To help get us through the summer, we're going to start a new weekly feature here on Sports Goulash -- Impossible Trivia Thursday. Each week, I'll pose a tough-as-nails trivia question about high school sports in Wyoming. You get to answer.

Now, the rules:

1. The big rule is NO RESEARCHING! That means no Google, no WHSAA, no other assorted help. If the answer ain't in your noggin, then you'll just have to wait. I don't want this to become a battle of who can find the answer the fastest -- I want it to be a battle of who knows it the fastest. I'm trusting y'all to play nice.

2. Post your answer with a comment underneath this post. If you're right, I'll say so. If you're wrong, I'll say so. A lot of this is on me to reply to the answer ASAP, and I'll do my best to do so. But don't wait for me if you think you have the correct answer -- post it as soon as you can, and I'll get to it as soon as I can.

3. There will be a 24-hour time limit, more or less, for you to answer. If no one answers correctly in the time limit, I'll post the answer in a comment.

4. After the correct answer is posted, feel free to discuss away... and the discussion will lead where it may.

That said.... have some fun with this. This is all designed to be in good fun.

Now, this week's question, posted in honor of our fearless sports editor, Jack Nowlin: Who was the last state wrestling champion from Jeffrey City High School?

Bonus question: In what year did he win state, and at what weight class?

Go!

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Ten Wyoming senior athletes have been selected as finalists for the Milward Simpson Athlete of the Year Award.

The two winners of the award will be announced on Saturday, June 21, during the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame Banquet in Casper.

The five finalists for the boys award are Cody Emrick of Sundance High School; Erik Heiss of Kelly Walsh High School; Skyler Hoopes of Lusk High School; Rob Johnson of Tongue River High School; and Stephen Michel of Laramie High School.

The five girls' finalists are Chelsey Lybeck of Cheyenne Central High School; Jordan Merback of Kelly Walsh High School; Maggie Ochsner of Lingle-Fort Laramie High School; Kristen Scheffler of Lovell High School; and Kelsey Scott of Douglas High School.

The Milward Simpson Athlete of the Year Award is considered by many to be the most prestigious honor bestowed upon a Wyoming high school athlete. This will be the 33rd year for the award, which is named in honor of the late Milward Simpson, a former Wyoming governor and United States Senator from Cody.

Simpson served as the team captain for the University of Wyoming football, basketball, and baseball teams and earned varsity letters in each sport from 1917-1921. He turned down a professional baseball contract to attend Harvard Law School. Simpson served as the Governor of Wyoming from 1954-58, and later as a United States Senator, 1962-67.

Last year's athletes of the year were Brendan Ames and Hillary Carlson, both of Cheyenne Central High School. Other former winners include NFL players Brady Poppinga and Brett Keisel, former Major Leaguer Mike Lansing, and Olympians John Godina, Jesseca Cross and Lance Deal.

Milward Simpson Award 2008
Girls finalists
Chelsey Lybeck, Cheyenne Central High School
Lybeck won nine letters and five all-state awards in five sports. In basketball, she was a two-time all-state selection and was the captain of her team for three of her four years. Central won two state championships in her four years. She was named her conference's co-player of the year and was the 4A state player of the year as a senior. She was chosen to play in the Wyoming-Montana and Wyoming-South Dakota all-star basketball series and was a McDonald's all-America nominee. She also ran track for four years and was an all-state recipient as a junior and a senior. She also participated in volleyball, golf and cross country. Chelsey is the daughter of Jayna and Chad Lybeck.

Jordan Merback, Kelly Walsh High School
Merback won seven letters and seven all-state awards in indoor and outdoor track. Combined, she won 10 individual state championships in track and field. In outdoor track, she won the 4A 100 hurdles three times and also won the triple jump twice, and was also the 300 hurdles champ as a senior. In indoor track, she won the triple jump three times and the 55 hurdles once. She also played hockey as a freshman and sophomore, playing at the AAA level with the Colorado Select team, and was the first girl from Wyoming to be selected to the National Olympic development camp. She'll attend Stanford on a track scholarship. Jordan is the daughter of Janet and Mike Merback.

Maggie Ochsner, Lingle High School
Ochsner won 11 letters, six-all conference and six all-state awards in four sports. In track, she was a 14-time state champion and holds class records for the 200, the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles for both Class 1A and Class 2A. She helped Lingle win four state championships in her four years. She also participated in indoor track for Cheyenne Central and won three events while setting state records in the 55-meter dash and the 55-meter hurdles. She will run track at Weber State. In volleyball, she earned four letters and two all-conference selections. She also played basketball two years and started on Lingle's 2006 1A state championship team. Maggie is the daughter of Lisa and Jacob Ochsner.

