Where to begin? Where to begin? ... I don't know. This year's state cross country championships were full of so many amazing performances....

Glenrock's Brooke Hughes did what few others before here have been able to do -- she started and finished her cross country career as a state champion. She won the 3A state meet as a freshman, then finished second as a sophomore and third as a junior. Clearly the urgency of a senior-year finish was motivating her this time around. And she added a second state championship to prove her abilities.

And who is Jordan Wohlleber? Well, looking back on it, her sudden jump to 2A state champion wasn't so sudden. She won the Class A South Dakota state championship at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte as a freshman and as a sophomore, so the Hulett-Sundance junior had plenty of running experience. Her name just wasn't that well known in Wyoming. It is now.

The 4A race wasn't as close as last year's, but the extra rush of trying to put away last year's second-place finish was enough for Rock Springs' Nicole Peterson to not only win, but to set a state meet record in the process. The record was only four years old, but Peterson's run set the standard to which every other runner will now be measured.

Gillette's Dominick Robinson did exactly what everyone expected: He won the state championship. Again. Robinson winning distance races is now the expectation, not the rule. After all, he won back-to-back XC championships -- the first 4A runner since Gillette's Tony Bachmann in 2000-01 to win back-to-back -- and swept the three longest races and a key leg of the longest relay at the state track meet last year. That expectation, though, came only after a ton of hard work, a ton of miles in practice and a ton of resolve to be the best.

Speaking of repeats, Wyoming Indian's Caleb Her Many Horses won another state championship -- and he could join some rare company next year if he goes on to win his third in a row. Only four other runners (Lander's Matt Heller, Wright's Brett Schuler, Torrington's Rob Marney and Snake River's Trevor Kaisler) have won three straight individual titles since 1973.

In the most wide-open race of them all, Jackson's Andy Phillips was crowned the 3A boys champion. No runner was truly the favorite to win, as any one of a number of runners could have taken control. Phillips was the one who did, and he's the state champion because of it.

Certainly, the individual champions always stick out at state. Did anything else catch your eye up in Sheridan last week? Let me know and make a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here is this week's Trio, trying to look as good as possible as we head into the final stages of the fall season.

VOLLEYBALL: Volleybowl. The annual rivalry game between Natrona County and Kelly Walsh always takes on a little extra meaning in the volleyball version, simply because both teams are usually pretty good. That's the case again this year, as the Trojans' only West Conference loss has come courtesy of the unbeaten-in-league-play Fillies.

GIRLS SWIMMING: 4A North Regional, Riverton. I just want to see by how much Gillette wins. The Camels look unstoppable this year, but the scary part is they look unstoppable for about three or four more years to come, too.

CROSS COUNTRY: 4A East Regional, Cheyenne. Given how often Wyoming teams leave the state for their cross country fix, regional meets are the best -- and sometimes, the only -- gauge for possible state meet success. With all the teams in Wyoming scheduled to stay in Wyoming the next two weeks, the best teams and individuals will undisputedly be sorted out. The most intrigue rests in Cheyenne, though, where any of the half-dozen teams in attendance could come out on top.

There are three events I'm watching closely this weekend. How about you? What's got your attention? Post a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

KW MOVES UP TODAY'S VOLLEYBALL TIME: Saturday's Kelly Walsh volleyball game times against Star Valley have been moved up. Games will start at 9 a.m. with the varsity game scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. start. 

KW, NC SKIP GILLETTE: The Natrona County and Kelly Walsh girls swimming teams will not be traveling to Gillette on Saturday to participate in the Gillette Invitational.

RIVERTON CANCELS XC: The Berry Bryant/Kyle Johnson Invitational cross country meet on Friday in Riverton was canceled.

If you know of any more postponements or cancellations, please e-mail sports@trib.com

This week's list, in no particular order:

1. Gillette boys tennis: The Camels won their third straight tennis title, playing off the strength of a sweep of all three doubles championships to claim another trophy.

2. Jackson girls tennis: While we're at it, the Jackson girls won the key matches they needed to win and secured their first state girls tennis championship in a decade.

3. Meeteetse football: Check out the Longhorns -- they got a huge conference victory last week and improved to 2-2 in conference play. Three more huge games await...

4. Gillette cross country: One more quick nod to the Camels and, specifically, Dominick Robinson. The senior set a new course record at the Centerra Invitational in Loveland, breaking the 16-minute mark to help the Camels finish fourth in a huge field.

