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

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

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.

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

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

This week's newest installment of the five teams that had a taste of success last week, and how I prove it's not a coincidence:

1. Worland girls soccer: Quietly, the Warriors have put together a solid streak. They haven't lost in almost a month and are 5-0-1 in their past six games. Worland won a pair of road games last week -- 4-1 over Newcastle and 9-1 over Torrington -- but the critical stretch is coming next. Worland's last three games of the regular season are all 3A West games.

2. Cheyenne boys soccer: Combined, the boys from East and Central won their four road games last week by a combined four goals. Central had identical 3-2 victories over Sheridan and Gillette, while East beat Sheridan 2-1 and Gillette 1-0. Ever so stealthily, these two have creeped up on conference leader Laramie (Laramie has 20 points, East 19 and Central 18), and guess who Laramie plays this week? East on Thursday, Central on Saturday. The term "big week" is an understatement.

3. Natrona County track: When is the last time a single team swept the top four spots in the throwing events at the Wyoming Track and Field Classic? I'm asking because I don't know. But NC did just that on Monday, as Carson Rowley and Baillie Gibson swept the top spots in the shot and disc.

4. Lander track: The Tigers swept the team titles at the rescheduled Bobcat Invitational in Thermopolis on Monday. Thirteen event titles -- including all three girls relay races -- helped Lander break out the brooms. With their own meet coming up this weekend, Lander has set the standard.

5. Gillette wrestling: Yes, it's not wrestling season. But now is when champions are made. Tyler Cox, for example. He won his weight bracket at the FILA Junior Greco-Roman Nationals. Now he's the top seed for the FILA Junior World team. What's more is that his teammate, Tyler Juby, finished seventh in his Greco-Roman bracket. It's no wonder team titles always seem to find their way up Highway 59.

This week's five. Discuss or add to it with a comment.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The Wyoming Track and Field Classic, originally scheduled for today in Casper, has been postponed to Monday. The meet will start at 4 p.m.

Saturday's Casper Invitational has been canceled.

Also, today's Bobcat Invitational in Thermopolis has been moved to Monday. It'll start at 10 a.m.

Update, 4:12 p.m.: Worland has canceled its boys soccer games this weekend against Newcastle and Torrington due to weather and field conditions.

If you know of any more postponements or cancellations, give me a shout.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

After a week off, the Trio is back and better than ever. This week's trio is pretty intense, pointing out three events you shouldn't miss:

Boys soccer: Buffalo at Cody, Friday. The first time these two teams played each other this season was in the Worland Jamboree, and they played to a 1-1 tie. That's the only non-victory for the Broncs in their 8-0-1 season. Buffalo's had similar success, piling up a record of 7-0-3. It should be no surprise that these two teams are the top two ranked teams in Class 3A..... Ramble, ramble, ramble, ramble. I could go on and on. But I'll stop here with this: It's the biggest 3A boys soccer game so far this year.

Girls soccer: Riverton at Laramie, Saturday. Can you believe that Laramie has already secured at least a tie for first in the 4A East? Me neither. With two weeks to go in the regular season, the Lady Plainsmen can do no worse than tie for the top spot in the conference. But Laramie would rather not worry about tiebreakers. A win or tie on Saturday would give Laramie the outright conference title and the top seed at regionals.

Track and field: This one's easy. Wyoming Track and Field Classic, Friday, Casper. The 10 best competitors in each event (top eight in sprints and hurdles) all on one track, competing together regardless of classification. It's a pretty awesome setup, and for the track junkies and casual fans alike it's a can't-miss event.

There are the ones that have me excited. Where are you headed this weekend? Post a comment below and let the world know.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's list of the fab five, the teams that caught my attention and should be catching yours, too, if you know what's good for you...

1. Lingle girls track: The Doggers placed third at the Scottsbluff (Neb.) Twilight Invitational. That doesn't sound like much, but consider this: Lingle (school population of about 100) beat the likes of Kelly Walsh, Torrington, both Cheyenne schools, Alliance and Gering, Neb., and Sterling, Colo. -- all of which are at least five times the size of Lingle, if not more. The Doggers' Candace Wollert won the 400 and 800 and the 400 relay team won as well.

