Colo. Details of the memorial and donation information follow.

Rich Bircumshaw Arrangements
• Viewing Sunday, 1-5 p.m., Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Memorial service Monday, 1 p.m.; Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive, Fort Collins, Colo.
• In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Rich Bircumshaw to the Colorado State General Athletic Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made payable to the CSU Foundation, and sent to the Ram Club Office, 101 McGraw Athletic Center; Fort Collins, CO 80523-0120. For more information, call 970/491-4666.

Cowboy golfers to open MWC tournament

The University of Wyoming Cowboy golf team will open the 2009 Mountain West Conference Championship Thursday in Tucson, Ariz.

The three-day tournament will be contested on the Catalina Course at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club. A single round of 18 holes will be played each day with tee-times beginning at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time).

The Catalina Course plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,163 yards. This marks the third consecutive year that the MWC Championship has been contested at OMNI Tucson National. The Cowboys also played the Catalina course earlier this spring when they participated in Arizona’s National Invitational Tournament.

“We are excited to be here, but we’ve got to step it up this weekend,” UW head coach Joe Jensen said. “I love this group of kids and I am excited about them, but it is time to start putting it all together. We are disappointed in how we have played this spring, but with that said there are a lot of positive things that are happening to this young team. We have a very tough conference, but hopefully we can get it together for three days and see where we stand.”

The Cowboys’ conference championship lineup will consist of four sophomores and one junior. Those sophomores include Phil Henzlik, Gabe Maier, Mike May and Zach Zaremba, while Jared Butler is the lone junior. Each of the four sophomores has played in all 11 tournaments of the 2008-09 season.

In terms of stroke average, Zaremba has been the top Cowboy this season with an average of 74.94 over his 33 rounds. He also has the team’s highest tournament finish of the year, a fourth place showing at the 2008 Air Force Falcon Invite. Maier has the team’s second best stroke average at 75.63.

“We have played well for about 17 holes a round or had two or three guys play well at the same time, we just haven’t put it all together at once,” Jensen said. “We have the attitude that it will all come together soon, and we are hoping it happens this weekend. This is the second time we have seen this property this season and the third time in our careers, so hopefully that will help.”

Of the nine MWC teams that will be participating in the 2009 conference championships, five are currently ranked in the Top-40 of the latest GolfStat rankings. Those ranked teams include No. 17 TCU, No. 22 San Diego State, No. 24 UNLV, No. 33 Colorado State and No. 39 New Mexico.

Colorado State is the defending league champion, as the Rams won their first MWC title last season. The defending individual champion, Eddie Olson of UNLV, will be looking to defend his title from 2008.

The Cowboys will be paired with Utah and Air Force during Thursday’s opening round. The three teams will begin teeing-off at 9:40 a.m. (Mountain Time).

Live stats of the entire tournament can be followed online with GolfStat at www.golfstat.com.

Cowgirls sign South Dakota golfer

- University of Wyoming women’s head coach Josey Stender has announced the signing of Taylor Smalley to a national letter of intent to join the Cowgirls golf team in the 2009-10 season.
Smalley comes to Wyoming from Pierre, S.D., and T.F. Riggs High School where she is a two sport athlete. Smalley lettered once in volleyball, and all-four years in golf.

“We are very excited to welcome Taylor to Wyoming,” Stender said. “She doesn’t have a lot of national exposure, but she is a very good regional talent that we have had success with in the past.”

During her golf career she became the only T.F Riggs Lady Governor to have won the conference championship and the first ever student-athlete to become the State AA champion for her high school. Both of these achievements occurred during Smalley’s junior year.

Smalley also earned the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Female Golfer of the Year for 2008, along with winning the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Championship with her opening round 69 that broke the women’s course record.

“Smalley will be a great addition to our team as she is a student of the game and very coachable,” said Stender.

Steffes strong as ever after injury

UW photo

University of Wyoming rodeo club team member Nikki Steffes is the region's top barrel racer. She and her Cowgirl teammates will be in action this weekend for the home Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo at the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Teaching Arena.

by UW News Service

Not even a separated shoulder could stop Nikki Steffes, the University of Wyoming's best all-around performer, from entering last season's College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR).

A week before the 2008 CNFR, Steffes, a molecular biology/medical microbiology senior from Vale, S.D., was bucked off a practice horse, separating a joint on her right shoulder. Not many people knew about the injury, including her own coach, George Howard.

The competitor she is in the arena, the tall, lanky Steffes gutted out the week and finished second in the CNFR goat tying competition for the second straight year.

She never used the injury as an excuse for her performances. Many people thought she took most of the summer off from rodeo competition because of her second straight goat tying runner-up finish at the college finals. But she wanted to let the injury heal before her senior season at UW.

"I'm not really going to blame my shoulder for what happened last year, it may have had some effect, but I tried to take care of it that week and I tried the best that I could," she said.

Steffes' best is a lot better than that of most injury-free rodeo contestants.

"But to tell you the truth, I definitely needed a break from rodeo after last summer's CNFR, that's for sure," she said.

That drive and determination, in and out of the rodeo arena, is what pushes Steffes to succeed. Her long-range plans are to enter the medical field after giving the professional rodeo circuit two years of her life after completing her UW career. She wants to be either a doctor or a dentist -- a tough medical field for anyone to break into, but Steffes has made the UW President's honor roll (for a perfect 4.0 grade point average) each semester she's been on campus.

Not only is she smart, she's arguably the best rodeo athlete in the tradition-rich UW women's program history. You won't get any argument from her coach.

"Nikki is the most unbelievable rodeo athlete I've seen or been around," Howard said. He has been at UW 11 years, and before that for nearly 20 at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. That's a strong statement considering the name Jimmie Jo Martin comes to mind to those around the UW Cowgirl program.

In the early 1990s, Martin single-handily led the Cowgirls to the national championship, winning the goat tying and all-around titles. Some long-time rodeo fans say Steffes is the best anyone has seen at UW.

She won the national all-around title as a sophomore and has been the CNFR goat tying runner-up two years in a row. She's won the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) all-around title three straight years and also barrel racing each of her three seasons at UW. She's twice been the regional goat tying champion.

Steffes is the current national all-around points leader, is third in the goat tying competition and is ranked sixth in barrel racing. She is this season's CRMR barrel racing and all-around leader, is second in goat tying and third in breakaway roping.

And, oh yes, Steffes and her teammates have locked up their third consecutive regional team title. Plus, the Cowgirls are the nation's best team, leading with 5,620 points, nearly 900 points ahead of Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo. The UW women are running away with the regional championship, holding nearly a 3,800 point lead against rival Central Wyoming College.

All Steffes wanted was to do a little rodeo for UW when Howard first recruited her out of high school. She loved the academics that the university offered.