5. Burlington football: The Huskies were creeping up on everyone in 1A -- and then they quit with the creeping and just marched right on in. Beating defending 2A champion Riverside 19-13 last week helped put the Huskies among 1A's short list of favorites with a big home game against Cokeville looming on Friday.

There's my five. Add to the list if you'd like by commenting below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's trio is a little conspiracy, a little cross-section and a little conference action -- and I think the 'c' button is now broken... :

GOLF: 3A conference meets, Lander and Lovell. The 3A teams have their conference meets in the fall; the 4As have them in the spring... which makes this weekend even more key for the 3A teams, not only for state placing but for all-conference honors, too.

CROSS COUNTRY: Michelle Ludwig Invitational, Saturday, Sheridan. The meet is a good cross-section of small and big schools from both sides of the Bighorns. With 11 in-state schools scheduled to go, it's the biggest in-state meet of the weekend, too.

VOLLEYBALL: Look out! The L Conspiracy is back! Tournaments this weekend are scheduled for Laramie, Lingle, Lusk AND Lyman. All four look fun. And all four kind of blend together into one sort of big L-type tournament on a weekend like this.

If you're in Casper on Thursday, don't forget about the first regular-season Kelly Walsh-Natrona County volleyball match, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at NCHS.

Where are you going this weekend? Post a comment and fill us in on where your hot spots are this week.  

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's Five, in NPO:

1. Rawlins volleyball: In the biggest 3A tournament outside of state, the Outlaws won their own tournament, losing only one set along the way. And that was in pool play -- Rawlins swept everything on Saturday in the Gold bracket.

2. Jackson girls swimming: The Broncs did the double-dip this weekend, winning both the Pinedale Invitational and the Kemmerer Invitational. So how about it: Lander and Jackson are again alone at the top in 3A? Can anyone push either of these teams?

3. Sheridan girls cross country: Lela Carpenter won and Dana Morin finished third to pace the Broncs to a team championship at the talent-rich Wayne Chaney Memorial in Gillette on Friday.

4. Lingle football: The Doggers are playing Norman Dale-style football: "They can't win if they don't score." The Doggers pitched their second straight shutout and improved to 2-0 this season, even though they've only scored 14 points combined.

5. Cokeville football: Speaking of shutouts, the Panthers notched their second straight zero of the season, too, by beating the Evanston JV. Cokeville's total points scored through two games is a bit more impressive -- 77.

There they are. Add yours by making a comment below.

Before we get too deep into the possible new conference alignments facing the scrutiny of the Wyoming High School Activities Association this fall, we need to set the ground rules of what's up for vote. The WHSAA's first quarterly meeting, scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Casper, will have great sway in how the conferences and classifications are organized for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

It's easiest to examine the proposals if we look at football as separate from everything else. And here's how everything else breaks down:

One proposal before the WHSAA is the so-called "natural breaks" proposal, one that would allow the WHSAA to put as many as 14 teams into Class 4A. Using enrollment numbers provided to them earlier this fall, the WHSAA executive staff has already set those "natural breaks" so schools will know where they would go if this proposal passes.

Here are how the conferences would break down IF this proposal passes (for basketball, track and volleyball, and to a certain extent for wrestling):

4A West: Cody, Evanston, Green River, Jackson, Riverton, Rock Springs, Star Valley.
4A East: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Natrona County, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie, Sheridan.
3A West: Lander, Lovell, Powell, Worland, Kemmerer, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale.
3A East: Buffalo, Glenrock, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland.
2A Northwest: Greybull, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni.
2A Northeast: Big Horn, Moorcroft, Sundance, Tongue River, Wright.
2A Southwest: Big Piney, Saratoga, Wind River, Wyoming Indian.
2A Southeast: Burns, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast.
1A Northwest: Burlington, Dubois, Fort Washakie, Meeteetse, St. Stephens, Ten Sleep.
1A Northeast: Arvada-Clearmont, Hulett, Kaycee, Normative Services, Upton.
1A Southwest: Arapaho Charter, Cokeville, Encampment, Farson, Hanna, Snake River.
1A Southeast: Chugwater, Glendo, Guernsey, Midwest, Rock River.

