CASPER – Three days of solid efforts by Big Piney High School tracksters at the 2024 Wyoming State Track and Field Championships in Casper culminated in seven All-State awards and four gold medals.

Both Big Piney outdoor teams filled their bags to the brim with hardware and new PRs.

“We have amazing kids,” head coach Jess Nugent said. “The boys and girls had a great meet. We are so proud to coach all of them. Please make sure to congratulate each of our track athletes on an amazing season. I will say it again – we have amazing kids!”

The Lady Punchers clinched second place as a team out of 15 schools competing at state, posting 107 points. The Big Piney girls finished only a few points away from the first-place team, Kemmerer, at 113 points.

“Our girls put up a fight and we came away with second,” Nugent said. “The girls had some big performances and it’s always fun watching them compete with a close rival school (Kemmerer). We unfortunately lose (senior) Julia Hymas, but we will have everyone back for another run at it next year.”

The Puncher boys clinched 11th place in a field of 14 schools with 18 points.

“The east side boys are tough and had some amazing speed, but it was good because it helped our boys hit big PRs,” Nugent added. “I’m proud of how the boys performed. They didn’t quit or give up knowing we wouldn’t place high as a team. Each of our boys showed up and competed.”

Junior Micah Strong snagged two gold medals and three All-State accolades in girls’ events. Strong won the finals for the 400-meters, posting a PR of 59.17 seconds and beating the second-place finisher, Niobrara County’s Melody ZumBrunnen, by 0.40 seconds.

Clocking the 800-meters in at 2 minutes, 21.28 seconds, Strong scooped up gold and all-state honors in the event.

Strong rounded the weekend out with a second-place finish in the 100-meter finals, posting a time of 13.08 seconds.

Junior Jolynn Jones captured all-state honors in two girls’ events. In the 1600-meters, Jones pulled into first place with a PR of 5:36.39. Jones advanced to second place in the 800-meters, timing in with another PR of 2:21.70.

Fellow junior Emma York also picked up all-state recognition in two girls’ distance events. York garnered gold in the 3200-meters with a PR of 12:32.89. The junior crossed the finish line more than 41 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Wright’s Kylie Benim.

Timing the 1600-meters in at 5:36.43, York achieved a PR and a second-place finish, along with another all-state award.

Girls top eight

The Lady Punchers dominated mid- and long-distance events with four athletes advancing to the top eight in both the 800- and 1600-meters.

Sophomore Lizzy Brandt secured third place in the 1600-meters, finishing in 5:41.30, and went on to place fifth in the 800-meters at 2:29.57.

Strong snapped up fourth place in the 1600-meters, timing in at 5:41.33. York took sixth place in the 800-meters with a time of 2:30.04.

Jones picked up fourth place in the finals for the 400-meters, crossing the finish line in 1:02.48.

Hymas advanced to third place on the pole vault leaderboard, clearing 9 feet.

In the finals for the 100-meter hurdles, sophomore Ahbreanna Nunn clinched sixth place, crossing the finish line in 17.60 seconds.

Relay teams snagged hardware in three events. The 4x400-meter team – sophomore Kodee Greene, Jones, sophomore Clairee Bingham and York – garnered fourth place at 4:24.22.

Greene, freshman Myka Wicks, Brandt and York obtained fifth place in the 1600-sprint medley relay, posting a time of 4:36.06.

In the 4x800-relay, Hymas and sophomores Kaydence Guest, Kamia Runyan and Addalee Cunningham bagged seventh place at 12:12.77.

Boys top eight

Junior Kelby Staley progressed to the finals in the 300-meter hurdles, snapping up bronze with a time of 42.20 seconds.

Staley also secured hardware in the 200-meter finals, placing seventh at 23.39 seconds, and the 400-meter finals, where the junior took eighth place at 53.87 seconds.

Relay highlights consisted of a second-place finish by junior Caden Clifford, freshman Zavier Clifford, senior Karsyn Gurr and junior Dominic Sanchez in the 4x100-meters. The team finished the event with a time of 45.49 seconds.

Gurr, Caden Clifford, freshman Zach Ferguson and sophomore Nate Brown placed eighth in the 1600-sprint medley relay at 4:04.32.

Visit www.pinedaleroundup.come for additional photos from the 2024 Wyoming State Track and Field Championships.

Additional results – girls

• 100-meter prelims: Addison Losik in 15th place at 14.05 seconds.

• 200-meter prelims: Greene in 12th place at 28.09 seconds and Wicks in 15th at 29.00.

• 400-meter prelims: Brandt in ninth place at 1:05.39 and Greene in 11th at 1:05.85.

• 3200-meters: Runyan in 18th place at 15:27.53.

• 100-hurdles prelims: Jada Banks in 13th place at 18.59 seconds.

• 300-hurdles prelims: Banks in ninth place at 52.02 seconds, Bingham in 14th at 56.08 and Addison Statham in 16th at 1:04.31.

• 4x100-relay: Banks, Wicks, Losik and Tilly Evans in ninth place at 55.38 seconds.

• Pole vault: Maybrie Denison in 13th place at 6-06.

• Long jump: Losik in 10th place at 14-02 and Evans in 14th at 13-05 ¼.

• Shot put: Charleigh Smith in ninth place at 32-05.

Additional results – boys

• 100-meter prelims: Caden Clifford in ninth place at 11.60 seconds, Gurr in 10th at 11.61, Zavier Clifford in 11th at 11.70 and Sanchez in 15th at 11.88.

• 200-meter prelims: Gurr in ninth place at 23.59 seconds, Sanchez in 11th at 23.83 and Zavier Clifford in 12th at 24.01.

• 400-meter prelims: Ferguson in 13th place at 1:00.93.

• 1600-meters: Finley Strong in 14th place at 5:31.01.

• 110-hurdles prelims: Staley in ninth place at 17.24 seconds, Gerardo Galvan in 11th at 18.20 and Jackie Meador in 12th at 18.24.

• 300-hurdles prelims: Meador in 13th place at 46.31 seconds and Galvan in 14th at 46.58.

• 4x800-relay: David Farrington, Judah Farrington, Finley Strong and Scotty Ring in ninth place at 10:12.69.

• High jump: Ferguson in 12th place at 5-06.

• Long jump: Sanchez in ninth place at 18-02 and Brown in 15th at 16-07.

• Shot put: Zef Zuniga in 12th place at 37-09 ¾.

• Discus: Zuniga in 10th place at 117-10.