Kristen Scheffler, Lovell High School
Scheffler won eight letters, five all-conference and five all-state awards in volleyball and basketball. In basketball, she was a three-time all-conference and all-state pick, scoring 1,591 points in her career. She was the 2A player of the year as a junior, the Gatorade player of the year as a senior and was nominated for the McDonalds All-America team. She has signed to play basketball at UW. In volleyball, she was a four-year letterwinner, two-time all-conference and all-state player as an outside hitter. She was the team captain for both sports two years in a row. She is a Wyoming-Montana and Wyoming-South Dakota all-star basketball selection. Kristen is the daughter of Lori and Dave Scheffler.

Kelsey Scott, Douglas High School
Scott won seven varsity letters, four all-conference and four all-state awards in basketball and track. In basketball, she was all-conference and all-state for three years in a row and earned four letters. She helped lead Douglas to a state 3A championship as a freshman and was also chosen to play in the Wyoming all-star basketball series this summer. In track, she won three letters and was all-state as a senior, winning the Class 3A shot put title. She is also a three-time National High School Finals Rodeo qualifier and is a three-time state Reserve Champion in breakaway roping. She will play basketball and rodeo for Chadron State. Kelsey is the daughter of Katie and Troy Scott.

Boys finalists
Cody Emrick, Sundance High School
Emrick won 12 letters, 10 all-conference and eight all-state awards in three sports. In track, he was a four-time all-state performer and was a three-time 2A champion in the 800. He also won the 1600 twice and set 2A class records in both the 400 and 800 as a senior, helping Sundance win two team titles. He was a three-time all-conference and two-time all-state pick in football and led the state in receiving yards twice. In basketball, he was a three-time all-conference and two-time all-state pick and broke the school record for points in a season. He's a Shrine Bowl and all-star basketball series pick and will play basketball at Central Wyoming. Cody is the son of Helen Tenke and Mark Emrick.

Erik Heiss, Kelly Walsh High School
Heiss won nine letters, five all-conference and five all-state awards in four sports. In football, he won three letters and was an all-conference, all-state and Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 pick as both a junior and a senior. He led his team in rushing twice and was the 5A offensive player of the year as a junior. He is a Shrine Bowl selection and will play football at Carroll College. In swimming, he was the state 4A champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle and also set two school records as a senior. He was a four-time conference champion. In soccer, he was a first-team all-state selection as a senior and also made all-conference. He also lettered in basketball twice. Erik is the son of Bill and Susan Heiss.

Skyler Hoopes, Lusk High School
Hoopes won 12 letters, seven all-conference and six-all state awards in three sports. In wrestling, he was a two-time state champion at Class 2A 152 pounds and was the state runner-up in 2006. He was all-conference and all-state three times and was a two-time regional champion. In track, he was a two-time Class 2A champion and three-time regional champion in the pole vault. He set the school record in the event at 14 feet, 2 inches. In football, he was an all-state pick as a senior and was second in the state, regardless of classification, in rushing yards per game (152), and was the SEWAC player of the year. He is a Shrine Bowl selection. Skyler is the son of Kelly and Gary Hoopes.

Rob Johnson, Tongue River High School
Johnson won eight letters, seven all-conference and six all-state awards in football and basketball. In basketball, he was a four-year all-conference and three-year all-state player. He was twice the conference player of the year and was named the Sheridan County player of the year as a senior. In football, he was a three-time all-conference and all-state pick and started at quarterback for four years. He was a Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 first-team player as a junior, a Shrine Bowl selection and a National Football Foundation honoree. He'll play basketball at Black Hills State. He is also his class valedictorian and state president of the Wyoming FCCLA. Rob is the son of Dixie and Mick Johnson.

Stephen Michel, Laramie High School
Michel won eight letters and six all-state awards in three sports. His forte was track. In outdoor track, he won five state championships, including four his senior year (100, 200, long jump, triple jump). He set overall state meet records in the 100, 200 and triple jump as a senior and also won the triple jump as a junior. In indoor track, he won six state championships and swept the 55, 200, triple jump and long jump as a senior; he won the triple jump and 200 as a junior. He also had six combined state runner-up finishes in the indoor and outdoor seasons. He will participate in track at UW. He also lettered in football and played basketball. Stephen is the son of Suzanne and Richard Michel.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here are this year's final tallies in the Casper Star-Tribune's All-Sports Awards. Sunday's paper is chock full of more information, so check it out.

In the meantime, here is an early, exclusive look at this year's final point totals.

NOTE: Points are awarded based on finishes at state-culminating events, and banners are awarded to the winning schools in the three categories at the end of the school year. Ties are broken by the number of state championships (in parenthesis). Schools not listed did not score. x-total points set new overall class record; y-total points set or tied school record.

