The 2020 sports year in review

Posted 1/13/21

The 2020 year in review for sports

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The 2020 sports year in review

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Jan. 15- Ranger swim team breaks records at meets

On Jan. 10-11, 2020, the Rangers swam against Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River and Lyman. Brayden Dearden, Aiden Runnion, Easton Rydstrom, Grady Killian, Seth Krell, Conner Dietrich, Shaun Nelson, Matt Garver, Benjanmin Wergin, Raydin Scigliano and Noah Hankin all swam personal bests. Many of the team members swam more than one personal best during the meet.

Jan. 23- Lady Rangers continue success

On Jan. 17-18, the Lady Rangers played Pinedale and Farson. Although they lost against Pinedale, the Lady Rangers started a winning streak against Farson beating them 48-37.

Jan. 23- Rangers wrestling competes in Idaho

On Jan 10-11, the Kemmerer Rangers competed in the Tournament of Champions in Vernal, Utah. On Jan. 17-18, the wrestlers competed at the Tiger-Grizz Tournament in Idaho Falls. Dawson Scramm won the 132-pound division and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the lower weights in Utah. In the Idaho Falls meet, Colter Julian, 126 pounds, and Dawson Scramm, 132 pounds, both came home champions of their weight classes.

Feb. 6- Wrestling at Ron Thon

Both Cokeville and Kemmerer traveled to Riverton for the annual Ron Thon Jan. 31 - Feb.1, 2020. Cokeville had four wrestlers finish in the top six of their respective weight classes. The Rangers came in 26 out of 41 teams competing. AQ Peternal took first place in the 160-pound weight class.

Feb. 20- Lions Club 36th annual fishing derby success

Close to 400 participants attended the Kemmerer Lions Club’s 36th annual ice fishing derby  at Lake Viva Naughton in February 2020.

Feb. 27- Ranger diver takes third, relay record broken at 3A state swimming & diving competition

The swim team competed at state on Feb. 20-21, 2020. Raydin Scigliano claimed third place in diving. In the 200-yard medley relay, Seth Krell, Aiden Runnion, Brayden Dearden and Benjamin Wergin grabbed the school record and placed fourth. Collin Smith had a personal best in the 200-yard freestyle. Aiden Runnion placed seventh in the 200-yard freestyle. Connor Dietrich set a new personal best in the 200-yard independent medley. Benjamin Wergin placed 11th in the 50-yard freestyle. Brayden Dearden placed sixth in the 100-yard butterfly. Seth Krell placed ninth in the 100-yard butterfly. Benjamin Wergin placed seventh in the 100-yard freestyle. Collin Smith placed 12th in the 500-yard freestyle. Aiden Runnion, Benjamin Wergin, Brayden Dearden and Seth Krell placed third in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Aiden Runnion placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke, while Dearden and Krell placed sixth and 12th respectively. Collin Smith, Connor Dietrich, Michael Clark and Easton Rydstrom placed 10th in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

March 5- Wrestling takes state

The Kemmerer wrestling Rangers headed to state on Feb. 28-29, 2020. The Rangers came out successful with two state champs and one third place. Dawson Scramm and Connor Vickery placed first in their weight classes.

March 12- Cokeville Lady Panthers took state

The Lady Panthers traveled to Casper for the 1A State Basketball Tournament March 5-7, 2020. They held the number one seed from the West going into the tournament which paired them with the number four seed from the East. First, the Lady Panthers handily defeated the Lady Doggers 65-22. Second, the Panthers beat the Lady Bobcats of Upton 54-53. The championship game was played against the Lady Bucs of Kaycee. The Lady Panthers had a slow start in the first half but pulled away in the second to bring home the championship trophy, winning 46-33.

March 12- Rangers basketball teams end season at state

The Kemmerer Rangers and Lady Rangers headed off to the state basketball tournament on March 5-7, 2020. The Rangers and Lady Rangers went into the tournament as fourth seed in the West and competed against the first seed of the East. The Rangers started the tournament by playing against Big Horn. The Rangers put up a fight and played their hardest but fell short 53-45, moving them into the consolation semi-finals. There they played against Pine Bluffs and lost 70-59.  The Lady Rangers started out playing the tournament against Pine Bluffs and fell short 57-30. In the consolation semi-finals the Lady Rangers competed against Rocky Mountain and ended up losing in a close battle 47-43.