"When she came for her UW visit, she decided to stay," Howard said of his prize recruit. But he never expected Steffes to become his best rodeo athlete ever. "I never thought that she would develop this much. You never know what will happen when you recruit someone to compete on this level and you just hope things go like this. What she has done is just phenomenal."

She's also a humble person and knows that rodeo can knock a competitor down in a split second. Or, in her case, a tenth of a second.

That's the margin of time separating Steffes from becoming a two-time national goat tying champion. Two years ago she was the runner-up to teammate Kayla Nelson and last summer it was that same margin that cruelly dropped her to second in the national standings.

"I won't lie and say it didn't hurt more the second year that it happened because all I could think was ‘dang it,'" she said. "But to be there two years in a row and have that opportunity is still definitely a big accomplishment for me."

As a fierce competitor, Steffes' goal is to win that elusive national goat tying championship or any title. She's almost a lock to qualify in all three women's rodeo events for the CNFR.

After she and her senior teammates, TaNaye Carroll, kinesiology, from La Junta, Colo., and Sarah Mulholland, nursing, Richland Center, Wis., finished fourth at last year's CNFR after going into the short go as the national leaders, they vowed to make their final season a memorable one.

They are the top three goat tiers in the region, with Carroll leading, and Mulholland is the region's best breakaway roper. Carroll is ranked second in the nation in goat tying and Mulholland is fifth nationally in her specialty event.

Two years ago with different teammates, Steffes was part of the national champion UW women's team, the fourth title in the program's history.

"When you have teammates such as Sarah and TaNaye, and all of us being seniors, we know what it takes to win. Our level of confidence is so high because we have all individually been to three CNFRs," she said. "Practicing with each other the last two years has increased our competitiveness so much. When you practice with the region's best each day, it just makes you step up to that level even more and makes you an even better competitor."

This weekend will be Steffes' last appearance at the home Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo, but she'll be back next season competing as an individual. She is the student regional director, which gives her the chance to compete a fifth year. However, any points she earns will not count toward the Cowgirls' output.

Too bad, because everyone knows this rodeo competitor can rack up the points every time she steps into the arena.

Cowgirl rodeo remains perfect

There is no stopping the University of Wyoming women's rodeo team on its way toward a perfect Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) season.

The Cowgirls have just this weekend's (May 1-3) Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo before taking aim at their ultimate goal: The College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in June at the Casper Events Center. That is what the team has worked for the entire fall and spring rodeo seasons since coming up short as repeat CNFR champions last summer.

The UW women two years ago won the program's fourth national title. The Cowgirls led last year's event going into the short go, but had a disappointing championship round to fall to fourth place overall. With the same trio intact this season, the Cowgirls have led the CRMR since the opening rodeo in September and have put together a run that has pushed them atop the overall national standings.

Those same three team members, all seniors, Nikki Steffes, TaNaye Carroll and Sarah Mulholland, worked their individual skills once again to lead the UW women to another one-sided win last weekend at the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) rodeo in Sterling, Colo.

The Cowgirls scored 615 team points with half coming in goat tying where the Cowgirls have the region's top three individuals to outdistance runner-up Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) by 250 points. Third place went to the Central Wyoming College (CWC) with 225 points.

Steffes, a molecular biology senior from Vale, S.D., won the all-around title again, an accomplishment she's successfully completed at each CRMR rodeo this season. She is also the national points leader and won the CNFR all-around title as a sophomore. The UW program's all-time leading points producer scored in each of the three women's events at last weekend's rodeo.
She won the breakaway roping event, placed third in goat tying and fourth in barrel racing.

Carroll, a kinesiology senior from La Junta, Colo., and the CRMR goat tying leader, won the average Sunday. Mulholland, a nursing student from Richland Center, Wis., split third place in breakaway roping and added goat tying points when she placed sixth in the short go.

The UW men solidified a spot in the CNFR as a team by placing second at the NJC rodeo. Only the top two teams from each of the nation's regions gain a berth to the season-ending event.
Season-long regional leader, CWC, scored heavily in the two horseback riding events to pile up 610 points compared to UW's 415, just five points better than third-place Gillette College.

The bulk of the Cowboys' points came in saddle bronc and bareback riding. Merritt Smith, an animal science sophomore from Gillette, split second in the saddle bronc riding average, while Bucky Dickson, a kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., placed third in the bareback competition.

The team also received production in a pair of timed events. Bulldogger Troy Brandemuehl, a wildlife biology senior from Gordon, Neb., turned his steer over quick enough to win the short go and placed second overall in the average. Teammate Chad Nelson, an agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D., qualified for the tie down roping short go, as did Smith, but both had no-times in the championship round. Smith finished second in the all-around competition to Gillette College's Cheyenne Seymour.

UW's only annual home event, the Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo in the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Arena, begins at 7 p.m. Friday, May 1. Two performances are scheduled Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m. The short go Sunday begins at 1 p.m.Listed are the team scores from the NJC rodeo and also the top six individuals in the average:
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Women's team scores -- University of Wyoming (UW) 615; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) 365; Central Wyoming College (CWC) 225; Sheridan College (SC) 120; Gillette College (GC) and Laramie County Community College (LCCC) 90; Lamar Community College (LCC) 5.
Men's team scores -- CWC 610; UW, 415; GC 410; NJC 370; Casper College (CC) 345; Colorado State University (CSU) 210; EWC 145l LCCC 110; LCC 90; Chadron State College (CSC) 80; Sheridan College (SC) 55.
Barrel racing -- Josie Davison, EWC, 36.62; Annie Novotny, SC, 36.87; Jessi Cates, GC, 36.89; Nikki Steffes, UW, 36.91; Michelle Robinson, GC, 36.93; KayTee Schaffer, LCCC, 36.95.
Breakaway roping -- Nikki Steffes, UW, 6.1; Chelsea Moore, CWC, 6.2; Sarah Mulholland and Heather Bregar, both UW, 6.6; Andie Cross, EWC, 7; Britta O'Keeffe, UW, 7.6.
Goat tying -- TaNaye Carroll, UW 17; Kaylee Moyer, EWC, 17.3; Nikki Steffes, UW, 17.8; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 18.1; Traci Hinman, CWC, 18.4; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 18.7.
Saddle bronc riding -- Lane Sterling, GC, 143; Merritt Smith, UW, and Blaze Hamaker, CWC, 141; Chancy Miller, GC, 139; J.W. Moore, CC, 140.
Bareback riding -- Bryan Jones, CWC, 150; Ty Breuer, CWC, 148; Bucky Dickson, UW, 142; Whitten Hoover, CSC, 138; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 138;Troy Bechen, CC, 126.
Bull riding -- Justin Ellis, CWC, 131, only rider on two.
Tie down roping -- Joey Dickens, CSU, 20; Brady Graff, EWC, 21.4; Jim Roedeske, CC, 22.1; Riley Warren, CWC, 22.9; Beau Miller, GC, 30.1 Kyle Broce, NJC, 30.2.
Steer wrestling -- J.W. Lorenz, CWC, 12.3; Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 12.4; Cole Dorenkamp, LCC, 13.9; Seth Bolerjack, UW, 15.6; Cheyenne Seymour, GC, 16.1; Cameron Trimber, UW, 16.3.
Team roping -- Justin Smith/Cody Merritt, EWC, 14.1; Will Smith, UW/Cody McClusky, NJC, 17.1; O.J. Huxtable/Dustin Smith, CC, 27.2; Trice Watts/T.J. Watts, NJC, 29.6; Chase Dodson/Blake Henry, UW, 34.8; Tyrel Schroth/Tyrel Bonnet, SC, 38.8.