CLASS 4A
Combined
Gillette (9) 223
Central (6) 210
Natrona County (1) 156
East (1) 124
Kelly Walsh (1) 115
Laramie (2) 108
y-Rock Springs 103
Green River 73
Evanston 62
Sheridan 61
Star Valley 57
Riverton 14
Boys
x-Gillette (6) 139
Central (2) 98
Natrona County 73
Laramie (1) 70
East (1) 58
Rock Springs 55
Kelly Walsh 51
Green River 51
Star Valley 48
Evanston 31
Sheridan 19
Riverton 8
Girls
Central (4) 112
Gillette (3) 84
Natrona County (1) 83
East 66
Kelly Walsh (1) 64
Rock Springs 48
Sheridan 42
Laramie (1) 38
y-Evanston 31
Green River 22
Star Valley 9
Riverton 6

CLASS 3A
Combined
x-Jackson (9) 198
Lander (4) 164
y-Cody (4) 155
Powell (1) 99
Buffalo 91
Douglas 78
Worland 73
Torrington 64
Wheatland (1) 54
Newcastle 51
Kemmerer (1) 45
Lovell 31
Glenrock 30
Pinedale 29
Rawlins 27
Lyman 9
Boys
Lander (4) 101
y-Jackson (3) 89
y-Cody (2) 84
Buffalo 62
Powell (1) 53
Douglas 48
y-Kemmerer (1) 39
Worland 30
y-Wheatland 29
Pinedale 25.5
Newcastle 24
Lovell 19
Torrington 18
Glenrock 18
Lyman 6
Rawlins 4
Girls
x-Jackson (6) 109
y-Cody (2) 71
Lander 63
y-Torrington 46
Powell 46
y-Worland 43
Douglas 30
Buffalo 29
Newcastle 27
Wheatland (1) 25
Rawlins 23
Glenrock 12
Lovell 12
Kemmerer 6
Pinedale 3.5
Lyman 3

CLASS 2A
Combined
Lusk (2) 82
Big Horn (2) 70
Mountain View 67
Sundance 61
Tongue River 59
Thermopolis (1) 55
Guernsey (1) 48
Wyoming Indian (1) 46
Wright (1) 45
Riverside (1) 44
Wind River (1) 37
Lingle (1) 20
Burns 16
Moorcroft 14
Big Piney 11
Pine Bluffs 10
Shoshoni 10
Greybull 5
Boys
Lusk (2) 71
Guernsey (1) 43
y-Wind River (1) 37
Riverside (1) 32
Big Horn 30
Sundance 24
Tongue River 23
Wyoming Indian (1) 23
Thermopolis 20
Wright 20
Mountain View 19
y-Burns 14
Moorcroft 14
Big Piney 10.5
Pine Bluffs 8
Greybull 5
Girls
y-Mountain View 48
Big Horn (2) 40
Sundance 37
Tongue River 36
y-Thermopolis (1) 35
Wright (1) 25
Wyoming Indian 23
Lingle (1) 20
Riverside 12
Lusk 11
Shoshoni 10
Guernsey 5
Burns 2
Pine Bluffs 2
Big Piney 0.5

CLASS 1A
Combined
Cokeville (1) 92
y-Southeast (2) 81
y-Saratoga (1) 78
Burlington (1) 75
y-Hulett (1) 58
Dubois 45
y-Kaycee 31
Arvada-Clearmont 23
y-Meeteetse 20
Encampment (1) 20
Snake River 18
Normative Services 16
Upton 15
Hanna 9
Midwest 7
St. Stephens 6
Ten Sleep 2
Farson 2
Boys
y-Saratoga (1) 54
Cokeville (1) 49
Southeast (1) 47
Burlington 32
y-Dubois 30
y-Meeteetse 20
y-Encampment (1) 20
Hulett 17
Snake River 16
Normative Services 16
Upton 15
Kaycee 8
Hanna 6
Midwest 2
Girls
Burlington (1) 43
Cokeville 43
y-Hulett (1) 41
y-Southeast (1) 34
Saratoga 24
Arvada-Clearmont 23
y-Kaycee 23
Dubois 15
y-St. Stephens 6
y-Midwest 5
Hanna 3
Farson 2
Snake River 2
Ten Sleep 2

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Wyoming's junior-college athletic landscape is shifting.

Central Wyoming added volleyball two years ago and will add basketball this fall.

Start-up Gillette College has already added rodeo, the cross country program hired its first coach and the basketball program could be ready to go as soon as next year.

But even with eight junior colleges with athletic programs,  Wyoming still remains without a junior college football team.

Why?

Well, IMHO, two key factors keep Wyoming without juco football: cost and distance.

