This is the Championship Season. . .
We are heading into the Mountain West Championship Season for the spring, and the Cowgirl tennis team will start things off with its championship hosted by San Diego State this weekend. The young Cowgirls--there is not a senior on the team--have put together quite a season to date, and would love to continue that success this weekend and possibly into the NCAA tournament.
The Cowgirls will meet Air Force on Thursday to open the MW tournament. They capped the regular season with a 5-2 victory over Air Force at Colorado Springs last Saturday. That win gave them their highest finish in conference history, a tie for second. They finished 5-2 in league play, and 13-8 overall.
Junior Simona Synkova has had an outstanding season for the Cowgirls. Not only did she finish 5-2 in league matches, but posted a 20-win season as well. Freshman Jessica Parizher also won 20 for the Cowgirls.
By the way, here's a little news item for the future. The tennis team is one of four very young outfits among the Cowgirl programs. Tennis, basketball, golf and volleyball have just two seniors listed on the four combined rosters for next season. Lots of exciting times ahead for those three.
Conference championships for men's golf and outdoor track are on the horizon for the first two weeks of May.
Nationally-Renowned Author in Town on Thursday. . .
Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine, and a highly-respected author, will be on campus this Thursday (April 26) as part of the UW Libraries' 2012 Book & Author Luncheon. The event is scheduled for noon on Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn/UW Convention Center. Bryant, who has been with ESPN since 2007, has worked at The Washington Post, The Boston Herald, The Bergen Record, The San Jose Mercury News and The Oakland Tribune.
His latest book, The Last Hero is a biography of Henry Aaron, baseball's great home-run champion and one of its most enduring legends. Thanks to the so-called "steroid era" of baseball, Aaron's achievements have become even more remarkable. Aaron was the first player to pass Babe Ruth's home run record, and held that mark for 33 years. As Bryant's book outlines, Aaron's achievements run much deeper than his stats.
Ken Burns, the great historical filmmaker writes, "No one was more important to the game of baseball in the last half of the 20th Century than Henry Aaron, and no one writes about that supremely talented man, that tumultuous time and this treasure of the game better than Howard Bryant. Together they are an extraordinary combination, and the book Bryant has written gets to the heart of the complicated and dignified, patient and consistent genuine hero that is Henry Aaron."
Thursday's luncheon should be a lot of fun, and very interesting.
A Great Day Last Saturday. . .
It was a beautiful day at War Memorial Stadium last Saturday. Not only did the Cowboy football team put on a great show for the Spring Game, but the Fun Day for children prior to the scrimmage, and the football lettermen reunion in the Wildcatter were both a lot of fun. There were some 400 people in the Wildcatter for the reunion. Lettermen from as far back as 1943 were there, and everyone had a great time. The Fun Day also raised funds for the Wyoming in Haiti initiative. Aaron Frude of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes--sponsor of the event--said the response has been terrific. The fundraising effort is nearing the goal of $40,000. To date the total is right at $31,000, according to Frude.
Cowboy Joe Club News. . .
Two big county fund drives are in the news this week. Last night the Sheridan County Fund Drive officially kicked off, and Thursday Sweetwater County closes another successful blitz. That event is set for 6 p.m. at the Santa Fe Southwest Grill in Rock Springs. Coaches Dave Christensen, Mark Branch, Gerald Mattinson and Scott Duncan will attend that event. The Goshen and Platte County drives ended last week, and both were very successful.
We are less than a month away from the continuation of the Cowboy Joe Club Golf Series. The upcoming dates are May 11-12 at the Riverton Country Club and Worland's Green Hills Golf Club respectively. The word is both entries and sponsorships are filling up fast in both communities. Registration and sponsorship opportunities for the golf series are available online or through the Cowboy Joe Club office (766-6242).
Reminder. . .
Remember, Monday, April 30, is the renewal deadline for football season tickets. Visit here to renew today.
Around the Chutes. . .
Both the men's and women's basketball programs are nearing completion on their home schedules for next season. Both would like to schedule between 16 and 18 home games. Those home dates should be completed soon.
Officers have been elected for next year for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The new president is Mara Cosgrove of the soccer program. Vice President is Jeff Frey of men's swimming and diving; Organizational Relations Officer, Brenna Freeze of women's basketball; Media Relations Officer, Sam Stratton from football; Mountain West Representatives, Darrenn White, football and Amanda Fay, women's swimming and diving; ASUW Representatives, Jenny Johnson, soccer and Derek Campbell, men's swimming and diving. Congratulations to all of the new officers and representatives.
The outdoor track team will compete at the Jack Christiansen Invite at Ft. Collins on Saturday.
Congratulations to Larry Shyatt and his staff for adding another outstanding student-athlete to the Cowboy basketball the program. Charles Hankerson Jr. has signed a scholarship offer and will transfer to Wyoming from the University of Alabama. He will sit out the 2012-13 season to fulfill NCAA transfer rules, and will have two years of eligibility remaining. He's a 6-5 guard who was a standout prepster at Coral Reef High School in Miami, Fla.
The Cowgirl volleyball team wrapped up its spring season with a successful tournament at Kearney, Neb. The Cowgirls competed in four tournaments over the spring season. They will open the regular 2012 season on Friday, Aug. 24, hosting their UniWyo Wyoming Invite. It's hard to believe that head coach Carrie Yerty is already in her fifth year as head coach. She will welcome back all six starters from last season, including two-time all-conference selection Jodi Purdy. Should be an exciting season.
