No. 25 Wyoming Claims Sweep Over SDSU

First 3-0 MW start since 1998

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Behind double-digit kills from junior Kayla Slofkiss, the University of Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team won its seventh-consecutive match with a sweep over San Diego State on Thursday night.

Before the night’s match, UW had never swept SDSU on Aztec Court in Peterson Gym. The Cowgirls now start 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998.

Slofkiss had the lone double-double for Wyoming. To go along with her team-high 12 kills she added 12 digs and also a season-high hitting percentage with .480 (12-0-25). Laura Beach added nine kills for Wyoming, hitting .474 (9-0-19) against SDSU.

Senior Kayla Henderson had eight kills on the evening, while Emily Hines added six and Mattison DeGarmo had four for the Cowgirls.

For the sixth-consecutive match, junior Courtney Chacon led UW in assists. She totaled 19 while running the offense against the Aztecs. Freshman Cori Aafedt was next in line with 12 assists.

Senior Allison Waldvogel had her seventh-straight match in double-digit digs for the Cowgirls. She had a team-high 16 against SDSU. Sophomore Lily Austin had a season-high and team-leading three service aces on the night, while Aafedt added two for UW.

Henderson led the way in an evenly played first set, but when it mattered most the Cowgirls battled to a victory. They claimed five of the last six points before a kill by DeGarmo sealed the 1-0 set lead. In the second set, UW controlled a majority of the match and took eight of the last nine points as a kill from Slofkiss brought the Cowgirls to a 2-0 advantage into intermission.

Wyoming was able to get the offense rolling in the final frame, and eventually jumped out to a 21-11 lead before an Aztec timeout. Kills from Henderson and Hines claimed UW’s fourth victory in three sets this season.

 

 

 

 

Wyoming Runs in Rocky Mountain Shootout on Saturday

LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming men’s and women’s cross country teams will continue to race against some stiff competition this weekend, as the Cowboys and Cowgirls compete in the Rocky Mountain Shootout.

Hosted by the University of Colorado, the women’s 5.8-kilometer race commences at 9 a.m. MT at the Buffalo Ranch located on CU’s South Campus, while the men run over 8 kilometers at 9:45 a.m.

Wyoming fared well in a loaded field at the prestigious Roy Griak Invite last weekend in Minnesota. The Cowgirls finished eighth out of 26 teams, while the Cowboys were 10th in the 23-team field. Both races included several teams ranked in the nation’s top 30. It’ll be more of the same on Saturday, as Wyoming faces the CU men who are ranked first in the nation and the CU women who are second. Several of UW’s top runners will be held out for training purposes.

“The goal for this weekend is to get some of our younger athletes a chance to step up and get a little more experience. Hopefully that will help them when we go to pre-nationals in Louisville. This has historically been a very challenging meet in terms of field and course. A couple of tough hills on the course, but it isn’t anything we aren’t used to running around Happy Jack.” – UW head coach Bryan Berryhill

 

Last Time Out: DeStefano and Derner Lead Cross Country at Griak

Running against several ranked programs, the University of Wyoming men’s and women’s cross country teams claimed 10th and eighth, respectively, at the prestigious Roy Griak Invite last Saturday at Les Bolstad Golf Course. No. 25 Michigan State won the 23-team men’s field, while No. 20 Boise State finished ahead of three other ranked teams in the women’s field of 26.

“I learned a lot about what both teams need to work on before we race at pre-nationals in three weeks,” UW head coach Bryan Berryhill said. “Audra [DeStefano] had a great race finishing in the top 20. The women’s team had a good day, especially our first-through-fourth runners. Aaron [Derner] ran well for the men’s team, which had a solid effort overall.”

Senior Audra DeStefano paced the Cowgirls for a second-straight race by placing 17th overall in 22:00 over the 6-kilometer course. Sophomore Kerry White has been slowed by a foot injury, but clocked 22:26 last Saturday for 28th. Junior Ali Walker finished 44th in 22:40, while fellow junior Megan Brunette was six seconds behind her in 50th place. Junior Catherine Cloetta ran 23:53 for 115th, freshman Kiah Leonard was 117th in 23:54 and junior Cassidy Meade was 124th in 24:01.

Senior Aaron Derner was the first Cowboy across the line in the men’s 8-kilometer race. He placed 23rd at 25:34, while fellow senior Amos Bowen was 52nd in 26:06. Junior Alex Pawlak was 63rd in 26:17, while senior Dylan Morin was 78th in 26:34. Redshirt freshman Ricky Faure rounded out UW’s scorers at 26:37 for 84th. Senior Mike Seas ran 26:50 for 96th and sophomore Jonah Henry was 126th in 27:22.