Starting a college football program at a D-III or juco level costs at least $300,000, and the annual operating budget for coaches, equipment, water on the field, etc., is close to a $250,000 per year. So that's more than a half-million dollars up front, before the first kickoff. Find me a Wyoming junior college that has that kind of cash sitting around that they can pony up (or better yet, find me a juco that has the ability to convince some oil or coal company to pony up that kind of cash).

But if the cost of starting a program doesn't scare schools away, the cost of maintaining a program will -- especially if anyone at the school can read a map. Wyoming is significantly removed from any other juco football teams (click here for the list). Not only will it be costly for Wyoming teams to travel to away games, it'll cost just as much for those other teams to come to Wyoming -- not exactly the best sales pitch you can give to your future opponents.

Does Wyoming need another college football option? Absolutely. Few of Wyoming's high school seniors have the ability to play at UW (in fact, UW signed only one Wyoming player from the Class of 2008), but a boatload have the ability to play at the juco level. And I'm talking Carnival Cruise boat, not Cuban refugee boat.

But, for now, cash and distance speak louder than need.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

PS -- I'm not sure what the hold-up is. After all, I took the "Casper College Thunderbirds" to the BCS national championship a few years ago playing NCAA Football 2005. If I can do that, surely someone else can do it in real life, right? :)

Since August, I've been privileged enough to watch a good number of high school sporting events. Of the events I was able to watch in person, here are a few that stick out in my mind:

-- 5A football quarterfinals, Evanston at Kelly Walsh: A back-and-forth game that wasn't decided until the final moments. Eventually, Evanston rallied from a two-score deficit in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter to win.

-- 1A volleyball championship game, Hulett vs. Cokeville. Another back-and-forth affair where momentum shifted like the Wyoming wind. Hulett won in five.

-- The entire 2A boys state basketball tournament. Both semifinal games went into overtime; the championship game was close throughout; even the quarterfinals had an OT game. Lots of tight, hard-fought, close, well-played basketball games.

-- 1A boys basketball championship game, Encampment vs. Southeast. There is not much better than winning the state championship at the buzzer -- and there's not much more of a gut punch than losing the state championship at the buzzer.

-- Saturday at state track. Feeling sorry for myself that I'll never again get to see Stephen Michel or Maggie Ochsner or a host of other seniors run track again in high school -- and feeling good that I'll have at least one more year to watch Amber Henry, Emily Moore and a ton of others.

Those are the ones that stick out in my mind. How about yours? Comment below with your favorite high school sports moments from the past nine months.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Saturday is your last chance to catch some high school sports action this year. Take advantage of it.

The track finals start at 9 a.m. in Casper. The Saturday morning session is the showcase of the meet, and if you've never been to it, it's worth your time. Get there early; finding a good seat can be tough.

The soccer championship games start at 10 a.m. in Laramie. For the first time, there will be back-to-back-to-back-to-back championship games in one spot. Find a seat, bring some sunblock and fuel up on concession stand nachos, then watch championship soccer to your heart's content.

Just remember this day when you're sitting there in mid-July waiting for the fall sports to start. And don't make it a "could have been."

If you're going to track, I'll see you there. If you're going to soccer, I'll miss you, so comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Not your friends, not your nose, not your friend's nose. Nope, these picks are for state track and soccer. Here's who I think is going to win.... And I'm more than ready for you to make fun of me if you don't agree.

4A boys soccer: Kelly Walsh. The Trojans have already beaten Laramie in Laramie. That's not easy. If they want to win it all again, they'll probably have to beat Laramie in Laramie again....

4A girls soccer: Laramie. That record is intimidating -- unbeaten and untied since an early loss to Gering, Neb. No other team has proven it has what it takes to beat the Lady Plainsmen thus far. That, coupled with the sort-of home-field advantage, prompts me to put the favorites' tag on Laramie.

3A boys soccer: Cody. Unbeaten so far, the Broncs have risen up to every challenge they've had this year. They've given no reason why they won't come up big again this week.

3A girls soccer: Buffalo. This is probably the most wide-open bracket of them all, and that's what'll make this one fun. Jackson, Worland, Cody and Lander have all proven they belong, but I think it's the Bison's score-at-will ability that puts them on top.

Now, on to track and field, which is where I'll be this week...

4A boys track: Gillette. This meet has developed into a two-team race -- Gillette and Natrona County -- and I know I'll never hear the end of it if the Mustangs win. Either way, I think it'll be really close, and the difference is only a numbers game. Gillette has 38 qualifiers, NC has 31. It'll be those few extra eighth-place finishes that will give the Camels the title, likely in a team race that will come down to the 4x4 relay.

3A boys track: Cody. The Broncs have been the favorite all season, and they have more qualifiers than anyone else. Douglas, Powell and Lander won't go down without a fight, but when the dust settles I envision Cody on top.