UW track teams compete in two meets

The University of Wyoming track and field teams split their squads on Saturday to compete in both the Oregon Relays in Eugene, Ore., and the Colorado State Jack Christiansen Invitational in Fort Collins, Colo.

In action at the Oregon Relays, the Cowboys came away with three first-place finishes, with junior Kekoa Chavez winning in the 400-meter hurdles, sophomore Jeremiah James taking the triple jump and senior Jake Shanklin capturing the hammer throw.

Chavez, won the 400-meter hurdles in the first of three sections beating Daniel Sullivan from Seattle University by eight hundreths of a second. With his time of 52.94 seconds, he improves his 10th place time in UW history in the event by four hundreths of a second. James won his third outdoor triple jump event this season at 48-feet, 11 3/4 inches, which was two inches further than Josh Crawford of Wichita State.

"The field had a sub-par day, but Jeremiah competed very well and had enough to rise above the rest and win for the Cowboys," said assistant coach Quincy Howe.

Shanklin earned his third straight hammer throw win with his toss of 207-8, nearly a foot farther than Zach Midles of the University of Washington.

"Jake threw very well today and beat some of the big guns from the Pac-10," said assistant coach Paul Barrett.

Continuing action at the Oregon Relays, the Cowboys and Cowgirls each improved on one top-10 list. Cowboy, Philemon Kimutai ran the eighth best time in the 5,000-meter with his 11th-place time of 14:21.99. As for the Cowgirls, sophomore Alysha Davis improved her 5,000-meter run time of 17:15 to 17:00, to take the fifth-best spot.

"We had some very good performances in a great track and field atmosphere here in Eugene, Ore.," said assistant coach Randy Cole. "This experience will help these kids in the near future getting use to a big meet like this."

As for the Cowboys and Cowgirls in Fort Collins, they competed in frigid temperatures. Cowgirl seniors Shaylee Babbitt and Lindsey Fuller led the team with their second-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump respectively. Babbitt ran a 14.05 for the second straight week which is second best this season, while Fuller leaped 16-10 3/4.

Sophomore Travis Corrow had a second-place finish and best jump of the outdoor season in the long jump at 21-9 1.2.

"We really ground it out today and got out of here without any injuries," said head coach Don Yentes. "It was a nice tune up for us heading into next week and gearing up for the Mountain West Conference Championships."

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will compete Saturday in the Front Range Championships, hosted by the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. Wyoming hosts the MWC Championships on May 13-16.

Cowboy golfers 12th at BYU

The University of Wyoming men's golf team finished in 12th place in the 14-team Ping Cougar Classic Saturday at the Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah.

The Cowboys shot a final round 298, which was consistent with their 299 anbd 297 in the first two rounds of the tournament. Wyoming finished with an 894, 30 shots over par.

For the Cowboys, Gabe Maier had a strong final round and fired a one-under par 71. That score game Maier a three-round total of 222 and put him in a tie for 41st place. Zach Zaremba and Mike May both shot a 77 during the final round to finish with a total score of 223 (+7). That placed each of them in a tie for 43rd place.

BYU won their own event with a three-round total of 842 (-22). Colorado State finished second with a total of 851 (-13) and Idaho finished third with a score of 854 (-10).

Individually, Southern Utah’s Matt McArthur won the tournament by posting a three-round scorecard of 205 (-11). BYU’s Brady Johnson and New Mexico State’s Travis Reid tied for second place with a three-round total of 206 (-10).

“The teams in this field played very well, we just didn’t make it happen ourselves,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “We had a couple of good rounds today, with Gabe Maier at 71 and Max Curnow at 74. However, we just couldn’t get it together with couple other guys struggling today.

“We now have a couple of days to get ready for conference. Hopefully, we can put it all together and get four guys scoring well at the same time.”

The Cowboys will return to action next week as they travel to Tucson, Ariz., for the 2009 Mountain West Conference Championship Thursday through Saturday.
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UW results
Gabe Maier, 77+74+71=222 (+6, T 41st)
Zach Zaremba, 71+75+77=223 (+7, T 43rd)
Mike May, 74+72+77=223 (+7, T 43rd)
Phil Henzlik, 77+76+76=229 (+13, T 64th)
Max Curnow, 78+80+74=232 (+16, 68th)
Jared Butler (Individual), 74+81+74=229 (+13, T 64th)

UNLV ends Cowgirl tennis season

ALBUQUERQUE N.M. -- The eighth seeded Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team (8-16 overall) closed out its season in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Championships with a 4-0 loss against the top seed UNLV Lady Rebels (19-6), on Thursday afternoon.

UNLV won the first point of the day as they took two of the three matches needed in doubles play. Alisa Razina and Anna Maskaljun defeated the Cowgirls team of Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson, 8-2, while the team of Nikol Dimitrova and Rumyana Terzierva took their match by default. The number one team of Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen were up 6-4, but did not finish their match.

In singles play, the Lady Rebels only needed three victories in order to win the match. They would do that with victories at the number three, five and six spots. Katie Williams would earn a two set win, 6-4, 6-3, over sophomore Van Hollen. At the number five spot, Carolina Chaix was defeated by the Lady Rebels’ Anna Maskaljun, 6-0, 6-0, while Ruymyana Terzierva gained the third point for UNLV with a victory by default.

Wyoming finishes their season 8-16 overall and a 1-7 mark in the Mountain West Conference play.

Summerfield earns postseason honors

Wyoming junior Sarah Summerfield

For the second time in her career, junior Sarah Summerfield has earned All-MWC tennis honors as it was announced Wednesday by the Mountain West Conference. The MWC awards are selected by the league’s nine head coaches.

“This is a well deserved award for Sarah,” said head coach Kati Gyulai. “She is one of the top players in the Mountain West Conference. We are happy to see her get recognized for her efforts and accomplishments this season.”