If the proposal DOES NOT pass, and the WHSAA goes back to using its current classification system (12-16-20-rest), here's how the conferences would break down:

4A West: Natrona County, Evanston, Green River, Riverton, Rock Springs, Star Valley.
4A East: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie, Sheridan.
3A West: Cody, Lander, Powell, Worland, Jackson, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale.
3A East: Buffalo, Glenrock, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland.
2A Northwest: Greybull, Lovell, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni.
2A Northeast: Big Horn, Moorcroft, Sundance, Tongue River, Wright.
2A Southwest: Big Piney, Kemmerer, Saratoga, Wind River, Wyoming Indian.
2A Southeast: Burns, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast.
1A Northwest: Burlington, Dubois, Fort Washakie, Meeteetse, St. Stephens, Ten Sleep.
1A Northeast: Arvada-Clearmont, Hulett, Kaycee, Normative Services, Upton.
1A Southwest: Arapaho Charter, Cokeville, Encampment, Farson, Hanna, Snake River.
1A Southeast: Chugwater, Glendo, Guernsey, Midwest, Rock River.

It's important to note several things at this point. First, conference alignments are still flexible, and there could still be changes in the make-up of the conferences even if the "natural breaks" proposal passes or fails. This is most likely to happen at the 1A level, specifically with Midwest rejoining the Northeast or Arapaho Charter rejoining the 1A Northwest or swapping spots with Fort Washakie in the Southwest.

But it could also happen in Class 4A, especially if the "natural breaks" proposal does not pass. The current Class 4A ADs got together in Casper last week and hammered out the alignment shown above in the example where the "natural breaks" proposal doesn't pass. You'll note that the Casper schools are split -- Natrona in the West, Kelly Walsh in the East -- and that Riverton has moved into the West. As I understand it, the ADs suggested this alignment by a vote of 11-1.

Schools' classifications will be determined by the vote on the "natural breaks" proposal, and classification can't change once it's set except for by special vote by the WHSAA board. But, as I said before, though, conference alignment is still fluid and will continue to be fluid right up until the final vote in November.

And we haven't even touched soccer. In each case, no matter what, soccer will stay at 12 teams in Class 4A, with Natrona, Evanston, Green River, Riverton, Rock Springs and Star Valley in the West and Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie and Sheridan in the East.

Now, take a breath....

Whew.

On to football... and another proposal. This one is for the reorganization of the football classifications, the big crux of which is reducing Class 5A to 10 teams and adding a division of six-man football.

Here is how the football conferences would shake out IF the proposal passes:

Class 4A: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Natrona County, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Evanston, Green River, Laramie, Rock Springs, Sheridan.
3A West: Cody, Jackson, Lander, Powell, Star Valley, Worland.
3A East: Buffalo, Douglas, Rawlins, Riverton, Torrington, Wheatland.
2A West: Big Piney, Greybull, Kemmerer, Lovell, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale, Wyoming Indian.
2A East: Burns, Big Horn, Glenrock, Moorcroft, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Tongue River, Wright.
1A 11-man West: Burlington, Cokeville, Dubois, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Saratoga, Shoshoni, Wind River.
1A 11-man East: Hulett, Lingle, Lusk, Normative Services, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Sundance, Upton.
1A six-man: Fort Washakie, Guernsey, Hanna, Kaycee, Snake River, Meeteetse, Midwest, Rock River, Ten Sleep.

You'll note that there are no conferences for 4A or 1A-six-man. In both cases, there will only be one conference, with a round-robin schedule set up for both divisions. Class 4A teams will play each other each once, including a full-on regular season game scheduled for Zero Week, for a nine-game regular season. Each game will be a "conference" game -- there will be no non-conference games -- and the top eight teams from that "conference" will be seeded 1-8 in the playoff bracket.

For six-man, each team will play every other once -- nine teams, making for an eight-game regular season -- and the top four teams will advance to the playoffs.

As for 2A and 1A-11, you'll note that the conferences themselves are much bigger now. Therefore, the conference season will take up the bulk of the schedule -- seven of the eight games for each team will be conference games.

If the proposal DOES NOT pass, here is how the classes/conferences would be made up:

5A East: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie, Sheridan.
5A West: Natrona County, Evanston, Green River, Rock Springs, Star Valley.
4A West: Cody, Jackson, Lander, Powell, Riverton, Worland.
4A East: Buffalo, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland.
3A West: Big Piney, Kemmerer, Lovell, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale.
3A East: Burns, Glenrock, Moorcroft, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Wright.
2A West: Greybull, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni, Wind River, Wyoming Indian.
2A East: Big Horn, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Sundance, Tongue River.
1A West: Burlington, Cokeville, Dubois, Hanna, Saratoga.
1A East: Guernsey, Hulett, Midwest, Normative Services, Southeast, Upton.