2A boys track: Wind River. Thye were the preseason pick of a lot of 2A coaches and now I see why. The Cougars are deep -- 23 qualifers -- and talented. Guernsey and Burns are the only teams that can realistically challenge Wind River, and they will. But I don't think either has the depth to win like the Cougars do.

1A boys track: Saratoga. This one could get really, really fun. Burlington and Dubois have a ton of qualifiers, too, and Cokeville is always strong. Here's what has to happen -- Cokeville has to take away points from Saratoga on the track (after all, Cokeville doesn't have anyone qualified in a single field event). Then Burlington and Dubois have to take points away from Saratoga in the field events. If and only if that happens will anyone have a chance at catching Saratoga. It's possible, sure, but a lot of dominoes will have to fall right for anyone but Saratoga to win it.

4A girls track: Cheyenne Central. Central has 42 individual qualifiers. Second-most is Natrona with 28. That should just about say it all right there.... Central is deep in pretty much every running event, the high jump and the throws. It might be close after the first day or two, but depth is always key at state, and no one has more of it than the Indians.

3A girls track: Cody. Favorites from Day 1, Cody will not just storm into Casper and take the championship by force. Torrington, Douglas, Glenrock, Powell and Jackson all have the type of depth that will make the week frustrating. But, again, no one has more depth than Cody, and that'll carry the Broncs to first place.

2A girls track: Mountain View. This is the one three years in the making -- Mountain View vs. Lingle. Forget everyone else, because this is just a straight-up dual. Every point will be crucial, every event hotly contested. Again, it's that small edge in depth that points toward the Buffalos that prompts me to pick them. But those finals on Saturday sure could sway the final point total back to the Doggers. This one will be fun, really fun, to watch all week.

1A girls track: Ummm... can I just forfeit this pick? Right now, it's too close to call. I'll pick Burlington, mostly for the Huskies' prowess in the field events. But Cokeville has the depth in the running events to make a run at the title, too, and even little-heralded Dubois could rack up enough first-place finishes to stay in the hunt.

OK, there are my picks. Let's hear yours. Then we'll look Saturday night and see how our picks stacked up against each other. Winner gets a cookie.*

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

*-OK, not really. No cookies. Unless you come to Casper and find me at work. We'll go to Subway or something. Cookies on me.

Official brackets will be released sometime between now and Monday, but here are the Star-Tribune's projected state soccer brackets:

State soccer brackets
BOYS
Class 4A
Thursday
Kelly Walsh (1W, 13-1-2) vs. Gillette (4E, 2-12-2), 2 p.m., Field 3
Cheyenne East (2E, 10-4-1) vs. Natrona County (3W, 8-6-2), 2 p.m., UW field
Rock Springs (2W, 8-6-3) vs. Cheyenne Central (3E, 12-4-1), 4:30 p.m., Field 3
Laramie (1E, 12-1-2) vs. Green River (4W, 5-8-4), 4:30 p.m., UW field
Friday
Kelly Walsh-Gillette loser vs. Cheyenne East-Natrona County loser, 2 p.m., Field 1
Rock Springs-Cheyenne Central loser vs. Laramie-Green River loser, 2 p.m., Field 2
Kelly Walsh-Gillette winner vs. Cheyenne East-Natrona County winner, 4:30 p.m., Field 1
Rock Springs-Cheyenne Central winner vs. Laramie-Green River winner, 4:30 p.m., Field 2
Saturday
Consolation championship, 11 a.m., Field 2
Third place, 11 a.m., Field 1
Championship, 4 p.m., Stadium Field

Class 3A
Thursday
Cody (1W, 13-0-1) vs. Newcastle (4E, 1-10-0), 2 p.m., Field 1
Lander (2E, 10-3-1) vs. Worland (3W, 4-5-3), 2 p.m., Field 2
Jackson (2W, 7-4-2) vs. Torrington (3E, 1-12-0), 4:30 p.m., Field 1
Buffalo (1E, 10-1-3) vs. Powell (4W, 2-11-1), 4:30 p.m., Field 2
Friday
Cody-Newcastle loser vs. Lander-Worland loser, 2 p.m., Field 3
Jackson-Torrington loser vs. Buffalo-Powell loser, 2 p.m., UW field
Cody-Newcastle winner vs. Lander-Worland winner, 4:30 p.m., Field 3
Jackson-Torrington winner vs. Buffalo-Powell winner, 4:30 p.m., UW field
Saturday
Consolation championship, 11 a.m., UW field
Third place, 11 a.m., Field 3
Championship, noon, Stadium Field