From Chester, N.J., she is the second player in school history to earn All-MWC honors twice during her career and the third player overall. Summerfield is currently 18-17 overall in singles and 20-17 in doubles play. This spring, she has an 11-12 mark in singles, while finishing the MWC season 3-5. During her career as a Cowgirl, she has tallied 45 career singles wins, which is 11th all-time in school history.

The Cowgirls opened up the 2009 MWC Tournament with a 4-3 victory over the Air Force Academy Falcons, on Wednesday morning, in Albuquerque. They will play the top seeded UNLV Rebels, on Thursday afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m.
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2008-09 Women’s Tennis All-MWC Team
Singles
*Kristina Doerr, Jr., BYU
McCall Jones, Fr., BYU
Laura Neal, Jr., Colorado State
*Ola Abou-Zekry, Sr., New Mexico
Mackenzie White, Sr., New Mexico
Holly Bagshaw, Sr., San Diego State
Kayla Duncan, Fr., TCU
*Macall Harkins, Sr., TCU
*Katariina Tuohimaa, So., TCU
Nikol Dimitrova, Sr., UNLV
* Kristina Nedeltcheva, Jr., UNLV
Katy Williams, Sr., UNLV
Anastasia Putilina, Fr., Utah
Erin Monson, Jr., Utah
Sarah Summerfield, Jr., Wyoming

Doubles
McCall Jones/Kristina Doerr, BYU
Megan Price/Elle Carney, BYU
Ola Abou-Zekry/Emma Hayman, New Mexico
Holly Bagshaw/Julia Trunk, San Diego State
Katariina Tuohimaa/Kayla Duncan, TCU
Kristina Nedeltcheva/Katy Williams, UNLV
Erin Monson/Andrea Maughan, Utah

Player of the Year: Ola Abou-Zekry, New Mexico

Freshman of the Year: McCall Jones, BYU
*notes repeat selection

Cowgirl tennis wins MWC opener

UW sophomore Carly Van Hollen
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The eighth-seeded Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team (8-15 overall) earned a tough 4-3 win over the ninth-seeded Air Force Academy Falcons (10-17 overall) in the opening round of the Mountain West Conference Championships on Wednesday morning.

“We earned a 5-2 victory over Air Force during the regular season, but we knew this would be a tough match,” said head coach Kati Gyulai. “Our objective was to play to win, instead of playing not to lose. We stayed together and came out with a win, which we are pleased with.”

Wyoming won the first point of the day by takinbg two of three matches in doubles play. The team of Sarah Summerfield and Carly Van Hollen earned an 8-4 victory over Christine Abayan and Erlyn Rudico, while Rebecca Berger and Jamie Nelson wrapped it up for the Cowgirls with another 8-4 win over Allie Chermal and Christen Monreal. The Falcons number three team of Katrina Eromin and Shelley Johnson earned a win by default.

The Cowgirls had a battle on their hands in singles play, as they would earn victories at the two, three and five spots. Van Hollen quickly earned a two-set win, 6-1, 6-3, over Chermal, while Berger had to overcome a first set loss, 6-2, to take the next two 6-0, 6-2 for her victory over Abayan. It would come down to junior Carolina Chaix, as she clinched the Wyoming victory, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, win over Eromin.

Nelson came up short in her difficult three set match, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, to Sarah Cassman, while at the number one position, Summerfield lost in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4 to Monreal.

Wyoming will now take on the top seed UNLV Thursday, beginning at 2 p.m.

UW track signs 13 student-athletes

University of Wyoming track and field head coach Don Yentes announced the signing of 13 student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent to compete for the Cowboys and Cowgirls in the upcoming 2009-10 season.

The Cowgirl squad will be nine stronger next season with the addition of Brandy Bullinger, a middle distance runner from Burlington.; Maria Cress, a thrower from Darby, Mont.; Katy Hall, a sprinter/hurdler from Murrieta, Calif.; Olivia Heaston, a sprinter from Centennial, Colo.; Brooke Hughes, a distance runner from Glenrock; Ashley Hutchinson, a thrower from Spokane, Wash.; Diana Long, a sprinter/hurdler from Torrington; Brittany Rehm, a high jumper from Cheyenne and Hannah Romsa, a sprinter/hurdler/jumper from Casper.

The Cowboys will add four student-athletes next season with the addition of Brandon Douglass, a pole vaulter/hurdler from Casper; Mark Flegal, a sprinter/hurdler from Prineville, Ore.; Dalton Sybrant, a thrower from Corvallis, Mont.; and Jaymes Talkington, a jumper from Harrisburg, Neb.
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Track and field signees
Brandy Bullinger - middle distance, Burlington (Burlington HS)
In last year’s outdoor state championship, Bullinger was the 800-meter champion as well as the runner-up in the 400-meter dash. In 2009 during the indoor championships, she placed fifth in the 800-meter run.

“Brandy is very talented and with a few years of experience she can be a very solid runner for us in the future,” said head coach Don Yentes.

Maria Cress - thrower, Darby, Mont. (Darby HS)
Cress was the 2008 class B State Champion in the javelin throw, she also competes in the shot put and discus events at Darby High School. She is the school record holder in the javelin as well as a standout for the volleyball and basketball team.

“Maria has all the tools to become a very successful javelin thrower,” said head throws coach Paul Barrett. “She is a tall, very fit, versatile athlete who I believe will also be able to compete in the 20-pound weight throw and hammer throw.”

Katy Hall - sprinter/hurdler, Murrieta, Calif. (Murrieta Valley HS)
Hall is a sprinter and a hurdler that comes in with all the tools to become very good in the Mountain West Conference. She has a personal best of 14.47 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, and a sister that plays volleyball at Indiana University.

“Katy has tremendous upside to her and is really the second best hurdler I have ever seen come out of high school,” said Yentes.

Olivia Heaston - sprinter, Centennial, Colo. (Cherry Creek HS)
Heaston is a sprinter from Colorado that has only been competing in track and field for two years. As a Cowgirl she will run in the 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes. She is currently ranked seventh in the 200-meter dash in the state of Colorado.

“She is a totally untapped talent that when I saw her video, I knew she was someone that we had to have in our program,” said Yentes.

Brooke Hughes - distance, Glenrock (Glenrock HS)
Hughes is the reigning cross country champion in the state of Wyoming as well as placing second in both the 3,200 and 1,600-meter run in the 2008 outdoor championships.

“We are very excited to be adding such a good talent to our already solid distance crew,” said Yentes.