We are heading into the Mountain West Championship Season for the spring, and the Cowgirl tennis team will start things off with its championship hosted by San Diego State this weekend. The young Cowgirls--there is not a senior on the team--have put together quite a season to date, and would love to continue that success this weekend and possibly into the NCAA tournament.
The Cowgirls will meet Air Force on Thursday to open the MW tournament. They capped the regular season with a 5-2 victory over Air Force at Colorado Springs last Saturday. That win gave them their highest finish in conference history, a tie for second. They finished 5-2 in league play, and 13-8 overall.
Junior Simona Synkova has had an outstanding season for the Cowgirls. Not only did she finish 5-2 in league matches, but posted a 20-win season as well. Freshman Jessica Parizher also won 20 for the Cowgirls.
By the way, here's a little news item for the future. The tennis team is one of four very young outfits among the Cowgirl programs. Tennis, basketball, golf and volleyball have just two seniors listed on the four combined rosters for next season. Lots of exciting times ahead for those three.
Conference championships for men's golf and outdoor track are on the horizon for the first two weeks of May.
Nationally-Renowned Author in Town on Thursday. . .
Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine, and a highly-respected author, will be on campus this Thursday (April 26) as part of the UW Libraries' 2012 Book & Author Luncheon. The event is scheduled for noon on Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn/UW Convention Center. Bryant, who has been with ESPN since 2007, has worked at The Washington Post, The Boston Herald, The Bergen Record, The San Jose Mercury News and The Oakland Tribune.
His latest book, The Last Hero is a biography of Henry Aaron, baseball's great home-run champion and one of its most enduring legends. Thanks to the so-called "steroid era" of baseball, Aaron's achievements have become even more remarkable. Aaron was the first player to pass Babe Ruth's home run record, and held that mark for 33 years. As Bryant's book outlines, Aaron's achievements run much deeper than his stats.
Ken Burns, the great historical filmmaker writes, "No one was more important to the game of baseball in the last half of the 20th Century than Henry Aaron, and no one writes about that supremely talented man, that tumultuous time and this treasure of the game better than Howard Bryant. Together they are an extraordinary combination, and the book Bryant has written gets to the heart of the complicated and dignified, patient and consistent genuine hero that is Henry Aaron."
Thursday's luncheon should be a lot of fun, and very interesting.
A Great Day Last Saturday. . .
It was a beautiful day at War Memorial Stadium last Saturday. Not only did the Cowboy football team put on a great show for the Spring Game, but the Fun Day for children prior to the scrimmage, and the football lettermen reunion in the Wildcatter were both a lot of fun. There were some 400 people in the Wildcatter for the reunion. Lettermen from as far back as 1943 were there, and everyone had a great time. The Fun Day also raised funds for the Wyoming in Haiti initiative. Aaron Frude of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes--sponsor of the event--said the response has been terrific. The fundraising effort is nearing the goal of $40,000. To date the total is right at $31,000, according to Frude.
Cowboy Joe Club News. . .
Two big county fund drives are in the news this week. Last night the Sheridan County Fund Drive officially kicked off, and Thursday Sweetwater County closes another successful blitz. That event is set for 6 p.m. at the Santa Fe Southwest Grill in Rock Springs. Coaches Dave Christensen, Mark Branch, Gerald Mattinson and Scott Duncan will attend that event. The Goshen and Platte County drives ended last week, and both were very successful.
We are less than a month away from the continuation of the Cowboy Joe Club Golf Series. The upcoming dates are May 11-12 at the Riverton Country Club and Worland's Green Hills Golf Club respectively. The word is both entries and sponsorships are filling up fast in both communities. Registration and sponsorship opportunities for the golf series are available online or through the Cowboy Joe Club office (766-6242).
Reminder. . .
Remember, Monday, April 30, is the renewal deadline for football season tickets. Visit here to renew today.
Around the Chutes. . .
Both the men's and women's basketball programs are nearing completion on their home schedules for next season. Both would like to schedule between 16 and 18 home games. Those home dates should be completed soon.
Officers have been elected for next year for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The new president is Mara Cosgrove of the soccer program. Vice President is Jeff Frey of men's swimming and diving; Organizational Relations Officer, Brenna Freeze of women's basketball; Media Relations Officer, Sam Stratton from football; Mountain West Representatives, Darrenn White, football and Amanda Fay, women's swimming and diving; ASUW Representatives, Jenny Johnson, soccer and Derek Campbell, men's swimming and diving. Congratulations to all of the new officers and representatives.
The outdoor track team will compete at the Jack Christiansen Invite at Ft. Collins on Saturday.
Congratulations to Larry Shyatt and his staff for adding another outstanding student-athlete to the Cowboy basketball the program. Charles Hankerson Jr. has signed a scholarship offer and will transfer to Wyoming from the University of Alabama. He will sit out the 2012-13 season to fulfill NCAA transfer rules, and will have two years of eligibility remaining. He's a 6-5 guard who was a standout prepster at Coral Reef High School in Miami, Fla.
The Cowgirl volleyball team wrapped up its spring season with a successful tournament at Kearney, Neb. The Cowgirls competed in four tournaments over the spring season. They will open the regular 2012 season on Friday, Aug. 24, hosting their UniWyo Wyoming Invite. It's hard to believe that head coach Carrie Yerty is already in her fifth year as head coach. She will welcome back all six starters from last season, including two-time all-conference selection Jodi Purdy. Should be an exciting season.