(Oh, and by the way, I couldn't help but smile when I saw the results of the girls' 100 hurdles final from Scottsbluff. KW's Jordan Merback was first at 14.53 seconds, while Lingle's Maggie Ochsner was second at 14.57. If you've followed Wyoming track and field, even casually, over the past three years, you know what kind of race this was.... For me, though, it was still a little bit disappointing, too, to see these times, because... well... after I saw those times, I really wanted to have been there there to SEE that race. Wow. As far as I know, they'll meet again on Friday at the Wyoming Track and Field Classic in Casper.)

2. Laramie boys track: While we're at it, let's recognize the Plainsmen, who came up half a point short in Scottsbluff to the hosts. Stephen Michel scored 40 of Laramie's 95 points, winning the 100, 200, long jump and triple jump, but he got quite a bit of help from his teammates. Ryan Ivy proved he can jump and run at the same time, winning the 300 hurdles while finishing third in the 110 hurdles, while Alex Walker, Alex Bradfield and Morgan Asay all added top-six finishes.

3. Rock Springs boys soccer: The Tigers picked up an important victory on Thursday, knocking off rival Green River 2-0. So what made it so important? Well, the Tigers still have a chance to grab the No. 2 seed out of the 4A West, and every conference victory is key. Rock Springs has now won three of those league games in a row and four of five.

4. Natrona County girls soccer: New goalie? No problem. With regular goalkeeper Ashley Akers likely done for the season with a hand injury, the Fillies moved defender Hannah Chapman into goal for their road swing in Evanston and Star Valley. The result was two more shutouts, as the Fillies beat Evanston 3-0 and Star Valley 2-0. NC has only given up one goal through 10 games this season.

5. Normative Services boys track: Friday was vintage Wolves at the Scott Hardy Invitational in Gillette. NSI didn't have a single individual winner, yet won the meet by 13.5 points over Big Horn. The two events the Wolves did win were both relays (the 400 and 1600 relays). From there, it was superior depth -- lots of seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths -- that boosted the Wolves to the strong finish. It's nothing new, but it's always fun to see.

There are my five. Feel free to highlight another team's accomplishments last weekend by posting a comment below.

Sweet.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's Five on the Rise, five teams that have impressed some short, balding guy working at some newspaper in central Wyoming:

1. Cody track: Boys, girls, whatever. Let the sweep talk begin in earnest. The Broncs swept the L.A. Kohnke Invitational in Powell on Saturday, marking the second straight week in which Cody swept the top spots at a large meet (it also swept the Roy Peck Invite in Riverton). This week, Cody is heading to the Dan Hansen Invitational in Sheridan.... Can they sweep again?

2. Worland boys soccer: After an inauspicious 0-2-3 start, the Warriors won two in a row last week, beating both Powell and Sheridan to pick up their first two victories of the season. Then the Panthers beat Lander on Tuesday night. But this sudden uprising probably is no fluke. Worland has been tested a lot early this season, and that should pay off big for the rest of the year.

3. Dubois girls track: Let's let the Rams enjoy this one. They won the Wyoming Indian Invitational on Saturday by 21 points over Thermopolis, besting an eight-team field with their depth. Yes, Dubois got 20 points from winning events that no one else had anyone competing in (the 1600 relay and the high jump). And yes, Lindsay Copeland did her usual amazing job, winning the 100, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. But the Rams proved they have the numbers to pick up some points here and there along the way and win a meet every now and then -- and in 1A, that's extremely important.

4. Pinedale boys track: Pinedale had a solid finish at the Tiger Invitational in Rock Springs, finishing third while sandwiched between a whole bunch of 4A teams. The Wranglers finished with 93 points, with 40 of those coming off first-place finishes by two athletes (Lincoln Proud in both hurdles events, Abe Pearce in the high jump and pole vault.

5. Buffalo girls soccer: They can't win big, but they sure can win. With a 6-0-2 record, the Bison are tied for the top spot in the 3A East -- and all six of their victories have been by no more than two goals. One of those two-goal victories -- a 4-2 victory last week over 4A Sheridan -- came in overtime. The Bison are proof that it doesn't matter how many goals you score, all that matters is if you score more than the other team.

