“I reminded myself to make a move with two laps left and then kick it in for the last 200 meters – really give it everything and pass her,” Antonino said.
The action for the Wranglers opened with an away game against the Lyman Eagles on Friday, May 12. Lyman established a 3-0 lead by halftime. Pinedale rallied in the second half to outscore its opponent, 2-1. The final scoreboard ultimately favored Lyman, 4-2.
On Friday, May 12, Pinedale traveled to the Bridger Valley to square off against the Lyman Lady Eagles.
The top eight finishers in individual events and the top four relay teams secured a spot at the State Track Meet in Casper on May 18-20.
Pinedale High School senior Stephanie Resendiz Hernandez, center, signs to compete on the track team at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisc., at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 3.
PHS sophomore Madison Antonino, pictured above in the 800-meters at Rock Springs on April 15, set two new school records in distance events at the 2023 Brigham Young University High School Invitational on May 5-6. T
The event is the final meet of the regular season. Pinedale competes at the 3A West Regional Track and Field Championships in Worland on Friday and Saturday, May 12-13.
Undeterred, the Wranglers put up a fight on the home pitch against Green River, the No. 2-ranked team in the 3A West Conference, on Friday, May 5. Green River scored three goals in the first half. An airtight Pinedale defense prevented its opponent from scoring in the second half. Green River ultimately posted the win, 3-0.
“I am very proud of the growth we have seen with the team,” said Head Coach Shanda Jensen. “They had a triple header this last weekend and never let up. Our starting goalie got a wrist injury during the Lander game and (freshman) Erin Murphy did amazing.”
The Lady Wranglers’ ability to rebound under pressure bodes well for future games, said Head Coach Shanda Jensen.
“A shout out needs to go to out goalkeeper, Brody Hamby, who continued to do excellent work for the team,” he noted. “He made many clutch saves throughout the match and provided a confidence that is indispensable to our backline.”
“The small group that traveled to Riverton performed really well,” said Head Coach Kyle Sullivan. “With several personal bests, we saw this group rebound from the home meet competition nicely. Potentially the most beneficial part to this meet was the weather. While we will not complain about 65 degrees and sunshine, our team is really only used to 40 degrees and snow, so this nice weather can be a shock to their systems.”
The Lady Wranglers snagged second place out of nine teams, tallying 122 points. The contest for the top-two team spots came down to the wire, with Cokeville pulling ahead of the Lady Wranglers by only 4 points to secure first place at 126 points. Earning 104 team points, the Wrangler boys also took second place. Eight teams competed in the boys’ division and the battle for the No. 1 and No. 2 spots was close as well, with Cokeville taking first place at 110 points.
A particularly powerful wind gust knocked out the official timing camera early in the competition, forcing meet officials to use handheld timing devices for the remainder of the competition. As per new Wyoming state high-school regulations, results from handheld devices may not be used for official rankings, records or to prequalify athletes for State. While the meet in Green River continued as scheduled, none of the results printed below are considered official.
“The game against Cody started out pretty rough, but the girls really turned it around in the second half,” said Head Coach Shanda Jensen. “For the Powell game, it was a rough travel day, but the girls stuck with it and never gave up.”
Pinedale struck deep into Cody territory, with juniors Graham Harber and Dylan Call both making shots on goal. Switching seamlessly to defense, Harber cleared the ball out of Wrangler territory. Junior Dustin Larsen protected the goal area with a header.
“We were finally able to get our entire team to a track meet,” said Head Coach Kyle Sullivan. “We were happy to have a sunny, yet chilly, day in Rock Springs. We had 16 athletes achieve at least one personal best performance, which was over a third of the team. That was a great accomplishment for the team last weekend. This is an exciting way for many kids to start the season, and we will look to carry that momentum forward.”
“The girls are improving each week and all the hard work is starting to show,” said Head Coach Shanda Jensen. “We have two new goalies – Samantha Brannan and Erin Murphy – and they are doing exceptional.”
“This match came down to heart,” Vlastos added. “The boys were playing a man down for three-quarters of the game and our bench wasn’t deep due to injuries, but Pinedale refused to concede. It was also the most physical game we’ve played this year, but the boys never backed off. The team is starting to come together in terms of form and trusting one another, and they are doing much better spreading the field laterally. Coach Stephenson and I usually call out a player of the match, but every one of the boys deserved that recognition.”
Antonino broke the school record in the girls’ 1600-meter that she set in 2022 at the Uintah Invitational in Vernal, Utah, on April 1. Antonino’s previous record stood at 5:24.08. Her new mark on April 1 was 5:21.99.