GIRLS
Class 4A
Thursday
Kelly Walsh (1W, 11-4-1) vs. Cheyenne East (4E, 8-7-1), 9 a.m., Field 3
Cheyenne Central (2E, 9-7-0) vs. Star Valley (3W, 4-10-1), 9 a.m., UW field
Natrona County (2W, 13-2-2) vs. Gillette (3E, 7-8-1), 11:30 a.m., Field 3
Laramie (1E, 13-1-0) vs. Rock Springs (4W, 7-9-1), 11:30 a.m., UW field
Friday
Kelly Walsh-Cheyenne East loser vs. Cheyenne Central-Star Valley loser, 9 a.m., Field 1
Natrona County-Gillette loser vs. Laramie-Rock Springs loser, 9 a.m., Field 2
Kelly Walsh-Cheyenne East winner vs. Cheyenne Central-Star Valley winner, 11:30 a.m., Field 1
Natrona County-Gillette winner vs. Laramie-Rock Springs winner, 11:30 a.m., Field 2
Saturday
Consolation championship, 9 a.m., Field 2
Third place, 9 a.m., Field 1
Championship, 2 p.m., Stadium Field

Class 3A
Thursday
Jackson (1W, 10-2-1) vs. Torrington (4E, 0-14-0), 9 a.m., Field 1
Lander (2E, 8-2-4) vs. Cody (3W, 5-4-5), 9 a.m., Field 2
Worland (2W, 8-4-2) vs. Newcastle (3E, 3-9-0), 11:30 a.m., Field 1
Buffalo (1E, 11-2-2) vs. Powell (4W, 2-11-1), 11:30 a.m., Field 2
Friday
Jackson-Torrington loser vs. Lander-Cody loser, 9 a.m., Field 3
Worland-Newcastle loser vs. Buffalo-Powell loser, 9 a.m., UW field
Jackson-Torrington winner vs. Lander-Cody winner, 11:30 a.m., Field 3
Worland-Newcastle winner vs. Buffalo-Powell winner, 11:30 a.m., UW field
Saturday
Consolation championship, 9 a.m., UW field
Third place, 9 a.m., Field 3
Championship, 10 a.m., Stadium Field

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The rosters for the all-star basketball series got me thinking: What would be your all-time starting five?

That is, what five players from the annals of Wyoming basketball history would you want on the floor for you? There are plenty of greats to choose from, and picking five out of the thousands upon thousands that have played hoops in Wyoming is tough enough. But here's my best efforts. I encourage you to try and do better, because I know I missed some greats.

BOYS: I'm cheating a bit by starting three guards (depending on who you talk to, maybe five guards) and no center, but what the heck -- the Runnin' Smittys don't care -- my five versus your five any time.

Guard: Lew Roney, Laramie. He was a three-time all-stater for the Plainsmen and an all-America pick his senior season. From what I understand, it's not that Roney was the greatest basketball player, it's just that he was so athletic that he was good at most anything he did -- and that included, to a huge extent, basketball.

Guard: Jaycee Carroll, Evanston. Few players have dominated the offensive end the way Carroll did in high school. He averaged close to 40 points per game as a senior, and did so while playing against a load of Class 4A teams trying to stop him. 

Guard: Myron Chavez, Wyoming Indian. The Chiefs' run-and-gun heyday of the mid-1980s went through Chavez. He was the guy that made that team go -- prolific scorer and pesky 94-foot defender.

Forward: James Johnson, Cheyenne East. Give it time, and Johnson may be the best basketball product to come from the Equality State. He was probably good enough to play pro ball in Europe during his senior season (granted, the age difference helped, but so what) and has only continued to improve at Wake Forest.

Forward: Stan Dodds, Green River. I defer to my pops on this one. He says Dodds was one of the best he ever saw -- and he spent plenty of time watching Wyoming basketball. Dodds is still Green River's all-time leading scorer, and from what I understand, he could hurt you from anywhere if you let him.

GIRLS: Again, a three-guard lineup. We'll run you out of the gym.

Guard: Mila Rogers, Sheridan. When Rogers (now Mila Stender) was inducted into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame last year, Tim Ray introduced her. That night, Ray was on a roll.... And how he described the way Rogers changed the girls' game in Wyoming was incredibly impressive.

Guard: Tahnee Robinson, Lander. She could do everything well -- shoot, pass, defend, dribble, block shots, full-court press, rebound -- and she did so with a tenacity and maturity seldom seen at a high-school level.

Guard: Molly Marso, Gillette. She may not be one of the best five ever, but don't ever doubt her winning ways -- four state championships and four all-state selections in four years. That's someone I'd want on my team.

Forward: Kelsey Wicks, Gillette. Is "unstoppable" too strong a word? In Wicks' case, probably not. She was a great all-around athlete and a heck of a basketball player.

Center: Kristen Newlin, Riverton. She is the only two-time Gatorade state player of the year. She started at Stanford and is the only Wyoming product ever drafted by the WNBA. Yeah, she's pretty good.