Once again, it's important to note in both cases, conference alignment can be fluid but, usually, classification is not. The only hiccup I see here is with Saratoga football, which usually co-ops with Encampment, which might cause them to move up a classification in the second case.

And it's interesting to see here that if the six-man/10 in 4A proposal doesn't pass, Casper's two teams could again be split up, aided by Star Valley's jump into 5A and Riverton's fall to 4A.

It's a lot to process. I'm still trying to do just that.... And now, you have some time to do so, too.

The first of the four district meetings was today; those will continue through next week. Then, on Sept. 30, the WHSAA board will gather in Casper, make some votes and help clear up a lot of the "what-ifs" facing them this month.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The Trio this week is a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll -- and all awesome.

VOLLEYBALL: Rawlins Invitational, Friday and Saturday. It's just like the 3A state tournament, only with 15 of the 3A teams instead of eight. Of course, it was 2A Mountain View that won the tournament last year. Oh, sweet irony! Anyway, this year's edition of the tournament should be a great gauge for the rest of the season.

GOLF: Wright Invitational, Friday and Saturday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there might be some better golf played at some other tournaments in the state this weekend. But this tournament -- with Big Horn, Lusk, Moorcroft, Tongue River and Wright, at last check, all ready to attend -- is almost like a mini-preview of the 2A state meet. And that makes it incredibly intriguing.

CROSS COUNTRY: Cody Invitational, Friday. Call it the Bighorn Basin championships... all the BHB schools (plus Lander and Fort Washakie) are scheduled to attend.

That's it for now. Check back later today for an update on the WHSAA's reclassification proposals, which got underway today with the first of four district meetings.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Without going into too much detail, this has been one of the longest, weirdest days of my life. That said, you've been waiting all week for the Sports Goulash Trio, and here it is, hot off the sidewalk:

VOLLEYBALL: Camel Invitational, Friday and Saturday, Gillette. This is one of the premiere tournaments in the state, and it's all due to the field. Right now, I've got nine of the 12 Class 4A teams scheduled to attend the tournament, plus last year's 3A runner-up, Rawlins, plus last year's 2A champ, Big Horn. The field is always stacked in Gillette, and that makes it fun to see who's already on top of their game and who has a ways to go.

CROSS COUNTRY: Rawlins Invitational, Friday. There will be 15 Wyoming teams heading down Carbon County way, and the eclectic mix of small schools and big schools should make for some interesting races.

GOLF: McDonald's Invitational, Kingsport, Tenn., Saturday through Monday. The Cheyenne Central boys were the only team to earn a spot at the prestigious invitation-only tournament in Tennessee. Congratulations, Indians -- the invitation alone says a lot about the caliber of program that has been built in the Capital City.

'Tis it for now. More tomorrow. I'm going to go home and rest until my eyes stop spinning.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The world-famous (or at least Wyoming-famous) Sports Goulash Trio is back this fall with three events that are likely going to be the ones everyone will be talking about on Monday:

CROSS COUNTRY: Laramie Invitational, Friday. This is where three of last year's six state individual champions are slated to run, including both of last year's Class 4A champs. Talk about a great way to gauge summer improvement... not only for the defending individual champs, but for everyone else, to see how they stack up.

VOLLEYBALL: Cheyenne Invitational, Friday and Saturday. This weekend is so much fun -- most of the state's teams are partaking in tournaments this weekend, so it's a great way to play a lot of volleyball and see exactly what needs work. But more than that, this is Kelly Walsh vs. Natrona County, version 2008, Round 1. Even though it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of the season, it'd still be fun to watch it (and don't forget the other four teams there.... improved East, perennially tough Central and one of the 3A favorites, Rawlins).

TENNIS: Kelly Walsh/Natrona County at Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne East, double dual, Saturday. Oil City vs. Capital City -- it's always a great way for all four teams to figure out where they stand early in the season.

There they are, this week's trio. Where are you headed this weekend? Leave a comment below and tell the universe.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

... Where are you going? Do you have some room for me?

Tomorrow is Thursday. A big Thursday. The start of fall sports big.