 

2015 Roy Griak Invite

Men’s Team Results

1. No. 25 Michigan State – 74
2. RV Southern Utah – 88
3. No. 29 California – 94
4. No. 22 Colorado State – 96
5. RV Minnesota – 107
6. Wyoming – 300

Wyoming Men Individual Results

23. Aaron Derner – 25:34
24. Amos Bowen – 26:06
25. Alex Pawlak – 26:17
26. Dylan Morin – 26:34
27. Ricky Faure – 26:37
28. Mike Seas – 26:50
29. Jonah Henry – 27:22

Women’s Team Results

1. No. 20 Boise State – 37
2. No. 6 Michigan State – 116
3. No. 26 Minnesota – 141
4. Weber State – 147
5. No. 30 California – 169
6. Wyoming – 254

Wyoming Women Individual Results

17. Audra DeStefano – 22:00
18. Kerry White – 22:26
19. Ali Walker – 22:40
20. Megan Brunette – 22:46
21. Catherina Cloetta – 23:53
22. Kiah Leonard – 23:54
23. Cassidy Meade – 24:01

 

Wyoming in the USTFCCCA Regional Polls

The Cowgirls stayed eighth in the latest USTFCCCA regional polls, while the Cowboys moved up to ninth. Both teams started this season ranked 10th. The Wyoming women finished last season fifth (second Mountain West team) in the Mountain Region, after climbing as high as fourth. The Cowboys were 10th (fifth MW team). The polls are on page three of the notes.

 

Returning NCAA Qualifier

The Cowboys return all seven of their top runners from a season ago, but more importantly they welcome back someone with experience at the national meet. Senior Amos Bowen will look to qualify for the national meet for a second-straight season.

He is the first Cowboy to return after competing at the NCAA Championships since Mark Korir went three-straight seasons from 2006-08. Bowen will also be looking to take down Korir’s school record in the 8,000 meters of 23:41. Bowen was two seconds shy at last season’s Washington Invite.

 

Success Under Berryhill

The Wyoming cross country teams have continued to build on their success under head coach Bryan Berryhill this season.

At last season’s Washington Invite, the Cowgirls beat a ranked opponent for the first time since the current version of the coaches poll began in 1995, as UW took down No. 13 Villanova. Individually, Holly Page ran the fastest 6 kilometers by a Cowgirl since 1990, while Amos Bowen ran the fastest 8 kilometers by a Cowboy since 2007.

Previously, the Cowboys and Cowgirls took home both team titles at the Montana State Invite on Sept. 20, in what is becoming a trend. The two squads have combined for nine team titles in three seasons under Berryhill and also earned four individual victories.

 

Local Flavor

Wyoming’s cross country squads have a distinct local feel this season. A total of 11 of the 20 Cowboys hail from the Equality State, including Jonah Henry of Laramie, while nine of the 21 Cowgirls are natives of the state.

 

Next Up

Wyoming races at Louisville’s Pre-Nationals on Oct. 17 in Louisville, Ken.

 

 

 

Wyoming Soccer Headed to Colorado Springs to Continue Conference Play

LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming Cowgirl soccer team will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. to battle the Air Force Falcons on Friday and the Colorado College Tigers on Sunday. The Cowgirls will look to improve on their conference record as they are 1-1-0 and 5-2-3 overall this season.

“We will definitely have our hands full this weekend,” UW soccer head coach Pete Cuadrado said. “Both teams are undefeated in conference play but we are excited to get back out there and compete.”

UW is coming off a six-game homestead with a 3-0 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs on Sunday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex. Wyoming forced their fifth shutout of the season, while three Cowgirls notched the first goal of their careers.

Taylor Burton, Summer Halle and Annika Clayton each tallied a goal against FSU. UW has recorded 151 shots this year, which ranks third in the Mountain West behind Boise State (152) and UNLV (158).

Air Force is 3-6-1 overall on the season and 1-0-1 in conference play. The Falcons have wins over Denver, Morehead State and UNLV. AFA is led by Ally Swift who has five goals on the year, ranking her third in the MW. Wyoming holds an 11-7-1 all-time mark against the Falcons.

Colorado College was picked to finish second in the MW Preseason Coaches Poll. They boast a 2-0-0 conference record and a 4-6-1 overall record on the season. The Tigers are led by Senior Sarah Schweiss with four goals, two assists and 49 shots. She is ranked 81st among the top 100 collegiate women’s soccer players by TopDrawerSoccer. Colorado College holds a 7-1-0 all-time record over Wyoming.

The Cowgirls will start the weekend on Friday at Air Force with kickoff set at 6 p.m. MT. Following the match with the Falcons, Wyoming will travel to Colorado College to battle the Tigers on Sunday. The match is set to begin at 2 p.m. MT.

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming and Diving Set to Host Brown and Gold

Annual Meet will be held in Cheyenne

LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming swimming and diving teams will begin its 2015-16 campaign with the annual Brown and Gold meet on Friday in Cheyenne at South High School. The dual is free and open to the public and will begin at 5:30 p.m. MT. Like in years past, the Cowboys and Cowgirls will be split into two co-ed teams to compete against one another.

“This is always an enjoyable event for not just the seniors but the rest of the team as well,” UW head coach Tom Johnson said. “This really is our first step into our season to see where we are at, asses where we are at and make changes we need to make or things we need to work on to better ourselves for the season.”