Thoughts? Critiques? Comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's Five on the Rise is a little bit different. This week, we're highlighting five track and field athletes who've made big strides (or leaps or throws or whatever) in the week before regionals, including some you probably know and some you might not:

1. Kevin Brough, Star Valley: At the BYU Invitational in Provo, Brough ran the first sub-50-second 400 meters by anyone in Wyoming this season. Barely. His time of 49.96 seconds was good enough for sixth place in a stacked field.

2. Nicole Peterson, Rock Springs: Speaking of the BYU Invitational, it was there that Peterson ran a time of 11:19.44 in the 3200, in the process shaving 24 seconds off the best 4A time so far this season. Read that again -- 24 full seconds off the previous best time. That's impressive. Also tied for the No. 2 spot are Mountain View's Amber Henry and Cokeville's Celinda Teichert, and for the same reason. Running in the small-school division at Provo, Henry ran a time of 12:44.39, more than 16 seconds off the previous best in Class 2A, while Teichert's time of 12:12.50 chopped almost eight seconds off the previous best in 1A.

3. Taylor Johnson, Lusk: After an early high jump of 6 feet, 4 inches, Johnson plateued this year. That is, until Saturday's SEWAC meet, where Johnson cleared 6-5 1/4. No one else in 2A has cleared anything higher than 5-11 so far this year.

4. Carson Hessenthaler, Lovell, and Kenny Smith, Powell: Racing against each other at the Lovell Invitational, Hessenthaler and Smith set the stage for both the 3A West Regional meet and the 3A state meet in the sprints. In the 100, Hessenthaler's time of 10.87 seconds (a time that'd be good enough to tie the 3A state meet record) barely nosed out Smith's 11.08, the second-best mark in 3A behind Hessenthaler this year. In the 200, Hessenthaler won again with a time of 22.43 seconds, well off his season best of 21.74 but just ahead of Smith at 22.52 -- again, the second-best time in 3A this year behind Hessenthaler.

5. Beth Bappe, Wind River: Bappe's fourth-place finish in the triple jump at the Shane Brock Invitational in Lander might not look like all that much on first glance. But the jump that got her there -- 33 feet, 0.75 inches -- was the best jump in 2A thus far this year. It was the first time a 2A girl cleared the 33-foot barrier, and it's a good sign for her heading into regionals.

There they are, five athletes to watch for at regionals and beyond. Of course, they're not the only ones. Who else had a fantastic first weekend in May? Post your thoughts below via the cool comment feature.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Yes, there are still a few games remaining in the regular season. But the 4A East and West regional soccer tournaments are close to being set.

Here are the projected brackets as we have them:

BOYS
4A East
At Gillette, South Campus
Thursday
(3) Cheyenne Central or Cheyenne East vs. (6) Sheridan, 3 p.m.
(4) Riverton vs. (5) Gillette, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
(2) Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East or Laramie vs. (3-6) winner, 3 p.m.
(1) Cheyenne Central or Laramie vs. Riverton-Gillette winner, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 11 a.m.
Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.

4A West
At Evanston
Thursday
(4) Green River vs. (5) Evanston, 3 p.m.
(3) Rock Springs vs. (6) Star Valley, 5 p.m.
Friday
(1) Kelly Walsh vs Green River-Evanston winner, 3 p.m.
(2) Natrona County vs. Rock Springs-Star Valley winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 11 a.m.
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

GIRLS
4A East
At Cheyenne East
Thursday
(3) Cheyenne East vs. (6) Sheridan, 3 p.m.
(4) Riverton vs. (5) Gillette, 5 p.m.
Friday
(2) Cheyenne Central vs. Cheyenne East-Sheridan winner, 3 p.m.
(1) Laramie vs. Gillette-Riverton winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 10 a.m.
Semifinal winners, noon

4A West
At Rock Springs, Crossroads Complex
Thursday
(3) Rock Springs vs. (6) Evanston or Star Valley, 3 p.m.
(4) Green River vs. (5) Evanston or Star Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
(2) Natrona County vs. Rock Springs-Evanston/Star Valley winner, 10 a.m.
(1) Kelly Walsh vs. Green River-Evanston/Star Valley winner, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 10 a.m.
Semifinal winners, 12:30 p.m.

Right now, there are three games remaining in the regular season for 4A teams, and they're all scheduled for Monday. The first is Buffalo at Natrona County girls, which obviously won't affect conference seeding. The second is Cheyenne East-Gillette girls (they're playing at the North Casper Soccer Complex in, duh, Casper), which won't affect seeding either despite being a 4A East game. No matter what, East is locked in as the three seed, and Gillette is locked in as the five seed in that conference.

