A historic season for the Pinedale High School Lady Wranglers culminated with athletes picking up multiple postseason awards from the Wyoming Coaches Association.
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PINEDALE – A historic season for the Pinedale High School Lady Wranglers culminated with athletes picking up multiple postseason awards from the Wyoming Coaches Association.
Juniors Elyn Bowers and Gabby Rogers and sophomore Erica Wilson each garnered 3A All-State honors and 3A West All-Conference accolades. Bowers was also named the 3A West Player of the Year.
Bowers broke three Pinedale High School records during the 2023-2024 season. The junior broke the record for single-game scoring with 41 points against Thermopolis. The previous record stood at 36 points, set by McKenzie Hartwig in 2001.
Bowers also shattered the season-scoring record she set the previous season, besting her performance in 2022-2023 of 534 points with 623 points in 2023-2024.
Bowers went on to break the career scoring record, originally held by Roxanne Rogers (1,346 points). Bowers is only a junior and is set to add many more points to her current record of 1,556 points.
Sophomore Alyxis White earned 3A West All-Conference honorable mention for her contributions over the season.
The Lady Wranglers’ head coach, Trent Bowers, emphasized that all four players possessed exceptional talent and were each extremely coachable.
Elyn Bowers, Rogers, Wilson and White dedicated significant hours beyond the hectic practice and competition schedule – both during the season and in the offseason – to improve, coach Bowers added.
“It is a coach’s dream to have these players,” Bowers said. “They all worked together to get the job done and they understood that basketball is about ‘we’ and not ‘me.’ They are a testament to their parents raising kids the right way. It was a super successful year and I’m excited about next year.”
A memorable season
“This year, we were a team of firsts,” Elyn Bowers said. “We showed people that we’re one of the best teams in the state.”
Pinedale concluded the season with an impressive 5-1 conference record and 20-3 overall record. The Lady Wranglers won the 3A West Regional Championship for the first time as a 3A program and placed third at state – another first for Pinedale’s varsity squad in the 3A division.
Pinedale’s relatively young starting lineup played together on the varsity squad for the first time this winter after the team graduated a large number of seniors the previous season.
The team chemistry took a few weeks to gel, but once the players found their groove, the rest was history.
“I think it all kind of started in the summer,” Wilson said. “Once we started going to practices and getting comfortable around each other, it made it so much easier. Everyone on the team was so supportive.”
Rogers echoed Wilson’s sentiments:
“This was the most inviting team I ever played with,” Rogers said. “I felt like we were all one big group. The dynamic this season was based around how much we got along.”
A large part of the team’s chemistry revolved around unselfish basketball.
“You’re not out there on the court by yourself,” Bowers noted. “You’re with your team. The better each individual is, the better the team is as a whole.”
Rogers felt driven to improve by her teammates.
“I knew how far we can make it,” Rogers added. “I felt like it would be selfish to not put everything I can toward basketball. I want to win for my teammates and we want to win for each other.”
Each player on the team contributed to their fellow player’s work ethic, Wilson remarked.
“When you see other people in the gym putting in the work, it just makes you want to work even harder,” Wilson added. “When everyone is so supportive, it’s easier to give it all you have.”
An epic postseason
The Lady Wranglers advanced to the championship game against Mountain View at the 3A West Regional Tournament in Thermopolis.
Mountain View found itself up, 34-25, when the halftime buzzer sounded.
Refusing to yield, a determined Lady Wrangler squad returned to the court in the second half.
“The first half was rough,” Wilson said. “Mountain View came out faster. We had to take a deep breath. At halftime, we all started running the floor and people were making shots.”
Pinedale edged up in the fourth quarter to match the Lady Buffalos in scoring and overtake Mountain View.
“After Elyn got three steals in a row and a couple of buckets, I felt like Mountain View panicked a little bit,” Rogers said. “We still had four minutes left in the game and I felt like our energy just took over.”
Mountain View fell further behind as the Lady Wranglers took control of the scoreboard.
“Everything started to flow and we were making more shots,” Bowers said. “You could see that the more times we stopped them, Mountain View just sank down a little bit more.”
The Lady Wranglers defeated Mountain View, 64-58, to earn the regional title and snag the No. 1 seed at the state tournament the following week.
Pinedale opened state with a game against Wheatland, the No. 4 seed from the 3A East Conference. The neck-and-neck game ended with the Lady Wranglers triumphing, 49-42.
“We never won the first game (at state as 3A) before, so it was cool to finally get into the winner’s bracket after beating Wheatland,” Bowers said.
Progressing to the semifinals, the Lady Wranglers gave top-ranked Buffalo a run for its money, ultimately falling by a heartbreaking single point, 44-43. Regardless of the outcome, the Buffalo game was a highlight for Wilson.
“Even though we lost – and that was hard – Buffalo definitely taught us a lot,” Wilson said. “We came out really hot, and you could tell each of us wanted to get into the championship game.”
Pinedale’s ability to run with Buffalo made a statement to the rest of Wyoming, Rogers added.
“A lot of people on the other side (of the state) didn’t think that anybody on the western side was very competitive,” Rogers said. “The east has always been competitive – Buffalo and Douglas. But we proved we could be right there with Buffalo and scared the other side of the state.”
Bowers, Rogers and Wilson started playing basketball when they were old enough to walk. Bowers found inspiration from her coach and father, Trent Bowers.
“He always pushed me and helps me be my best,” Bowers said. “He is so supportive.”
Rogers followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Roxanne Rogers, who now plays basketball at the collegiate level.
“She worked really hard and loved basketball,” Rogers noted.
Wilson felt inspired by “all the teammates and coaches I’ve had” over the years.
The trio thanked their families, coaches and teammates for encouraging them to improve during the course of an eventful winter season.
“My parents were always there and they wanted to help,” Rogers said, adding that her teammates were “the best people I know.”
Wilson also expressed gratitude to God.
“My faith is a huge part of basketball,” Wilson said.
Bowers, Rogers and Wilson are each interested in pursuing basketball after high school, either as college players or coaches. In the meantime, the team looks forward to returning to the court in 2024-2025 with a shot at the state championship.
“I know we can win regionals again,” Bowers said. “I think we can win state. This summer, we can work on that. I’m excited for next year.”