Golf tournaments in Riverton, Sheridan and Wheatland mark the start of competition. As usual, golf hogs the early sports spotlight, simply because it's the only sport allowed to have competitions the first week and a half.

Next week is when stuff gets truly busy -- cross country and tennis start next Thursday, then volleyball, swimming and football join the fun next Friday.

We'll be running our fall sports previews for all sports starting next Friday (Aug. 29), with class-by-class football previews starting the following day.

Coaches have begun to send me their fall sports preview information. Reading through those in and of itself is enough to spark my excitement. It's a fun time of year...

Is there any event in particular you've been keeping your eye on this summer? I have a few that have already piqued my interest: Gillette Invitational and Rawlins Invitational volleyball, anything tennis in Rawlins (but that's a whole other blog post), Riverside at Big Horn in Week 2 of football season, Casper Invite cross country to kick off the season.... How about you? Any "can't miss" events this fall?

Now for something completely different:

HEY COACHES! Be sure to send me your fall sports preview information if you haven't done so already. Call me at (307) 266-0615 or (800) 791-5002 or e-mail me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com if you have questions.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Of the WHSAA's 12 boys and 12 girls sanctioned sports, each one has had its dynasties.

Sooner or later, all dynasties eventually fade. Some last longer than others, and they're all worthy of recognition.

But in which sport is it hardest to build and maintain a multi-year dynasty?

Is it a mainstream team sport like football, basketball or soccer, where seasons are often defined by how teams play in a three-game loser-out tournament?

Or is it tougher in a sport like golf, where one bad day for a team meber -- or one outstanding day -- might mean the difference between first and fifth?

Or is it in a sport like wrestling or tennis, where individual efforts are paramount and team success -- and therefore the construction of a dynasty -- simply a byproduct?

For argument's sake, here are the the longest and second-longest state championship streaks in WHSAA-sponsored sports (excluding indoor track, which is brand new, and alpine skiing, where our archives only go back to 1993):

Boys
Football: Cokeville, 6 (1986-91), and Worland, 5 (1952-56)
Cross country: Gillette, 7 (1988-94) and 6 (1998-2003), and Wright, 5 (1998-02) and Encampment, 5 (1973-77)
Tennis: Cheyenne Central, 8 (1986-93), and Natrona County, 3 (1977-79) and Jackson, 3 (2000-02)
Golf: Cheyenne Central, 4 (2004-07) and Douglas, 4 (1981-84)
Basketball: Gillette, 6 (1992-97), and Cheyenne Central, 4 (1942-45) and La Grange, 4 (1958-61)
Wrestling: Star Valley, 7 (1992-98), and Cody, 6 (1947-52) and Gillette, 6 (2003-08)
Swimming: Lander, 12 (1997-08), and Green River, 4 (1974-77), Laramie, 4 (1976-79 and 1985-88) and Gillette, 4 (1993-96)
Nordic skiing (since 1982): Jackson, 5 (1989-93 and 2004-08), and Natrona County, 4 (1996-99)
Track (since 1974): Torrington, 6 (1974-79) and Gillette, 6 (2001-06)
Soccer: Cheyenne East, 4 (1986-89), and Kelly Walsh, 2 (2002-03) and Cheyenne Central, 2 (1990-91)

Girls
Volleyball: Cokeville, 9 (1985-93) and 7 (1995-01), and Pine Bluffs, 5 (1978-82)
Cross country: Gillette, 12 (1995-06), and Douglas, 5 (2001-05)
Swimming: Gillette, 6 (1994-99), Laramie, 6 (1972-77) and Douglas, 6 (1978-83)
Tennis: Cheyenne Central, 7 (1981-87), and Sheridan, 4 (1990-93)
Golf: Lusk, 6 (2001-06), and Gillette, 4 (2000-03) and Natrona County, 4 (1991-94)
Basketball: Gillette, 5 (1994-98), and Gillette, 4 (2001-04) and Star Valley, 4 (1986-89)
Nordic skiing (since 1982): Lander, 6 (1993-98), and Natrona County, 4 (1989-92)
Gymnastics: Gillette, 7 (1999-05), and Laramie, 6 (1979-84)
Track: Ten Sleep, 6 (1981-86), and Worland, 5 (1993-97)
Soccer: Cheyenne East, 3 (1986-89) and Natrona County, 3 (1989-91)

What do you think? Looks like soccer might have the early edge...

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com