Four Standouts Share the WyoPreps Athlete of the Week Honor [VIDEO]

Two state champions and big-time performances in volleyball and football share the WyoPreps Athlete of the Week Award awards presented by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Wyoming.

No. 1 singles state champs Taylor Nokes of Kelly Walsh and Andrew Lock of Cheyenne South, plus Lyman volleyball senior Hailey Eldredge, and Sheridan senior football player Dane Steel were honored for their performances last week.

Stokes won the girls’ No. 1 singles crown with a come-from-behind three-set victory last Wednesday in Gillette. She dropped the first set 6-4 and trailed in set two, but Ms. Nokes got on a roll from there. She won the second set 6-2 and the third set 6-4 for her first singles state title. Nokes beat last year’s runner-up and made up for a loss to that same opponent in the regular season.

Nominating coach Buddy Johnson said, “It was one of the best matches ever in high school tennis.”

Cheyenne South’s Andrew Lock won his second straight state championship at boys’ No. 1 singles. Lock rolled through the state tournament field with four straight-sets victories. He lost only 11 games during four matches. Lock won the state title with a 6-4 and 6-1 win in the finals.

Nominating coach Josh Cossitt said, “He defended his State Championship title. Andrew hasn’t lost a match in 2 years and only 1 in the last 3. He did not drop a set this season or in postseason play.”

Eldredge played a huge role in Lyman’s four-set volleyball victory at Pinedale last Thursday night. The senior had 27 kills and hit .438 in the match. She added 15 digs and two service aces. Eldredge followed that with 17 kills and 15 digs in a four-set loss to rival Mountain View.

Finally, Steel put together his best all-around game in a No. 1 versus No. 2 match-up in 4A football. The Sheridan senior helped the Broncs beat then No. 1 Cheyenne East, 44-37, in Cheyenne. Steel had 358 all-purpose yards and scored 5 total touchdowns in the victory. He ran for three TDs, caught another, and returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score.

The nominating media member, who was at the game, said, “Steel was unreal against East.”

WyoPreps caught up with all four student-athletes on Wednesday to discuss their performances. Whether it was a tennis state championship or a big-time effort in a volleyball match or football game, all four said they could not have done it without help and support from coaches and teammates.

Congratulations to all four!

The WyoPreps Athlete of the Week nominations are accepted weekly from 5 p.m. on Fridays through 9 a.m. on Mondays. Anyone can nominate a student-athlete or team. Winners are announced each Wednesday.