Ashley Hutchinson - thrower, Spokane, Wash. (Spokane Falls Community College)
Hutchinson, a transfer from Spokane Falls Community College, was named to the 2008 Junior College All-American team in the hammer throw and shot put events after her freshman season. She is currently the school record holder in the hammer throw and ranks sixth in the shot put. She was also the class AAA Washington state champion in the shot put her senior year.

“Ashley has a great, tall, athletic build and has a very good technical base coming from a great junior college program and coach in Ryan Weidman,” said Barrett. “Coach Weidman consistently produces high level throwers year after year. I believe Ashley will be able to step right in and contribute to our team in several throwing events.”

Diana Long - sprinter/hurdler, Torrington (Torrington HS)
Long joins a Cowgirl squad that contains Jennifer Schmitz, and Lindsey Simmons from Torrington High School and Shaylee Babbitt from Southeast High School. She was the 2008 300-meter hurdle champion and owns the second-fastest time in state history.

“When I saw Diana run, I really felt that she could become a great 400-meter hurdler in our conference,” said Yentes. “We are very excited to have Diana become a Cowgirl next season.”

Brittney Rehm - high jumper, Cheyenne (Cheyenne East HS)
Rehm is a very competitive athlete who will high jump for the Cowgirls next season. He height at 5-feet, 10 inches, combined with her family brings an experience that few have, as her father, Jack, was once a high jumper for the ‘Pokes. In 2008, Rehm was the state runner-up in the 4A high jump.

Hannah Romsa - sprinter/hurdler/jumper, Casper (Natrona County HS)
Romsa will most likely become a multi-eventer next season for the Cowgirls. Her mother, Kathy Romsa, was a multi-eventer while she was a Cowgirl and still owns the heptathlon record with 5,258 points in 1984. She was also inducted into the University of Wyoming Hall of Fame in 1998.

Romsa was the state indoor champion in the 55-meter hurdles as well as in the long jump, while she placed second in the triple jump. During the 2008 outdoor championships she was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, second in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump.

“She is tremendously talented and we feel she will become a very good pentathlete,” said Yentes.

Brandon Douglass - Pole Vault/Hurdles, Casper (Kelly Walsh HS)
Douglass is a pole vaulter who will help fill a void that the Cowboys have at the event as well as add depth to the hurdle events. At the 2008 outdoor championships, he won the 110-meter hurdles while placing second in the pole vault. During the 2009 indoor championships, he placed second in the 55-meter hurdles, second in the long jump and finished fourth in the pole vault.

“Brandon is new to hurdling but we really look forward for him to have a heck of a career here at UW,” said Yentes.

Mark Flegal - hurdler, Prineville, Ore. (Crook County HS)
Flegal, another hurdler that comes to Wyoming from Prineville, Ore., and Crook County High School was the 4A state champion in the 110-meter hurdles as well as placing third in the 300-meter hurdles.

“Mark has a lot of upside and can definitely strengthen our hurdle crew,” said Yentes.

Dalton Sybrant - thrower, Corvallis, Mont. (Corvallis HS)
Sybrant was the 2008 class A Montana State Champion in the discus throw and is the top returning discus and shot put thrower in the state. He was also named All-State in both football and basketball and became only the second male athlete to be named All-State in three sports in his high school’s history.

“At 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, Dalton obviously has a massive frame to go with his extremely athletic ability,” said Barrett. “I believe that Dalton will be a NCAA national level thrower during his college career. Dalton has the passion and the dedication in the throwing events that will help carry him. His throwing coach, Garrett Middleton, has built a great throws program and has really developed him into an elite level competitor. We are thrilled to have Dalton become a Cowboy.”

Jaymes Talkington - jumper, Harrisburg, Neb. (Banner County HS)
Talkington joins a jumping crew that has produced MWC Champions in the long jump and triple jump in the past few years, under the tutelage of Quincy Howe a Wyoming Cowboy great. In 2008, Talkington placed second in the triple jump and sixth in the high jump at the state championship in Nebraska.

“Jaymes has quite a bit of upside that will combine with the knowledge of Quincy that will make him into a very good jumper here at UW,” said Yentes.

UW track has record day at Gem City Dual

The weather cooperated for the Wyoming track and field teams, as it hosted the Gem City Dual against Colorado State Sunday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls set five records on their own and added 11 names to the Midwest Regional list. The Cowgirls added four individuals into the top-10 list, while the Cowboys entered five.

“Overall, it was a very successful meet, the weather cooperated and we were able to have some very impressive performances today,” UW head coach Don Yentes said. “To have as many qualify for the Midwest Regional is great and it shows just where our program is headed.”

Junior Johnna Jeffries led off the festivities for the Cowgirls, as she cleared 5-feet, 8 3/4 inches in the high jump with the second-best jump in UW history, qualifying her for regionals. Sophomore Britney Jackson followed Jeffries’ lead and placed second in the high jump with the sixth-best jump of 5-7.

Fellow sophomore Amanda Aimone had a solid day in the throws, as she placed second in the discus with her 10th-best toss of 154-0. She also finished third in the hammer throw at 170-0., which was a personal best.

Rounding out the record books for the Cowgirls was junior Emily Higgins with her personal best time in the 1,500-meter run of 4 minutes, 25.31 seconds. Her time also breaks the track record, as well as regionally qualifying her to run in Norman, Okla.

Senior Jake Shanklin led the way for the Cowboys, as his performance in the hammer throw not only qualified him for the regional meet, but also for the USA Championships in Oregon in June. His throw of 214-2 is fifth-best at Wyoming and in the Mountain West Conference, as well as a track record. Freshman Joe Plante qualified in the discus throw, as well as setting the eighth-best toss in UW history at 174-1.

The middle distance runners for the Cowboys had strong representation from Eldoret, Kenya with Philemon Kimutai, Eliud Chirchir and Mark Korir all entering their names in the books. Kimutai’s 1,500-meter run was second best in UW history with his time of 3:45.23, also setting the track record. His day was not done however, as he ran in the 3,000-meter run and set another track record in 8:19.01. Chirchir followed with his fifth-best time in the 800-meter run of 1:49.38. Rounding out the Kenyan trio was Korir in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. His personal best time of 9:06.04 is good for 10th-best at Wyoming.


“It was great to have so many put their names in the record books and qualify for regionals, but we also had quite a few athletes perform better than they have all year,” said Yentes. “It gave a lot of kids some much needed confidence and hopefully will propel them in the weeks to come.”

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will split their squads and travel to Eugene, Ore., and Fort Collins, Colo., for the Oregon Relays and Jack Christiansen Invitational on Saturday.

Cowgirl tennis falls to CSU

Colorado State spoiled the Wyoming Cowgirls home finale on Sunday with a 4-2 win in Mountain West Conference tennis action..