By no means is this list complete; lots of teams had great weeks last week. Add your thoughts by commenting below.

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Here it is, this week's trio, three events that'll make you give sunflowers to random strangers....

Track and field: The I-80 duo. Rawlins has about a dozen teams scheduled to attend its meet on Friday, while Rock Springs has about 15 or so ready to come to the Tiger Invitational on Saturday. The only question mark on the meets is if they'll happen -- last I looked, I-80 wasn't in great shape.

Boys soccer: Cheyenne Central at Laramie, Saturday. The 4A East Conference has left all but these two teams with a league loss. Central's 3-0-0 league mark has only a slight edge on Laramie's 2-0-1, and both teams still have to play Friday. But Saturday's game in the Gem City -- if it gets played -- looks like it could be a dandy. And it could help solidify just who is the favorite in the East.

Girls soccer: Powell at Cody, Friday. The complexion of Class 3A soccer is something new and unusual to everyone involved. Thus far, the calling card of 3A play has been defense, and Powell -- the last of the 3A teams to play its first conference game -- recorded two shutout victories last weekend. We'll see if that trend continues this weekend.

Honorable mention to Friday's big soccer games in Casper. Friday's winners, be they Kelly Walsh or Natrona County, will have control of their own destinies in the 4A West Conference standings, and that's key for seeding at regionals.

Although it's not exactly put-the-top-down weather, where are your wheels taking you this weekend? Comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Through 5:30 p.m. Thursday. If you know more, e-mail them to me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.

-- Glenrock has canceled Friday's Tony Lehner Invitational track meet. The meet will not be made up.
-- Kelly Walsh and Natrona County moved their junior varsity soccer games from Thursday to Saturday. The games will be played at the North Casper Soccer Complex, with the girls playing at 9 a.m. and the boys at 11 a.m.

Finally! We have the chance to dust off an old Goulash relic, the Sports Goulash Trio. This week, the trio is looking forward to some sunny days and chasing the clouds away:

Boys soccer: Riverton at Laramie, Saturday. There are still four remaining unbeaten teams in Wyoming's 4A soccer division, and the Wolverines and Plainsmen are two of those four. Both played the Gillette-Sheridan swing on the road last week and both emerged successful (Riverton at 2-0, Laramie at 1-0-1), so Saturday's game will in part be for the early lead in the East Conference (lest we forget Central and East, who played their first conference games against each other on Wednesday).

Girls soccer: Jackson's homestand -- vs. Lander on Friday; vs. Buffalo on Saturday. It can't be this easy for Jackson, can it? The Broncs are out to their typical quick start (4-0-1 so far) and have outscored their opponents 17-2 so far. But a few teams have the chance to stick with Jackson on the pitch. Both Buffalo and Lander are 2-0-2 and played each other to a 1-1 tie last week. And if Jackson sweeps this weekend, watch out.

Track and field: Riverton Invitational, Saturday. The Invite has 22 Wyoming teams scheduled to attend, most from the west side of the state, and should be a good gauge for everyone to see how they'll likely stack up for the rest of the season. The early part of the track season is all about trying new things, so don't be too surprised to see some unusual results come out of this huge meet.

So there it is, from the place where the air is sweet... What are your plans for the weekend?

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Updated 4:50 p.m. Friday: Saturday's Camel Invitational in Gillette has been canceled. To make up for the lost meet, Kelly Walsh will host a track meet that will begin at noon on Saturday. In addition to the two Casper high schools, Douglas, Gillette and Sheridan will also compete.

Today's (Thursday's) soccer games between Rock Springs and Green River were postponed. The games will be made up Tuesday in Green River, with the girls playing at 3 p.m. and the boys at 5 p.m.

Saturday's Mountain View Invitational track meet has also been postponed. No make-up date has been set.

The Cheyenne East-Jackson soccer games, postponed from the originally scheduled date of March 20, will be made up April 22. The games will be played in Green River.

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

(Updated 5:38 p.m. Friday)

POSTPONED: Girls soccer, Gillette at Natrona. No make-up date has been set.

CANCELED: Track and field, Saturday's Bill Gerard Memorial Invitational in Greybull.

CHANGED: Boys soccer, Natrona at Gillette. Game times have been changed to 1 p.m. (JV) and 3 p.m. (varsity).

