That’s a wrap.
The 2023-24 high school sports year came to a close May 18 with state championships in track & field, soccer and softball. For the year, champions were crowned in 15 sports — six in the fall, six in the winter and three in the spring — across multiple classifications.
Before turning our attention to the Shrine Bowl, the College National Finals Rodeo, high school all-star games and American Legion baseball, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights from the 2023-24 high school sports year.
FALL
Football
Sheridan won its third consecutive Class 4A title with a 31-3 victory over Cheyenne East at the University of Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium. Senior quarterback Dominick Berrettini rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another and the Broncs shut down the T-Birds’ high-flying offense to win their 31st game in a row.
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The Broncs’ 31-game streak is second only to Laramie, which won 34 games from 1959-63.
Star Valley shut out Cody 27-0 to defend its 3A crown, with junior quarterback Smith McClure accounting for four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing).
In 2A, Torrington took an early lead and held off Big Horn for a 28-26 victory. The win gave the Trailblazers their first state title since 1990.
Big Piney and Wind River — two teams making their War Memorial debuts — squared off for the 1A/9-man championship. Wind River led 14-0 after one quarter, but the Punchers scored the final 39 points to hoist the trophy.
The 1A/6-man game produced two fourth-quarter defensive stops by Burlington as the Huskies topped Snake River 42-39 to end the Rattlers’ hopes for a three-peat and their 30-game winning streak.
Volleyball
The Laramie girls put the finishing touches on a dominant season with a 3-2 victory over Thunder Basin in the championship match. The state title was the third in four years for the Plainsmen, who finished 33-1.
Mountain View defeated Powell in four sets to repeat as 3A champs and Big Horn avenged last year’s loss to Burns with a 3-1 victory in the 2A championship match.
In 1A, Cokeville swept Snake River to win its first title in three years and 26th overall.
Girls swimming
Kelly Walsh senior Chayse Schierkolk won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and swam a leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay to lead the Trojans to the 4A team title for the first time in program history.
Sophomore Amaya Olivieri won two events (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke) for runner-up Jackson.
In 3A, Green River claimed its third title in four years — the Wolves and Lander tied for the top spot in 2021 — with junior Tanith Smith and sophomore Tavia Arnell winning two events apiece.
Boys cross country
Habtamu Wetzel won individual gold for the second year in a row and the Star Valley boys had all five of its point scorers finish in the top eight to repeat as 4A champs.
Evanston won the 3A team championship — the Red Devils’ first since winning the 4A title in 2018 — with Cody’s Charlie Hulbert racing to the individual crown.
Burlington’s Howard McNiven was the 2A champ and led the Huskies, who were competing for the first time as a program, to the team title.
Girls cross country
Natrona County juniors Ally Wheeler (2nd), Ashley Gross (3rd) and Nicole Clark (7th) led the Fillies to the 4A team championship, with Jackson junior Madison Antonino claiming individual honors.
In 3A, Powell won its first team title since 2010; Worland junior Zena Tapia was the first-place finisher.
Burlington’s Jessie Michaels won the program’s first individual gold, with Wright winning the team title for the first time since 2007.
Girls tennis
Cheyenne Central’s Hailey Mathis-Breitkopf won No. 2 singles for the second year in a row — she was the 2022 champ for Cheyenne East — and Genesis Tyler and Cailyn Smedley won No. 1 doubles to lead the Indians to the team title.
Kelly Walsh senior Taylor Nokes won No. 1 singles to make it three in a row for the Trojans following Gabriella Blumberg (2022) and Finley Klinger (2021).
Boys tennis
Laramie edged Cheyenne Central, 43-42, to win the team title for the first time in six years. The Plainsmen got a first-place finish from the No. 2 doubles team of Spencer Killpak and Carson Krueger and runner-up finishes from Paulo Mellizo in No. 1 singles and Declan O’Connor in No. 2 singles.
Cheyenne South’s Andrew Lock completed an undefeated season to repeat as the No. 1 singles champion.
Boys golf
Cheyenne East won its first 4A title since 1986 with Daniel Meyers earning individual medalist honors for the T-Birds.
Riverton’s Easton Paxton won gold for the fourth year in a row to lead the Wolverines to their third consecutive 3A title.
In 2A, Upton’s Logan Timberman placed first to lead the Bobcats to their first team title.
Girls golf
Sheridan won its second 4A title in three years, with Natrona County’s Cheyenne Ward grabbing individual honors.
In 3A, Lovell’s Erika Cook won her fourth consecutive individual title while Wheatland claimed its third consecutive team championship.
Thermopolis won the 2A team title for the first time since going back-to-back in 2007-08, with Sundance’s Savannah Peterson earning individual medalist honors.
WINTER Boys swimming & diving
Lander won its 28th consecutive Class 3A title with Reed McFadden (200 IM, 100 fly), Benny Kulow (100 free, 200 free) and Finn Richards (50 free, 100 back) all winning two events. The Tigers also finished first in both the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay for the 10th year in a row.
Laramie claimed its sixth consecutive 4A title. Tanner Lam won the 200 free and the Plainsmen also won the 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
Alpine skiing
Jackson swept the team and individual top spots. The state title was the 15th in a row for the girls and the 13th in a row for the boys. Dylan Witherite was the girls’ giant slalom champ; Liam Logan was the boys’ GS winner. The slalom races weren’t contested due to dangerous conditions at Jackson’s Snow King Resort.
Nordic skiing
The Jackson boys won the team title for the fifth consecutive year while Lander was the girls’ winner, snapping Jackson’s 11-year run at the top.
Individual winners for the boys were Lander’s Bennett Hutchison (freestyle) and Kelly Walsh’s Fisk-Bergstrom Johansson (classic). Natrona County junior Ally Wheeler swept both disciplines for the second year in a row.