March 19- Cokeville cheerleaders win first-ever championship

The Cokeville cheerleaders headed to compete in the State Cheer Competition on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. They had high hopes of bringing home a championship trophy. There was no 1A division, so they competed against 2A schools in Game Day and 3A schools in the All-Girl Cheer/Stunt and Hip Hop. There were 18 athletes on the 2020 squad. Cokeville placed first in the 3A All Girl Cheer/Stunt routine category.

March 19- Kemmerer wins Game Day trophy

The Kemmerer cheerleading squad competed in the state championships in Casper last week, bringing home the first-place trophy for Game Day in the 2A Division. They also earned fourth place in the Co-ed Cheer Stunt category.

April 9- WHSAA cancels spring sports

In an unprecedented — though not entirely unexpected — turn of events, the Wyoming High School Activities Association made the decision to cancel the 2020 spring sports season due to ongoing concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Kemmerer High School track and field team, the decision brought an end to the Rangers’ final season at the Class 2A level before it even began — KHS jumped to Class 3A in most sports beginning in the 2020-21 school year.

April 16- Four Rangers receive postseason hoops honors

Class 2A All-Conference and All-State basketball selections were announced in March 2020, with four members of the Kemmerer High School boys’ basketball team receiving postseason honors. Colter Brunski was named Class 2A All-Conference and All-State, and was a Wyoming Coaches Association All-Star. Derick Wilcox and freshman Jake Kampman were also named to the 2A West All-Conference team; senior Caden Bowen — who missed the first part of the season due to an injury — was named 2A All-Conference Honorable Mention.

April 23- ‘Nunc Coepi — Now I Begin’

At first glance, an 8-21 overall record (1-5 in the 2A Southwest Quadrant), might appear on paper to be an unmemorable season for the 2019-20 Kemmerer girls’ basketball team.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s an understatement to say that the Lady Rangers’ record is not an accurate reflection of the team’s success; for head coach Tim Fagnant and his crew, it will go down as a season for the books, as the Lady Rangers qualified for the state tournament for the first time in five years.

April 23- Track dreams dashed

It’s hard to be a four-time state champion when you only have three chances to jump at it. That is the reality for Kemmerer High School junior Kenley Plowman, defending two-time 2A triple-jump champion. Plowman, along with all Wyomig high school athletes, will not have the opportunity to compete at state track in May due to the cancellation of all spring sports by WHSAA.

April 23- Longtime Cokeville game warden hanging up his hat

Cokeville Game Warden Neil Hymas is trading in his saddle and his “green truck” for his next adventure in life — retirement. Hymas began his career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in June of 1979 with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Team, trapping grizzly bears in Cody. In September, he was hired as a game warden trainee and worked in Glenrock, Kaycee and Alcova. In 1981, he was promoted to a district game warden position in Wheatland and transferred to Cokeville in 1985. Hymas was nominated for several awards in his career, including Game and Fish Employee of the Year in 1987, Game Warden of the year by the Wyoming Game Wardens Association in 1997, 2005 and 2007, and the Green River Region’s Peer Recognition Award in 2010. Hymas, an avid bear and lion hunter, also served as the Green River Trophy Game and Damage Coordinator and was a member of the statewide Wildlife Human Attack Response Team.

May 7- KHS multi-sport athlete signs with Lakeland University

Sammi Butler’s high school résumé reads like a brochure of extracurricular activities — a letterwinner in four sports, member of the band and choir, active in student council and a member of the National Honor Society — clearly a student not used to down time.

Butler recently signed to play volleyball for Lakeland University in Plymouth, Wisconsin. An NCAA DIII program, the Lady Muskies compiled a 19-15 record last season (10-2 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference), and finished in a tie for first in the NACC.

May 14- Longtime former KHS swim coach announces retirement

After 40 years of coaching swimming in Wyoming, Greg Gray announced his retirement this year. During the last five years of his career, the veteran coach took charge of the combined girls’ swim team in Sublette County, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team. For 35 years, Gray coached swimming in Kemmerer. In 2015, he took the head girls’ coaching position in Sublette County when his granddaughter joined the team.

