Conference play is well underway as the Pinedale Lady Wrangler volleyball team vies with Lyman and Mountain View for the number-one spot.
“Our players put in respectable performances and on the second day, they really stepped up and improved each of their scores,” said Head Coach Luke Myszewski. “In the end, that helped propel (boys’ varsity) past Green River, which is a team we had not beat at any tournament prior to State.”
“The Wranglers showed a lot of second-half heart and effort to continue building on the season and program, with the offense converting on a second-half drive and finishing with Dauwen finding the end zone,” said Head Coach David Thrash. “Defense forced a couple three-and-outs and an interception by Gray.”
The event takes place in Littleton, Colo., and is one of the largest meets in the region with more than 90 teams participating.
Games between conference rivals Pinedale and Lyman, or Pinedale and Mountain View, always manage to serve up the excitement and typically come down to the wire. The action at the 2022 Rawlins Tournament was no exception.
Junior Brody Hamby and sophomore Elyn Bowers contended with a challenging course and stormy weather on the second day to break into the top 10 in their respective divisions and earn 3A West All-Conference honors.
“The Wranglers continue to play with heart and a desire to grow that any coach would be proud of,” said Head Coach David Thrash. “The offensive line opened the first drive with sound blocks and created space for Ethan Jensen to run for positive yards as well as creating passing opportunities to multiple receivers and a big third-down conversion catch by Owen McMillen. Defensively, the team is growing and having fun fighting to create turnovers.”
The Sublette County combined girls’ swim team battled through a hectic schedule featuring back-to-back meets at Worland and Powell before going on to score a 145-130 victory against its host at the Lyman Duel on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The Lady Wranglers won the second set by two points, forcing Jordan to square off in a tie-breaking third set. Battling point-for-point, Pinedale maintained the lead, with senior Toree Andersen acing game point.
The meet provided a “good opportunity” for Sublette County to “compete against some strong teams,” said Co-Head Coach Kursty Day.
“The Wranglers continue to get up and make positive strides,” said Head Coach David Thrash.
The competition featured runners from more than 30 schools across Idaho, along with a few representing Wyoming, including Jackson.
The Pinedale boys’ varsity team took fifth place overall with 735 strokes, beating Lyman and Natrona County. With only a single contestant in girls’ varsity, Pinedale did not place in the division as a team.
The Pinedale High School golf team powered through the Evanston Invitational at Purple Sage Golf Course on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 25-26, demonstrating marked improvement with only one week remaining before the postseason.
“It was a hard-fought zero week scrimmage against the Lander Tigers,” said Head Coach David Thrash. “After shaking off some of the early season excitement, there were good things happening on both sides of the ball. The offense put together a couple of strong drives in the second quarter with Luke Gray and Ethan Jensen out of the backfield. The defense stood strong to force a three-and-out after the series before making a stand that led on an interception by Holden Saxton.”
The meet also featured diving. Pinedale High School senior Rhonda Auradou punched her ticket to State in the event, capturing fourth place with 275.30 points following 11 dives. Fellow PHS senior Morgan Grossman earned the Sportsmanship Award.
“The Lady Wranglers started the season out with a bang,” said Head Coach Tamara Currah. “I’m super proud of all the teams (junior varsity and varsity). The girls have put in a lot of time this summer attending camps. After nine days of long practices, they finally got to play volleyball.”
Two Pinedale High School sophomores, Madison Antonino and Cora Koci, joined the Jackson Hole High School cross-country team this season and participated in their first meet, Night at the Races, in Idaho Falls on Aug. 25.
The Pinedale boys’ varsity squad finished sixth, tallying a combined total of 754 strokes over two days. The team did not field a contestant in girls’ varsity for both rounds.
The Wind River Skate Club is filling the late summer season through Sept. 21 with two free “open skate” nights for newcomers to see if figure skating is for them, on Monday, Sept. 19, or Wednesday, Sept. 21, both 5-6 p.m. Winter registration opens Sept. 1 for all WRSC class levels starting Oct. 3.