Boys indoor track
Sheridan won only one event — the 4x200 relay — but depth throughout the lineup allowed the Broncs to hold off Cheyenne Central for the 4A crown.
Cody repeated as the 3A champ with Charlie Hulbert (800), Jacob Ball (long jump), Luke Moulton (discus) and Kyler Winters (pole vault) all winning individual gold. The Broncs also won three of four relays.
Girls indoor track
Cheyenne East senior Taliah Morris set state records in the 200 (25.11) and long jump (19-06.5) and also won the 55-meter dash; and freshman Maggie Madsen won the 800, the 16— and the 3200 to lift the T-Birds to the 4A title for the first time since 2012.
Senior Ada Nelson won the 800 and the 1600 and the Fillies finished first in three of four relays to defend their 3A title.
Star Valley senior Valerie Jirak was a four-event winner, grabbing gold in the 55, the 200, the 400 and long jump.
Girls wrestling
Star Valley made it two for two in team titles thanks to a first-place finish from Cara Andrews and depth throughout the lineup.
Boys wrestling
Thunder Basin’s Antonio Avila won his fourth individual gold to help lead the Bolts to the 4A title for the first time.
Green River was the 3A winner for the third year in a row thanks to five individual champions, including four-time Kale Knezovich.
Moorcroft ended Kemmerer’s two-year run at the top of 2A and finished atop the podium for the first time since 2020.
Girls basketball
Sheridan senior Avery McMullen scored 17 points and classmate Alli Ligocki added 15 to lead the Broncs to a 65-56 victory over Gillette in the 4A championship game.
Douglas won its sixth consecutive 3A crown (2018-19, 2021-24) with a 54-33 victory over Buffalo in the state championship game.
Junior Lauren Olsen scored 92 points (30.7 points per game) in the Bearcats’ three games, including 45 in a semifinal victory over Mountain View. Olsen enters her senior season as the state’s No. 6 all-time leading scorer with 1,909 points. Lander’s Tahnee Robinson is the all-time leader with 2,303 points (2002-06).
Tongue River defeated Lingle-Fort Laramie 46-43 in the 2A title game to win its first title since 2014.
Southeast avenged last year’s title-game loss to Upton with a 45-40 victory over the Bobcats in the championship game.
Boys basketball
A strong group of seniors led Cheyenne Central to the 4A title for the second time in four years. The Indians defeated Laramie 62-59 behind a combined 37 points from Joe Sawyer and Chase Talich.
Powell completed a perfect season (26-0) with a 49-34 victory against Wheatland in the 3A championship game. It was the Panthers’ first state title since 1998.
Playing in the state tournament for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2019-20, Wyoming Indian defeated Lusk 48-42 to hoist the trophy. Darwin Gambler had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Chiefs in the championship game.
Upton won the 1A title for the third time in four years with a 55-36 victory over Saratoga. Ethan Schiller finished with 17 points for the Bobcats.
SPRING Softball
Thunder Basin completed a three-peat by shutting out Cheyenne East 10-0 in the championship game. The Bolts are 12-0 at state the past three years.
Girls soccer
Kelly Walsh defeated Jackson 3-2 in overtime to repeat as 4A champs.
Lander ended Cody’s two-year reign at the top of 3A with a 2-1 victory in the championship game.
Boys soccer
Jackson won its third 4A title in four years with a 4-0 shutout of Cheyenne Central in the championship game. Teddy Opler, who led the state with 34 goals, scored twice in the Broncs’ victory.
Cody defeated Green River 3-0 in the title game to win its first 3A state championship since 2017. Worland, which had won the past five titles, was the consolation champ.
Girls track & field
Sheridan won the 4A title for the first time in 41 years as Addie Pendergast set state records in both the 400 (54.40) and the 300 hurdles (42.69) and Lilly Charest won pole vault.
Cheyenne East senior Taliah Morris set state records in the 100 (11.68), 200 (23.45) and long jump (20-08.5). The long jump title was her fourth in a row.
In 3A, Lander finished atop the podium for the first time since 2001. The Tigers won three of four relays and got gold-medal performances from freshman Paisley Hollingshead (300 hurdles) and sophomore Adelyn Anderson (shot put).
Mountain View’s Jaylee Antonino won three events (100 hurdles, high jump, triple jump) and the Buffalos’ Mylie Micheli was pole vault champ for the fourth year in a row.
Kemmerer won the 4x400 — the final event of the meet — to hold off defending champ Big Piney for the 2A crown. Junior Laynee Walker won both hurdles races and pole vault, and the Rangers finished first in three of four relays to win the program’s first state championship in 40 years.
Cokeville sophomore Addison Barnes won four events (100, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, high jump) and sophomore Mia Dayton (400, 800) and senior Bryli Groll (1600, 3200) won two to lead the Panthers to the 1A title.
Boys track & field
Sheridan got first-place finishes from Chance Morris (100, 200), Landrum Wiley (3200) and Aiden O’Leary (300 hurdles) to win state for the third time in four years. Morris set a state record in the 200 with a 21.11.
Douglas seniors Tegen Seeds (shot put, discus), Tanner Johnson (800) and Chase Holler (400) all won gold to help lead the Bearcats to the team title.
Big Horn senior Gavin Stafford set a state record in the 100 (10.31) and 2A records in the 200 (21.16) and long jump (23-00.75) to help the Rams repeat as 2A champs. Big Horn also finished 1-5 in both the 100 and 200 to earn 66 combined points.
Burlington had only one individual winner — Kyler Winters in pole vault — but the Huskies’ depth was enough for them to defend their 1A state title.
