Wyoming High School Sports 2011 Year In Review

As we prepare to flip the calendar over into 2012, we'll take a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly that happened, back in 2011.

Events are listed in no particular order.

Tahnee Robinson (Lander grad), Chris Prosinski (Buffalo grad) and Brandon Nimmo (East grad) were drafted by teams in the WNBA, NFL, and MLB respectively.

Big Horn boys basketball capped off an undefeated season, by winning the boys 2A state title. Other state champs were Gillette boys and girls (4A), Buffalo boys (3A), Little Snake River boys (1A), Wheatland girls (3A), Lovell girls (2A), and Cokeville girls (1A).

Wrestling team state champs: Gillette (9-peat), Worland, and Cokeville.

Boys Swimming team state champs: Laramie (3-peat) and Lander (15-peat)

Nordic Skiing team state champs: Jackson boys and Natrona girls

Alpine skiing team state champs: Kelly Walsh boys and Jackson girls

Indoor Track and Field team state champs: Cheyenne East boys and Gillette girls

Soccer state champs: Sheridan boys (4A...first ever), Gillette girls (4A...first ever via shootout), Cody boys (3A) and Jackson girls (3A...4-peat)

Outdoor Track and Field team state champs: Natrona boys (4A), Powell boys (3A), Pine Bluffs boys (2A) Little Snake River boys (1A), Kelly Walsh girls (4A), Cody girls (3A), Lovell girls (2A), and a tie between Cokeville and Little Snake River girls (1A).

Of the records that were broken at the state track meet, the most notable was Gillette's Paula Andrie, smashing the 4A girls pole vault record, with a vault of 12 feet.

The Wyoming All-Star basketball team went a combined 6-2 vs. their counter-parts from Montana and South Dakota. WY swept all 4 games vs. SD, and WY boys swept MT.

The North beat the South 34-28 in the Shrine Bowl.

Cheyenne Post 6 3-peated as 'AA' state champs in Legion Baseball. The Wheatland Lobos won the 'A' state title.

Reclassification took effect as teams switched conferences and/or classes.

Football state champs: Sheridan (4A), Powell (3A), Lovell (2A...undefeated season), Cokeville (1A) and Little Snake River (6-Man...undefeated season)

Volleyball state champs: Sheridan (4A), Cody (3A repeat), Wright (2A) and Cokeville (1A)

Golf team state champs: Sheridan boys (4A repeat), Powell boys (3A), Lusk boys (2A), Gillette girls (4A), Rawlins girls (3A), and Moorcroft girls (2A repeat).

Tennis team state champs: Gillette (boys) and Natrona (girls)

Girls Swimming team state champs: Gillette (4A 7-peat) and Lander (3A)

Cross Country team state champs: Rock Springs boys (4A), Jackson boys (3A repeat), Wyoming Indian boys (2A 5-peat), Laramie girls (4A first title), Cody girls (3A first title), Pine Bluffs-Burns girls (2A repeat)

Kelly Walsh girls cheer-leading squad won the varsity cheer non-tumbling division championship at the American Grand Cheer and Dance Championships.

Buffalo high school had to dismiss their football coach after giving out a survey to his players with inappropriate language. The story got so much attention because of the close timing to the situation involving the Penn State football program.

Cody's girls track coach stepped down rather than have his team be dis-qualified from any future post-season competition. This was after saying an explicative to a runner on another team, in a threatening manner.

Cheyenne South wrestler Issac Salas died as a result of injuries he sustained in practice the year before.

About 2 months after graduating, Travis Calkin of Cody died in a 1-car rollover north of Thermopolis. He was preparing to start his freshman season of football at Chadron State.