May 28- Youth Fishing Derby is on — for an entire month

Get your fishing gear ready. The annual Kemmerer Youth Fishing Derby will still be held this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, though there will be some fun changes to the event.

“There will not be a one-day community event, like in the past,” said the city’s program coordinator, Darlene Schulthess. “The kids will have a whole month to go fishing at their convenience.”

June 4- Game and Fish verifies grizzly bear sighting in Kemmerer area

Earlier this week Game and Fish personnel verified through remote camera pictures a grizzly bear in the southern Wyoming Range, northeast of Viva Naughton Reservoir. The pictures were obtained by a private individual who reported them to the local Game Warden. Game and Fish verified the authenticity of the pictures and confirmed the presence of a grizzly bear through tracks and hair samples where the pictures were taken.

July 2- Outlaws sweep Casper in conference opener, Moyles throws no-hitter in game one

Outlaws lefty Clayton Moyles pitched a gem in the opening game, throwing a no-hitter en route to an 11-1 win. Evanston kept their bats going in the second game, pounding out 10 hits in a 10-3 rout.

July 23- Outrun extinction?

The Dino Half Marathon makes its way through Vernal, Utah, or Dinosaurland, every year. Owen Burnett finished the 5k in first place with a time of 1 hour 19 minutes and 57 seconds. His mile pace was 6:06 per mile. There were 239 racers in the half marathon with times up to three and a half hours. The average finish time was 2:01:69, according to finish time data.

July 30- Cokeville rodeo celebrates 25 years

The 25th anniversary of the Cokeville Stock and Saddle Club’s rodeo went off without too many hitches on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25. According to Amy Peck, Cokeville Stock and Saddle Club’s public relations coordinator, the event drew more than 200 people to the stands and around the arena. This year the Cokeville Rodeo Club honored the many individuals who helped to create, shape, and cultivate the Cokeville rodeo over the past 25 years. They posted stories of these special individuals who contributed to the Cokeville Rodeo — pickup men, flag bearers, announcers, secretaries, grounds workers, royalty, sponsors and more.

Aug. 6- Evanston Outlaws clinch AA West title

The Evanston Legion AA baseball team went into Friday’s regular-season conference finale at Jackson needing one win in two games to clinch the outright AA West title.

Aug. 20- 2020 Kemmerer High School golf season starts

The 2020 fall golf season began Friday, Aug. 14, with the first meet of the season. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, nine-hole courses have been limited for social distancing. This year 40 players assembled at the Kemmerer Golf Course for the first tournament of the season. The tournament did not start on time due to a “Bull Delay’ — cows were on the course. After they were removed, play began without further concerns.

Aug. 20- Cokeville was second stop for rescheduled marathon

The annual Bear Lake Trifecta Marathon was in Cokeville Aug. 14, 2020. This annual event usually takes place in June but, due to COVID-19, was pushed back to August. Organizers reported that there were approximately 237 participants throughout the weekend with approximately 110 participating on Friday in Cokeville.

Sept. 10- Panthers defeat the Rebels of Rich County 34-6

The Panthers were host to the Rebels of Rich County on Friday, Sept. 4. The Panthers defeated the Rebels 34-6.

Sept. 24- Kemmerer golf team wins third place at state

The 2A championship for the boys was again won by Thermopolis for the third year in a row with a total of 735. Second went to Big Horn with a 754 two-day total. Third place was the host, the Kemmerer Rangers, at 779. Fourth place was Tongue River at 817. Sundance was next at 970, edging out Lusk, 972, for fifth place. Upton and Wright entered boys but did not have enough scores for the event.

Oct. 15- Kemmerer Rangers fall to Cokeville 48-0

The Kemmerer High School football team’s hopes of cracking the win column were dashed Friday, as the Rangers fell to the Panthers 48-0 at home.

Oct. 29- Rangers end season with loss against Big Piney

On Friday, Oct. 23, the Kemmerer Rangers went up against the Big Piney Punchers in Big Piney for their final game of the season. Unfortunately the Punchers won the game 41-7.