The Cowgirls (7-15, 1-7 MWC) , started out strong by winning the doubles point. In the number one spot, Sarah Summerfield and Rebecca Berger defeated Laura Neal and Lauren Strasburger 8-3. Carly Van Hollen and Jamie Nelson then beat Tori Arneson and Caitlin Fluegge 8-4.

In singles play, the Cowgirls battled for only a few wins. In the number one spot, Summerfield played hard against Stasburger for the three set win, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Berger struggled, but couldn’t pull out the win, losing to Neal 7-5, 3-6, 4-6. Van Hollen then lost to Arneson, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, while Nelson played in the number four spot, and fell to Satherlie, 6-1, 7-5. Chaix played Stople but did not finish the match. To wrap up the day, Karen Wykert lost to Fluegge 6-0, 6-2.

Wyoming will finish the out the season at the Mountain West Championships beginning on Wednesday in Albuquerque, N.M. They will open up play against the Air Force Academy Falcons at 10 a.m.

Ortiz, Huth competing in national diving meet

Cowgirl divers Stephanie Ortiz and Emily Huth are competing at the Speedo USA Diving Spring National Championships in Coral Springs, Fla. On Sunday, both competed on three-meter springboard.

Ortiz scored 208.85 and placed 10th. That finish qualified Ortiz for the semifinals that will be later in the week. Huth did not manage to qualify, as she scored 182.80 and placed in 26th.

"It is a great accomplishment for Stephanie to qualify," said UW diving coach Ben Herdt. "She had an off day, but still was able to make it. Emily was in her first meet like this and was nervous and had an off day as well."

On Monday, the two Cowgirls will compete on one-meter. The top 17 spots will advance to the semifinals.

Complete results of the meet can be found at https://secure.meetcontrol.com/divemeets/system/eventresultsext.php?meetnum=498&eventnum=560&eventtype=9.

Martinez wins MWC title

Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos
Wyoming junior Jonelle Martinez blasts her way out of the sand trap at the MWC championships.

SEASIDE, Calif. – Junior Jonelle Martinez became the second individual conference champion in Cowgirl history on Saturday, as she won the Mountain West Conference women's indiviual golf title.

Martinez joins Jordan Lintz, who won the MWC Championship in 2000, as the only other Cowgirl to win a championship. Martinez and the Cowgirls were the first team to finish their third round and had to sit in anticipation to see if Martinez’s name would be at the top of the list. When the New Mexico Lady Lobos finished their round and turned in their scorecards, junior Britney Choy found herself two strokes shy of Martinez.

Martinez’s final round 76 (+4) gave her a final total of 221 (+5), two strokes better than the 35-person field. Her first round 70 (-2) was the best of the tournament and the best in her career. The tournament win is the first of her career.

“There’s not a better person that deserves this, she played rock solid golf for three days,” said head coach Josey Stender. “She has worked so hard and I couldn’t ask for much of a better leader and team oriented player. It was amazing to watch her keep herself mentally in check especially during crunch time over the past two days.”

“I really tried not to put any more pressure on myself than I had to,” Martinez said. “I wanted to stick to my game and do the same thing that I was doing the whole tournament. I had my spots picked out on each fairway and I felt like I knew the greens pretty well, I just wanted to get it close to the pin.”

The Cowgirls as a team finished in sixth place with their three round total of 942 (+78) strokes. New Mexico (903, +39) came away with their second-straight title ahead of TCU (917 +53), and UNLV (920, +56). Colorado State (921, +57), BYU (938, +74), Wyoming (942, +78) and San Diego State (946, +82) rounded out the field.

“We played a good front nine and the back nine was a combination of bad breaks and a few errant shots,” said Stender. “It was a great experience to have three players playing in their first championship and follow Jonelle through this. Next season we will be returning the entire lineup. These girls definitely have the work ethic and have the opportunity to improve every year, they are ready for it.”
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Wyoming Individual Results
Jonelle Martinez, 70+75+76=221 (+5, 1st)
Juanita Rico, 80+79+80=239 (+23, 26th)
Molly Black, 78+81+82=241 (+25, 27th)
Jenna Zamprelli, 85+83+78=246 (+30, T 31st)
Sarah Fogerty, 81+82+84=247 (+31, T 33rd)

Martinez continues to lead at MWC

SEASIDE, Calif. – University of Wyoming junior Jonelle Martinez kept the pressure on the rest of the Mountain West Conference Championship field on Friday, as she maintained the lead after two rounds at the Black Horse Golf Course.

Martinez struggled a bit, but her 75 (+3) on Friday kept her ahead of Jodi Ewart of New Mexico, the 2008 champion, by two strokes. Martinez has the chance to become the first MWC champion for the Cowgirls since Jordan Lintz did it in 2000, the first year of the league. The highest finish by a Cowgirl since Lintz was Mikala Henzlik in 2006 when she placed fourth.

The Cowgirls as a team slipped from their fifth-place spot after round one to sixth after two rounds with one round to play. New Mexico still leads the tournament with their two round total of 598 (+22) strokes, while TCU and BYU trail with their total of 607 (+31) and 618 (+42) respectively. The rest of the field is as follows; UNLV 620 (+44), Colorado State 621 (+45), Wyoming 626 (+50) and San Diego State rounding out the field with their 627 (+51) second day total.

“The course played quite a bit tougher today as the hole locations were in some tricky positions,” Cowgirl head coach Josey Stender said. “Jonelle had a couple hiccups on the front nine but told herself that she just needed to pick up two holes on the back nine and she would be alright.”

That’s exactly what Martinez did, as she ended the front nine five-over par but played stronger golf on the back nine. She had seven pars and got her two birdies to end her day three over par.

Sophomore Molly Black and freshman Juanita Rico followed Martinez for the Cowgirls, as they are both in a tie for 23rd-place at 159 (+15). Junior Sarah Fogerty and sophomore Jenna Zamprelli round out the field for the Cowgirls in 30th and 35th places respectively.

“Jenna (Zamprelli) played better today except for a couple of holes that she struggled at, while Juanita hit the ball well but just didn’t have her putting today” said Stender. “We have a chance to make history tomorrow; we just have to play better from top to bottom. It’s really exciting to be in this position. To be playing in such a tough conference that is nationally ranked and it is really showing how this team has grown and improved in the past few years.”

The Cowgirls will be paired with San Diego State on Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m. (MST) for the final round. Live results can be followed at www.themwc.com.

UW track meet pushed back to Sunday

Mother nature has pushed back the inaugural Gem City Dual, presented by Qdoba Mexican Grill, one day. Rhe met was scheduled for Saturday, but instead will run on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

The weather has restricted the University of Utah from traveling to Laramie, so the dual will feature Colorado State vs. Wyoming.

