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Odds and ends of Wyoming high school sports.
Five on the rise
Posted by:
Patrick Schmiedt on
April 16, 2008 at
12:02AM EST
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.
Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com
(18) Comments
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Posted by: Kevin Williams on April 16, 2008 11:59AM EST
Anyone who has followed track and field in the state of Wyoming for the past few years should be aware of the growing strength of the track and field program at the Gateway to Yellowstone in Park County. Coach Shaffer and his staff have built consistently strong teams of both genders. Many people think of Cody as Pole Vault Central, but a closer look shows that they have excellent performers in just about every event. It has taken some time, but Scott has done a great job of making Cody a force in the sport of track and field in Wyoming.
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Posted by: gtown on April 16, 2008 3:25PM EST
I agree completely. While the pole vaulting is what they are best at they do keep getting better and better at everything else.
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Posted by: Chris Gray on April 16, 2008 11:59PM EST
Hey, Patrick, am I seeing things, or did Emily Moore really long jump 19' 5.5" at the Rapid City Track O'Rama?!? Good grief, that is ridiculous!!! I also saw that she & Jordan Merback Tripled 37'! I love to see that kind of individual excellence! Please don't tell me it was a type-o! (spelling?)
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Chris, you beat me to it! Yep, Emily did go 19-5.5. And yes, it's ridiculous. I mean, consider that at this time last year, the state record was 18-4.5. Emily went and broke it with 18-9.5... She'll probably break it again this year. And she's only a junior. She could add more than a foot to the old record by the time she graduates. That is amazing.
While we're at it, yes, Jordan is a great athlete. Watching her and Emily go after each other in the triple jump has been fun to watch at state the past two years, because you know how competitive both of them are and how much respect they have for each other's abilities.
--patrick
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Posted by: Kenny on April 17, 2008 2:14PM EST
Patrick,
Help me out, if you can, on a couple rules in track please.
In 1a you can enter at regionals 3 people per event or you can enter more if they are pre-qualified, but, if you have three pre qualified they must be entered at regionals and no one that hasn't pqd can be entered. So the ones that have been marginal or hurt don't even get a chance to make the top eight.
It seems to me that the pqd people, who get to go to state anyway, should be able to, sort of, get out of the way so others would have a chance to make it to state. Let's say I have a vaulter who can limp down the runway enough to make 9' 6" but not fast enough to make the required 10'5", if you see what I mean. I feel bad for the kid because going to state is so much fun for the kids and he might miss out because of a sore muscle.
Okay, next thing, Why is it the 1a vaulters have to start at the height required to pre qualify and the other classes get to start out lower than their pq. Last year the height to pq was 10 foot and that was where we started but none of the other classes had to do that, Our kids think it's unfair because at all the meets they go to they get ot start at a lower height and then work up to the 10 foot or whatever it is. Sorry, but I want kids to place, nomatter where they are from so when we take the picture there are at least eight guys, or gals, standing up there.
What do you think? any chance of a rule change maybe?
Thanks for letting me spout off.
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Posted by: gtown on April 17, 2008 7:41PM EST
Watching Emily's jump in Rapid was amazing. In the finals she scratched by a toe but the guy running the long jump told them to hold up so they could measure it just for the heck of it and it was 19'8!
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Posted by: Chris Gray on April 17, 2008 11:51PM EST
Ok, Patrick my boy! I was about to ask if there was any significant tail wind, but according to the stats you gave, I would say that that leap is possible!! She's only a junior?!? Now, how about Merback? Is she also young? Doesn't matter, either way, how great are they for each other?!? Boy, now I DEFINITELY have to get to the state meet this year! Speaking of greatness, what is going on with Stephen Michael, anyone? I haven't seen his name at all really this spring (although I realize with the weather, each weekend is a hit-&-miss deal), so I'm curious if Laramie has been going to some Colorado meets, or is he hurt, or what? And Audrey West? Has she come close to the 18'10" she jumped earlier? Also, I see that there is a kid from Torrington that is pushing Gebicki in the vault, what has Gebicki been up to? Maybe just better weather will start answering all my questions!