Oct. 29- Brunski wins All-Stars award for 2019-2020

Colter Brunski graduated in 2020 during the first part of the coronavirus pandemic. His graduation wasn’t what it should have been and any plans for travel had been canceled. That didn’t stop him from earning a Wyoming Coaches Foundation’s All-Stars award for basketball in his last year.

Oct. 29- Burnett seventh at state

Owen Burnett competed in the 3A cross country state meet for Mountain View on Oct. 23. He placed seventh with a time of 17:29.3. At an awards ceremony on Monday, Oct. 26, Burnett was awarded for finishing in the top ten with an All-State award.

Nov. 5- Volleyball wins first game, then lost; done for

season

The Lady Rangers of Kemmerer put up a fierce battle against Pinedale at the regional competition.

They won the first set 25-18, knocking Pinedale off their feet. However, the next three games went to Pinedale with scores of 25-16, 25-13 and 25-20. The Rangers tried to fight back in the last set and were unable to make it work.

Nov. 15- Swim team places 12th at state competition

The Kemmerer girls swim team placed 12th at the 3A state competition on Nov. 6-7 in Laramie. The girls were up against 12 other teams.

Nov. 15- Cokeville volleyball team 1A champions

The Lady Panthers brought home another 1A state championship in volleyball on Wednesday, November 4. This year’s tournament was a one-day event and featured just the 1A schools.

Nov. 15- Harley Mackey qualifier to the Junior World Finals

On September 6, in Castle Rock, Colorado, Harley Mackey qualified for the third time to the Junior World Finals in barrel racing on her gray mare Money. Not more than 30 minutes later she ran in the Junior World Finals Pole Qualifier on her little bay mare Kara to also win the pole bending. Harley is one of eight girls in the world who are double-qualified in barrels and poles this year and the only girl to win both the barrels and poles at a qualifier.

Nov. 19- Cokeville takes first  place at cheerleading

competition

The Cokeville High School fall cheer squad competed in the University of Wyoming’s Virtual Game Day competition on Saturday, Nov. 14. This competition usually takes place in Laramie in conjunction with the state football championships, but due to COVID-19 was held virtually.

Cokeville had a small group that gathered in the high school gym for the competition. The ladies put up their best performance and came away with the championship trophy

Nov. 19- Nielson named All-Conference recipient

Post-season awards for high school volleyball have been announced for 2020 by the Wyoming Coaches Association. Olivia Nielson, a junior, received the award this year for her part on the Kemmerer volleyball team.

Nov. 25- Three win All-Conference, one named All-State for Kemmerer football team

The post-season awards have been announced for high school football and Kemmerer has four honors.

AQ Peternal was not only awarded All-Conference by the Wyoming Coaches Association, but he was also awarded All-State by the coaches association as well. Matt McMillan and Riggen Walker were also awarded All-Conference by the Wyoming Coaches Association.

Dec. 16- Wrestling wins at Evanston

Kemmerer’s wrestling team had a good start to the season over the weekend at the Evanston Invitational. Against Evanston, Kemmerer scored 54 points to Evanston’s 16. Lyman won the duals 43-29 against Kemmerer. Kemmerer fought hard against Pinedale but ended up losing 44-30 at the invitational.

Dec. 16- Boys’ basketball had rocky week

The Kemmerer boys’ basketball team had their ups and downs this week at the Bridger Valley Tournament. On Friday, Dec. 11, Kemmerer won against Wind River 65-61. However, on Dec. 12, the Rangers lost against Cokeville 68-40.

Dec. 16- Kemmerer swimmers show well during rough week

The boys’ swim team had a rough week at the Lyman Triangular. Although the boys swam well — Kemmerer came in last with 236 points. Lyman was second with 263 and Sublette County was first with 334 points.

Dec. 16- Lady Rangers crush at Bridger Valley

The Lady Rangers basketball team had an outstanding week at the Bridger Valley Tournament. Kemmerer won 40-37 against Big Piney on Dec. 10, and 55-12 against Wind River on Dec. 11.

Dec. 23- Middle school boys’ swim team places fourth of eight

The middle school boys’ swim team placed fourth out of eight teams at the final meet.

“We are the smallest swimming school in the state,” coach Barry Wergin said, “but because of the swim club our swimmers come in ready to swim.”