The gates open at 9:30 a.m., with ticket prices starting at $3 for youth and $5 for adults, UW student’s entry is free with student ID. The Gem City Dual will be the lone meet hosted by the Cowboys and Cowgirls before they host the Mountain West Conference Championships May 13-16.

The field events will begin with the women’s hammer throw, men’s shot put, and women’s long jump at 11 a.m. While the track events start at 11:45 with the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase kicking things off. The meet will conclude at 3:25 with the men’s 4x400-meter relay finishing the dual.

Results will be posted on site as well as available at www.wyomingathletics.com.

Martinez leads MWC after first round

Wyoming junior Jonelle Martinez

SEASIDE, Calif. – Wyoming junior Jonelle Martinez is off to a hot start, leading the Mountain West Conference Women's Golf Championships by a pair of strokes after the first day.

As a team, the Cowgirls are in fifth place.

Martinez tied her best round ever with her opening round 70 (-2). She had six birdies, three of which were on four par-3’s. Her six birdies and nine pars cancelled out her two bogeys and one double-bogey. The first round 70 (-2) is the best round by a Cowgirl in the MWC Championship since 2006 when then freshman, Mikala Henzlik’s third-round 70 (-2). Martinez is two strokes ahead of second place Therese Koelbaek of UNLV.

“Jonelle played phenomenal today, as she was sticking the ball on the correct part of every green and really took advantage of each opportunity,” said UW head coach Josey Stender. “The course is not as narrow as I expected, however, the greens are extremely tough. If you are on the wrong side of the green, you could find yourself in quite a bit of trouble.”

The Cowgirls trail New Mexico by eight strokes, as the Lobos finished round one with a team 301 (+13). TCU and BYU are tied in second place with their matching 305’s (+17), while UNLV shot a team 306 (+18). The Cowgirls are in fifth with their 309 (+21), San Diego State 312 (+24) and Colorado State 314 (+26) round out the seven-team field.

Sophomore Molly Black and freshman Juanita Rico, two of three rookies playing in their first MWC Championship, followed Martinez’s lead as they opened with their own solid 78 (+6) and 80 (+8) respectively.

Black played a very solid front nine as she came into the turn playing even golf ,but hit a tough patch on the back nine. Junior Sarah Fogerty and sophomore Jenna Zamprelli rounded out the rest of the field for the Cowgirls with their first-round 81 (+9) and 85 (+13) respectively.

“Molly and Juanita really ground it out today and played tough for us,” said Stender. “With three of our five players playing in their first ever Championship it was tough for them but as soon as they calmed down they played great. This is right where we want to be, within striking distance."

The Cowgirls will be paired with UNLV on Friday at 8:30 a.m. (MST) for the second round. Live results can be followed at www.themwc.com.

Nine Cowboy wrestlers earn all-league honors

As officially announced by the Western Wrestling Conference (WWC) last week, the University of Wyoming Cowboys placed nine wrestlers on the league’s 2008-09 All-Conference teams.

The WWC awarded first, second and third team honors. Individuals earned their spots on the respective teams with their finish at the 2009 NCAA West Regional/WWC Championship on March 7 in Greeley, Colo.

Wyoming and University of Northern Iowa led the way with four first-team honorees. The University of Northern Colorado secured the other two spots on the first team.

Wyoming’s Michael Martinez at 125 pounds, Cory VomBaur (133), Shane Onufer (174) and Joe LeBlanc (184) all were named First Team All-WWC by virtue of winning their respective weight classes. LeBlanc, Martinez and Onufer were all redshirt freshmen in 2008-09, while VomBaur was a junior. All four qualified for and won bouts at the 2009 NCAA Championships, with LeBlanc finishing as an All-American for the ‘Pokes.

Factoring in all three teams, Wyoming led the WWC with nine total all-conference honorees. UNI had eight wrestlers earn all-league honors. Northern Colorado saw six of its grapplers earn the distinction. Each school that competed at the 2009 West Regional had at least one individual on the all-conference squads.

Cowboy junior Alex Rieder was Second Team All-WWC at 165 pounds. UW sophomore Cole Dallaserra (141), senior Eric Coxbill (157), as well as true freshmen Alfonso Hernandez (197) and Jacob Scharbrough (Hwt.) all garnered Third Team All-WWC honors.

The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. The conference formed in April 2006.

Cowgirl golfers at MWC Championships

For the final time this season, the University of Wyoming women’s golf team will take to the course as they compete in the Mountain West Conference Championships Thursday through Saturday in Seaside, Calif., at the Black Horse Golf Course.

The three-day, 54-hole tournament will begin at 8:30 a.m. MT, with each team completing 18-holes per day.

“This is the pinnacle of the whole year, this is what we have been working towards all season,” said head coach Josey Stender. “You can’t control what everyone else does. I have been telling our girls to just go out there and compete against the course, which could be interesting since it is a new course and we will see just what type of play it favors.”

The Cowgirls will send two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman to take on the six teams from the MWC. Junior Sarah Fogerty leads the team with her 78.00 stroke average in 28 rounds for the Cowgirls, while fellow junior Jonelle Martinez and freshman Juanita Rico follow closely behind with an average of 78.32. Martinez had the best finish this season as she placed sixth out of 99 individuals at the Drake/Hiddenbrooke Intercollegiate earlier this year. While Rico shares the low individual round in Cowgirl history with her second-round 69 (-3) at the CU/Heather Farr Memorial in late September.

“We have a solid five going this week and I wouldn’t be surprised if any one of them plays well,” said Stender. “This is a group of girls who does not settle for being at the bottom of the list and will fight and scratch for 54-holes. We have a bit of a rhythm leading into this week as we have started to play better in the last few tournaments.”

The Cowgirls finished fifth twice in a row at the NAU/Red Rocks Invite and Drake/Hiddenbrooke Intercollegiate, placed ninth at the BYU/Dixie Classic, and sixth at their own Cowgirl Classic in Chandler, Ariz. The Cowgirls finished sixth last year at the MWC Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Cowboy golfers finish 10th at Mizzou

In cold, spring conditions that included wind and rain, the Cowboy golf team closed out the 2009 Mizzou Tiger Intercollegiate in Columbia, Mo. on Tuesday by moving up to 10th by shooting their best round of the tournament.

“We played much better today as a team,” said UW head coach Joe Jensen. “With a team round of 300, we were much more competitive. We need to get to the point where we are putting up that type of number during all three rounds. If we can do that, this young team will be right where we need to be. In this tournament, our hiccup in the second round really hurt us. We are improving, but we still haven’t put together a complete team round where four guys are all scoring well.”

The Cowboys shot the same third round score as the overall team champion of the tournament, a 300. That score gave Wyoming a three-round total of 920 (+56).