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Posted by: Bulldog Fan on April 18, 2008 10:29AM EST
Chris, I don't know anything specific about the kids you are mentioning, but I know the track meet that Sundance & Wright put together in Newcastle on Mon. was a godsend. Most of the teams that attended had been competing in snow, cold and wind if they even got to compete at all. The times and distances had been terrible. That meet qualified quite a few kids for state. I think the weather has been a huge factor this spring. Looks like this weekend will get a lot of kids going. I know one fan who will appreciate a little warmer weather!!! Now if the wind just won't blow today in Gillette.....LOL
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Posted by: gtown on April 18, 2008 8:45PM EST
Chris, just a couple things for you. Stephen Michel has ran a 21.8 in the two hundred and a 10.82 in the hundred! not bad for this time of year. I can definatly see him breaking both state records. I know one of those meets was in Colorado and I'm not sure where he ran the other.
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Posted by: Chris Gray on April 19, 2008 12:55AM EST
Yeah g'town, I just saw in todays paper the top times, & he's got a 10.77 100, even a 50.13 400, but no 200 time. So, am I correct in assuming that you have to post a states top time on Wyoming soil for it to qualify in the rankings? That kid is just so talented! I wish he would focus more on the triple & the 200-seems like he has the most potential in these two events! I would love to see him go 50' & sub 21!! He's signed with U-Dub hasn't he? Let me know! Yeah, this weekend should be prime weather for some great performances! Can't wait!!
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Posted by: Kevin Williams on April 19, 2008 10:48PM EST
Jordan Merback is a senior and has signed a letter of intent to continue her track and field career at Stanford University. Stephen Michel has signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Wyoming. His two sprint races in Scottsbluff on Friday were most impressive. If anyone has checked the the Wyoming Track and Field Classic web site on the WHSAA track scoreboard section will see that there are some amazing track and field athletes in the state and should be a "must see" at the state track and field meet the third weekend in May.
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Posted by: Chris Gray on April 20, 2008 7:58PM EST
Maybe this comment belongs in "Subjectivity", but there are 3 track teams in this weeks "5 on the Rise", so I thought I would put this here; not to sound incredulous, or even condescending, but how in the world could the Hulett "A" 3200 meter relay team, at the "Scott Hardy Twilight" track meet, run a 7:53.50?!? Even the second place team ran an 8:08 (still very fast!)!! Come on, that is an elite Gillette team's time (was it just a couple years ago with Hewitt-Gaffney that they ran that time?) Shoot, the winning 800 time at that meet was 2:07.59. To run a 7:53.50, each kid would need to run an average of 1:58.5!! Come on Patrick, what is the deal with these times? Was there a tornado following each of those teams around the track?
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Hi Chris,
I noticed that too. I'm not sure what the deal was there. I was going to call around a bit on Tuesday and see what's up. Considering the all-class state meet record is 7:56 and change, I do find it tough to believe that several teams were so close to that mark. Was anyone there in Gillette that can maybe provide some insight?
--patrick
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Posted by: gtown on April 20, 2008 10:36PM EST
I was at the meet for a while but not during the 3200 relay. I heard nothing of amazing times for that so I would highly highly doubt that happened. Prolly just a typ-o
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Posted by: Bulldog Fan on April 20, 2008 11:22PM EST
I was at the meet and watched all the running events. I remember thinking that Hulett ran the race pretty well, but pobably because they were out in front by a ways. They didn't announce times for all the events and I don't remember hearing this one. Don't think that time is right. I've watched a lot of 800 races and I would have noticed if there had been "a tornado" on the track.
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Posted by: Chris Gray on April 20, 2008 11:50PM EST
Hey Bulldog fan-way to catch on to that sarcasm- I was laying it on pretty thich there. Maybe they stopped a lap early, or perhaps the Gillette track is 400 yards, & not meters! Hmmmm.........
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Posted by: goatboy on April 22, 2008 12:39PM EST
Hey I see the lingle girls are kicking it does anyone no what is going on with the henery girl from mountain view have not seen any thing on her.
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Posted by: Coach G on April 25, 2008 10:26PM EST
goatboy to answer you question about Amber, she has been hurt, but is starting to get back in shape.
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