February 2, 2018 Pinedale Roundup Page 3

Local Olympians race at White Pine

By Cody Olivas
colivas@pinedaleroundup.com

PINEDALE –  Seventy-five athletes

from southwest Wyoming participated in
the Area 2 Special Olympic games held at
White Pine Resort on Jan. 19.
They came from Sublette County, Evan-
ston, Star Valley, Jackson and Lander. They
snowboarded and skied downhill, raced on
snowshoes and cross-country skis.
“The event was a great success,” said
Dan Lang, the games’ coordinator. “We
had a great turnout in the number of com-
petitors. White Pine and all its employees
were amazing and made for a great place
to host the event. The volunteers that came
out to help run the event were incredible
as well. To top it all off, the weather was
perfect.”
All of the athletes that competed also
qualified for the state games, which will
take place in Jackson Feb. 6-8.
From Sublette County, eight athletes
strapped on their winter gear and competed
at White Pine.
Nine-year old Tucker Boyce competed
on his cross-country skis and won the 25-
meter race in 39.22 seconds. Boyce also
competed in the 50-meter race (1:07.05)
and the 100-meter (2:15.40) races.
Angela Brandewie, 21, also raced on
cross-country skis and finished first in
her division in both the 100-meter race
(3:17.49) and the 50-meter race (1:59.56).
Her time in the 25-meter race was 1:00.12.
Ian Jones, 13, Herb “Maddox” Loyd, 13,
and Rachel Tucker, 10, also hit the Nordic
trails.
Loyd finished first in three events on his
cross-country skis: the 1K (9:01.50), the 3K
(27.05.12) and the 500-meter race (4:39.05).
Tucker was the runner-up in the 100-
meter race (2:35.15), the 25-meter race
(41.00) and the 50-meter race (1:09.60).

Cody Olivas photos

Ian Jones and Chandler Jones read the
Athlete’s Oath during the opening cer-
emony of the Area 2 Special Olympic
Games celebrated at White Pine Re-
sort on Jan. 19.
Rachel Tucker happily leads Sublette County’sdelegation during the opening ceremony at the Special Olympics Area II
winter games held at White Pine Resort recently.
Jones finished the 10-meter race in 40.50,
the 25-meter race in 1:20.03 and the 50-
meter race in 2:02.06.
Four Sublette County athletes also com-
peted on their snowshoes.
Melanie Holmes, 22, finished first in the
400-meter race in 3:24.10 and the 800-meter
race in 5:46.41. Holmes also finished the
200 in 59.52.
Hunter George, 22, finished the 100-
meter race in 1:26.41, the 200 in 2:08.31 and
the 400 in 5:18.31.
Holmes and George then joined forces
with Blade Hibbert and Chandler Jones and
won the unified 4x400 snowshoe relay in
13:32.00. Unified Sports joins people with
and without intellectual disabilities on the
same team. It was inspired by a simple prin-
ciple: Training together and playing together
is a quick path to friendship and understand-
ing.
Special Olympics Wyoming is a not-
for-profit organization providing year-
round sports training, athletic competition
and other related programs to children and
adults with intellectual disabilities; offer-
ing them continuing opportunities to real-
ize their potential, develop physical fitness,
demonstrate courage and experience joy and
friendship. n

Pinedale’s basketball teams lose to Star Valley

By Cody Olivas
colivas@pinedaleroundup.com
AFTON – The Pinedale boys’ and girls’
basketball teams completed their first round
of conference games at Star Valley last Fri-
day.
Unfortunately for the Wranglers, both var-
sity squads fell to the Braves. Star Valley won
the boys’ game, 65-46, and the girls’ game,
46-16.
Pinedale’s boys entered their game 1-1 in
the 3A West’s South Quadrant, after beating
Lyman and losing to Mountain View. A Pine-
dale win would have made it a three-way tie
for first place in the league with the Braves
and the Buffalos. Star Valley, however, took
a firm grip on first place with the win, which
improved the Braves to 3-0 in the conference.
At 8-8 overall, Pinedale is the only team
in the conference without a losing record, but
its 1-2 conference mark has them in the third
position. The Braves are 6-7 overall while
Mountain View is 2-1 in the conference and
5-8 overall. Lyman is 0-3 in the conference
and 1-14 overall.
In the girls’ game against Star Valley, Pine-
dale was limited to five points or less in every
quarter. The Lady Wranglers held Star Val-
ley to 14 points in the second half, but trailed,
32-9, at the break and couldn’t make up any
ground on the Lady Braves.
Faith Friend scored half of Pinedale’s
points, knocking down three 2-point field
goals and a pair of free throws. Magen Rohrer
added five points and Tacy Kunard chipped
in three.
The girls’ conference team standings are
almost the opposite of the boys.
Lyman is in first place with a perfect 14-0,
3-0 record. Star Valley is in second place, at
6-6, 2-1, followed by Mountain View (9-4,
1-2) and Pinedale (3-12, 0-3).
Pinedale will now play the four teams in
the 3A West’s North conference before begin-
ning its second round of conference games.
Pinedale will host Powell tonight and Cody
tomorrow, with the varsity games starting
around 5:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.
Powell’s girls lead the 3A West’s North
Quadrant with a 10-3, 3-0 record. Cody is in
third in the same conference (6-8, 1-2).
Powell’s boys, meanwhile, are in fourth
place in its conference with a 4-8, 0-3 record.
Cody (11-4, 2-1) is second, behind Riverton
(11-4, 2-0).
Next weekend, Pinedale will hit the road
to play the other half of the 3A West’s North
Quadrant: Riverton and Lander. n
Utah race
canceled
By Cody Olivas
colivas@pinedaleroundup.com
SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah – Pine-
dale’s Nordic skiers were scheduled to
race at Soldier Hollow in Utah last week-
end. Due to a lack of snow, however, the
races were canceled.
The Wranglers will now have a makeup
race tomorrow (Feb. 3) in Jackson.
The Wranglers will also compete in
Lander Feb. 9-10 in the team’s last meet
before the state championships Feb. 23-24
in Laramie. n