A Look at the Cowgirls: The Cowgirls have plenty of experience returning that earned All-Mountain West honors last year. Maria Harutjunjan, Keely Bishop and Molly Coonce each earned multiple honors for the Cowgirls.

Harutjunjan was the conference champion in the 100 breaststroke and took second in the 200, as Bishop earned All-MW in the 1-meter and platform dive, and Coonce earned all-conference honors in the 100 and 200 butterfly. Kari Campbell was named All-MW after a solid performance at the MW Championships that included setting a school record in the platform dive.

Emma Dow, Aliyah Mikulski, Emily Ridout, Abby Sullivan and Connor Tarver also earned All-MW honors a year ago. Campbell became the first Cowgirl to qualify for a final at the NCAA Zone Championship since 2013, as she finished 15th of the 56-diver field. Bishop also finished 31st at the Championships.

Harutjunjan represented the Cowgirls and her home country of Estonia at the World University Games. She competed in the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke events.

A Look at the Cowboys: The Cowboys return a number of key members from last season’s third-place finish at the WAC Championships. Ryan Ball was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year a year ago after he won the 100 free and finished second in the 200 backstroke with the second-fastest time in school history.

Brendan Costello finished third in the 200 backstroke, while George Eglesfield placed third in the 200 butterfly, as Wade Nelson finished sixth. Ryan Nelson also had himself a solid outing at the Championships as he placed third in the 1,650 freestyle. The UW divers made history at the WAC Championships as three qualified for the finals in two events.

Ryan Russi finished third in the platform dive, as Jacob Rehmeier finished seventh and Austin Rettinghouse placed eighth. Rettinghouse finished 22nd on the 3-meter springboard at the NCAA Zone Championship, and Remeier ended his sophomore season placing 22nd.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the freshman to swim in a college meet,” Johnson added. “There will be pressure for them to do well for their team, but not quite the amount of pressure if it were against another team. We are all looking forward to seeing how everyone competes on Friday.” – UW head coach Tom Johnson

Wyoming added 22 incoming newcomers to this year’s squad. The Cowgirls signed 15 student-athletes, while the Cowboys added seven. The signees come from 12 different states including Venezuela and New Zealand.

 

 

 

 

Allen, Wallen Claim Top-Five Finish at Mark Simpson-CU Invitational

BOULDER, Colo. – The University of Wyoming men’s golf team was led by senior Kamrin Allen on the final day of the Mark Simpson-CU Invitational.

He finished the final round with a score of 70 (E) and placed second in the 75-man field. Junior Ryan Wallen wrapped up the tournament with a 72 (+2) on Tuesday, as he tied for fifth place with 212 (+2).

UW carded a 287 (+7) during the final round of the tournament. The Cowboys wrapped up the 12-team tournament at the Boulder Country Club with a score of 858 (+18) to finish in third place. Wyoming carded a first round score of 293 (+13) and a second round 278 (-2).

“I’m happy with the overall finish,” UW head coach Joe Jensen said. “We are tired from a long weekend but I’m satisfied with third place. Kamrin played really well and it’s nice to see that kind of consistency throughout the tournament. That’s the kind of consistency that we strive for as a team.”

Allen fired off rounds of 70 (E) and 69 (-1) on Monday to propel him to a final score 209 (-1). It’s his best finish since the Battle of the Tetons, where he claimed the individual title. Sophomore Quintin Pope finished the tournament at 218 (+8), as he carded a final round score of 72 (+2), tying for 25th place. Sophomores Drew McCullough and Glenn Workman rounded out Wyoming’s team score. They both finished play at 224 (+14), tying them for 47th place.

Sophomore Arron Lickteig and freshman John Murdock played as individuals. Lickteig ended the third round with a 76 (+6) and tying for 16th. Murdock gathered a total of 220 (+10) as he tied for 32nd place.

Colorado and UMKC tied for first place turning in scores of 847 (+7). Wichita State ended play in fourth place at 867 (+27). Houston Baptist rounded out the top five at 871 (+31).

UMKC’s Antoine Rozner held on to his lead in the final round, as he took home the individual championship at 208 (-2). Rozner shot a 69 (-1) to close out the tournament.

UW will return to action on Friday and Saturday as host of the Cowboy Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Ariz.

 

Wyoming Day One Individual Results

2. Kamrin Allen: 70 (E) – 69 (-1) – 70 (E) = 209 (-1)

T5. Ryan Wallen: 72 (+2) – 68 (-2) – 72 (+2) = 212 (+2)

T16. Arron Lickteig *: 69 (-1) – 71 (+1) – 76 (+6) = 216 (+6)

T25. Quintin Pope: 76 (+6) – 70 (E) – 72 (+2) = 218 (+8)

T32. John Murdock *: 70 (E) – 74 (+4) – (+6) = 220 (+10)

T47. Drew McCullough:  77 (+7) – 71 (+1) – 76 (+6) = 224 (+14)

T47. Glenn Workman: 75 (+5) – 76 (+6) – 73 (+3) = 224 (+14)

*Playing as an individual