The third and final game is the Central-Laramie boys game in Laramie. This one has huge implications for the top three spots in the 4A East. If Laramie wins, the top three seeds will go Laramie-East-Central. If Central wins, the top three seeds will go Central-Laramie-East. If they tie, Laramie would earn the top seed and Central and East would tie for the second spot. That's where it gets fun.... If this happens, they'd have to go down to the fourth tiebreaking criteria, which is goals allowed in conference play. Central has given up 11 so far, East has given up 13. So if Central and Laramie tie 0-0 or 1-1, Central is the second seed, East is third. If Central and Laramie tie 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, etc., then East is second and Central is third. If Central and Laramie tie 2-2, then East and Central have to flip a coin to see who gets the second seed and who gets the third seed.

What can I say? You're welcome. Aren't you glad I went and figured all that out?

Oh, and the only other thing we're not sure about is the seeding for the fifth and sixth spots in the 4A West girls. We haven't heard a score from Friday's Rock Springs-Star Valley game in Rock Springs, and that's key because Star Valley is in limbo right now for that 5-6 spot. If you happen to know that final score, e-mail me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com or post the score in a comment below.

Whew. I'm going on break.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Snow will postpone the Casper Cup to Saturday, and it will also move the games to Natrona. The annual games between Kelly Walsh and Natrona County will be played Saturday at Cheney Alumni Field, with the girls starting at 1 p.m. and the boys at 3 p.m.

Update, 1:52 p.m.: Three Friday track meets have been canceled due to weather -- the Bulldog-Bobcat Invitational in Newcastle, the Thermopolis Pre-Regional meet and the Wiseman Invitational in Torrington.

Update, 2:45 p.m.: The Sheridan-Gillette boys soccer game, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Saturday. The game will be played in Gillette. ... The Laramie-Cheyenne Central boys soccer game has been postponed to Monday. The game will be played at 5 p.m. in Laramie. ... Today's soccer games between Buffalo and Gillette were canceled. School was canceled in both places.

Update, 4:37 p.m.: The Snake River Invitational track meet in Baggs scheduled for today has been canceled.

Update, 5:12 p.m.: The Camel Qualifer track meet in Gillette scheduled for today has been canceled.

Update, 7:08 p.m.: The end of the 4A East Conference soccer season will see some schedule shuffling. The Riverton-Cheyenne East soccer games, originally scheduled for today, will be played Saturday, with the girls at 4 p.m. and the boys at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, the East boys will move their regularly scheduled game Saturday with Laramie to 9 a.m. That game will be played in the Indoor Practice Facility at UW.
Riverton will also play Cheyenne Central on Saturday, with both the boys and girls playing in Cheyenne. The girls game will be at 10 a.m. and the boys at noon.
Additionally, the Laramie-Cheyenne Central boys soccer game has been postponed to Monday. The game will be played at 5 p.m. in Laramie.

If you know of any more postponements or cancellations, e-mail me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's trio is focused -- and with good reason. For everything but 3A soccer, this is the last weekend before regionals. So here it is:

Soccer: Casper Cup. It's a two-fer in the Trio this week. KW vs. NC. In Casper, it doesn't matter if it's football, soccer, meat judging or tic-tac-toe, this rivalry helps bring out the best in all involved. The NC boys need a win here to wrap up an automatic bid to state, while the winner of the girls' game wins the 4A West Conference.

Boys soccer: Cheyenne East at Laramie, Saturday. Speaking of fun atop conferences, how about that 4A East boys race? Laramie has 20 points, East has 19 and Central has 18. Laramie and Central were scheduled to play on Thursday (haven't heard a final as of late Thursday night), but this game Saturday could be for more than just a conference title -- an automatic berth at state could be on the line, too.

Track: Shane Brock Invitational, Lander, Saturday. There are like 875 teams coming to this (OK, not really, but there are a bunch). It's one of the biggest meets in the state on the last week of the regular season, and it's important as athletes gear up for regionals and state.

There's the trio. Make it the quad or the quint or the whatever by adding your most anticipated event with a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Wyoming's rosters for the Wyoming-Montana and Wyoming-South Dakota all-star basketball series:

Girls
Chelsey Lybeck, Cheyenne Central; Kristen Scheffler, Lovell; Kelsey Scott, Douglas; Kada Williams, Green River; Amanda Willmore, Rock Springs; Laura Quist, Sheridan; Dani White, Lander; Jannel Scheuerman, Worland; Kendahl Avery, Laramie; Erika Stender, Sheridan.

Boys
Justin Nelson, Gillette; Jason Moyte, Cheyenne Central; Gayland Thaxton, Laramie; Rob Johnson, Tongue River; Jerad Anderson, Buffalo; Leithaniel Peahrora, Wind River; Austin Kofoed, Evanston; Cody Emrick, Sundance; Ryan Hutchinson, Gillette; Brandon Allen, Rock Springs.

See Friday's Star-Tribune for more.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com