CHANGED: Boys soccer, a big change. The Worland Jamboree tournament has been moved to Riverton. There's too much snow in Worland to play.

For now, the Natrona Early Bird Invitational track meet in Casper is still on, as is the girls soccer jamboree in Cody. Check here for more postponements/cancellations/changes; I'll post them as I get them.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

As some of you have already guessed, I've been sick the past few days. Nasty bout of the flu. It's not gone yet, but I'm sure a little soccer will help cure what ails me...

And what do you know? Soccer season starts on Thursday. Talk about a quick turnaround.... Five days after state basketball is over, the first soccer games are already being played.

With Wyoming's short spring, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. There is no time to waste in the spring; every week is crucial to improve in time for state.

Some things to keep your eye on this spring:

-- Two classifications of soccer. The 3A schools have done a good job of scheduling each other at least once during the regular season; now it's just a matter of making sure that Jackson can ACTUALLY get over and play Newcastle (or vice versa).

-- Maggie Ochsner. The Lingle senior is shooting for her fourth consecutive state title in two events, the 100 and 200, and her third in the 100 hurdles. The Doggers move from Class 1A to Class 2A this year, but don't think that'll faze Ochsner: She started her freshman year in 2A with the Doggers and it didn't stop her then.

-- Cody Emrick. Of all the boys' track athletes in every event across the state, only Emrick, a senior at Sundance, is trying to win his third consecutive state title. And at Class 2A, Emrick is trying to win his third straight in two events: the 800 and the 1600.

-- Stephen Michel. Remember last year when Brendan Ames set those "untouchable" marks in the long jump? Michel, now a senior at Laramie and signed to UW, could blow right past them.

-- New soccer conferences. The old Southeast "Conference of Death" is gone, replaced by the East-West that was so warmly received during the basketball season. On paper, the East is stronger in both boys and girls, but plenty of time remains between now and mid-May.

I don't care what the calendar says. Spring is here. It's time to think warm, think thaw and think of a time when spring will last longer than a week. Heh.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here it is, the way to beat your January blahs, the Five on the Rise:

1. Powell girls basketball: Yeah, I know, I know. Powell lost on Friday to Riverton. Maybe the Panthers were just saving their energy for the bigger game -- the one on Saturday, in which the Panthers beat Lovell to move into a tie for second in the 3A West.

2. Torrington girls basketball: When you've won five conference games by mid-January, you're doing something right. By beating Lander last week, the Trailblazers won their sixth game in a row and improved to 5-0 in East Conference games.

3. Green River wrestling: Of the 40 teams that scored points at the Vernal (Utah) Tournament of Champions, it was the Wolves that had the best Wyoming finish, placing fourth.

4. Gillette gymnastics: The Camels have won both in-state meets since Auld Lang Syne, and have done so in pretty dominating fashion. With state just a few weeks away, now is not a bad time for a team to be hitting its stride.

5. Everyone involved with indoor track: The season finally got started last weekend. I can't tell you much about it (no one ever sent us results), but it must be nice to finally shake off the cobwebs and compete.

Add your thoughts below. You know how by now.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

A quick glance at this week's high school events around the state:

INDOOR TRACK: Finally! The shortest winter sports season of them all gets going with the Shine Invitational, which starts Friday in Laramie. Watch out -- before you know it, it'll be time for state.

SWIMMING: Can you say Cheyenne? The Pre-Invitational on Friday is tough enough, but then the Cheyenne Invitational on Saturday is basically a preview for the Class 4A state meet -- all 11 4A teams are scheduled to be in the Capital City on Saturday.

WRESTLING: It's a big weekend for the grapplers, as the Shane Shatto Invitational in Douglas and the Don Runner Invitational in Pavillion both have 14 Wyoming teams scheduled to attend. But several Wyoming teams are headed out of state, too, mostly to Vernal, Utah, or Miles City, Mont.

GYMNASTICS: Go to Gillette on Saturday, where the Rick Mills Invitational is the only event of the weekend.

The skiers, both downhill and XC, are off this week. They'll be back next week, though.

Where are you headed this weekend? Don't be shy; let the world know by commenting below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com