Kansas State won the tournament with a three-round total of 874 (+10). UT-Arlington and New Orleans tied for second with identical tournament scores of 876 (+12).

Phil Henzlik led the Cowboys with a 71 (-1) during the final round to finish with a tournament score of 225 (+9). That score placed him in a tie for 23rd place and gave him his third career top-25 finish.

Behind Henzlik, Zach Zaremba tied for 42nd with a three-round total of 231 (+15). Gabe Maier tied for 47th with a three-round score of 232 (+16).

The tournament’s individual medalist honor had to be decided in a playoff. SMU’s Kelly Kraft defeated Sebastain MacLean of Xavier on the second playoff hole. Each finished the tournament with a three-round total of 208 (-8).

The Cowboys will now enjoy a 10-day break before returning the BYU Cougar Classic April 24-25 at the Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah.
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Wyoming Results
Phil Henzlik, 75+79+71=225 (+9, T 23rd)
Zach Zaremba, 75+78+78=231 (+15, T 42nd)
Gabe Maier, 79+74+79=232 (+16, T 47th)
Mike May, 78+85+74=237 (+21, T 62nd)
Max Curnow, 80+82+77=239 (+23, 65th)

Cowboy golfers 13th at Mizzou

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Wyoming men's golf team is standing in 13th place after two rounds of the Mizzou Tiger Intercollegiate.

The Cowboys finished with rounds of 307 and 313. which ties them with Eastern Illinois University.

The Cowboys are led by Zach Zaremba and Gabe Maier, who are each tied for 37th in the tournament. Both Maier and Zaremba shot a two-round score of 153 (+9). Phil Henzlik is tied for 43rd after posting a two-round score of 154 (+10).

In the team standings, Kansas State is currently in first place with a two-round score of 574 (-2). UT Arlington is in second place (580, +4) and SMU is currently third (584, +8).

Individually, SMU’s Kelly Kraft and Kansas State’s Mitchell Gregson are tied for the tournament lead with a two-round total of 137 (-7).

The Mizzou Tiger Intercollegiate will conclude on Tuesday with a final round of 18 holes. The day will begin with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
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UW Individual Results
Gabe Maier, 79+74=153 (+9, T 37th)
Zach Zaremba, 75+78=153 (+9, T 37th)
Phil Henzlik, 75+79=154 (+10, T 43rd)
Max Curnow, 80+82=162 (+18, 68th)
Mike May, 78+85=163 (+19, T 69th)

Branch, LeBlanc earn more honors

From left, UW freshman Joe LeBlanc and head coach Mark Branch

Wyoming first-year head coach Mark Branch and redshirt freshman Joe LeBlanc have been honored by the Western Wrestling Conference, as well as D1CollegeWrestling.net.

The Western Wrestling Conference (WWC) officially announced its award winners for the 2008-09 season in a press release last week. Branch was voted Coach of the Year and LeBlanc was named Freshman of the Year. The awards were decided on by the league’s head coaches.

D1CollegeWrestling.net (D1CW) released its 2008-09 National and Conference Awards, as well as an All-Freshman Team. Branch was named the West Region Coach of the Year, while LeBlanc was named West Region Freshman of the Year and was selected for the 184-pound slot on the 10-person, national All-Freshman Team. D1CW is a college wrestling web site that provides rankings, lineups, schedules, recruiting information and results.

Branch, who just completed his first season as the Cowboys’ head coach, led Wyoming to a share of the WWC regular season title with a perfect 5-0 dual record in league matches. The Cowboys posted a 15-3 overall dual mark this season. Wyoming qualified four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships and earned the program’s first-ever freshman All-America award when LeBlanc captured fifth-place honors. Branch also oversaw a squad that earned nine all-WWC honors in 2008-09, the most of any WWC member institution.

LeBlanc (Meeker, Colo.) became the first-ever freshman All-American in the history of Wyoming wrestling by placing fifth in the 184-pound weight class at the 2009 NCAA Championships. He was the first All-American in 13 years for UW’s wrestling program and the 24th in school history. LeBlanc earned a spot into the NCAA Championships by winning the 184-pound West Regional title.

LeBlanc posted a 45-8 overall record, which included a 15-2 mark in dual action and 7-0 against WWC opponents. He won three tournament titles in 2008-09 and scored a team-high 68 team points in duals. His 45 wins tied for third-place on UW’s Single-Season Victories list with Wes Gasner, who had 45 wins during the 1983-84 season. LeBlanc had two double-digit winning streaks during the season (10 and 11). He tallied 14 major decisions, five technical falls and seven pins this past year. LeBlanc had seven wins over National Wrestling Coaches Association top-20 ranked opponents and seven of his eight losses came to opponents ranked in the top-10.

Despite lightning delays, UW thinclads compete well in New Mexico

The University of Wyoming track and field teams gained a little momentum from the New Mexico Tailwind Invitational late Saturday evening in Albuquerque, after a couple lightning delays that pushed the finish back a few hours.

The Cowboy throwers led the team as they entered two names into the NCAA Regional meet. Senior Jake Shanklin and junior Sam Lambert both qualified in the hammer throw, as they finished first and second respectively. Shanklin threw his personal best 212-feet, 11 inches, while Lambert threw his personal best 194-4. They were followed closely by freshman Joe Plante, who finished fifth with his personal best 167-4.

“I was very impressed with their performances today in a ring full of water and mud,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett. “We got delayed a few times due to rain and lightning but it didn’t keep these guys from performing at their best.”

Philemon Kimutai finished first in the 1,500-meter run with a personal best time of 4 minutes, 6.73 seconds. Junior Keith Brauneis finished the 400-meter dash in second-place with in 50.13, while Kekoa Chavez finished the 400-meter hurdles in third place in 53.94. For the first time since the indoor season, freshman Henry Ferreira competed for the Cowboys and placed second in the javelin throw with his personal best toss of 191-7.

“With the delays, we had a lot of guys have to warm up and cool down, which made for a very long day,” said head coach Don Yentes. “We really performed better as a whole today and had some nice performances from some young guys and girls that will help us down the road.”

For the Cowgirls, sophomore thrower Amanda Aimone competed placed third in the hammer throw at 160-6 and had a personal best in the discus throw, as she finished second with at 142-11. Freshman Kelly Gray followed Aimone in the hammer throw with her personal best toss of 155-1, good for sixth place.

Senior Sharon Larrier ran a solid 200-meter dash, as she won the event in 24.03, meeting the regional mark. Yet, she was denied qualifying because of a 2.6 wind reading. In order for the mark to count for regional qualifying the wind must be 2.0 or below. Andrea Frary ran in her first meet this season coming off a knee injury and ran her personal best in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:04.00, good for second place.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will host their first meet of the season with the Gem City Duals on Saturday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex