Dogies shine statewide — Dogies celebrate standout honors across three programs

Editor's note: This story has been edited to correct Dresen's position. We regret the error. 

Newcastle High School closed out the fall with a wave of postseason recognition across three sports, as athletes from volleyball, cross-country and swimming collected conference and statewide honors after delivering some of the best performances in their respective program’s histories. 

Volleyball: a historic season cemented with hardware

No program rewrote its record book more dramatically than Dogie volleyball. Fresh off their first State Tournament berth since 2022, the Dogies stormed through Casper and brought home the program’s first trophy since 1977. Four players earned postseason recognition, and four reached major career statistical milestones during the team’s postseason run.

Middle hitter/blocker Delainey Dresen capped her career as an All-State and All-Conference selection after anchoring the Dogies’ back row with more than 530 digs, including a 43-dig performance in the State win over Worland. She also crossed the 1,000-career-dig threshold in the final week of the regular season.
“Delainey made a huge impact for our team this year in the back row,” head coach Mickey Crabtree said. “Her hustle, grit, determination and ability to make smart decisions made a difference for us and really stood out to other coaches. She’s well deserving of both honors.”

Junior setter Kyndal Von Eye earned All-Conference honors after surpassing 1,000 career assists at Regionals and finishing the season with well over 900 assists — including 179 in the four state-tournament matches alone. Crabtree credited her leadership just as much as her numbers. 

“Kyndal has grown so much the past three years as a setter and leader. Her ability to put her teammates’ success and happiness before her own is inspiring,” the coach said.

Sydney Pederson and Adalyn Olson earned All-Conference Honorable Mention. Pederson hit the 1,000-dig mark for her career during Regionals and finished the year with more than 500 digs, producing double-digit numbers in every match at State, including 38 against Worland. Olson powered the offense with more than 400 kills and joined the 1,000-dig club during the State Tournament to cement herself as one of the most complete six-rotation players in the conference.

Junior outside hitter Lillie Morrill added to the milestone frenzy by reaching 1,000 digs on the final day of the season, giving Newcastle a remarkable four players hitting major career benchmarks in one postseason stretch.

The combination of postseason awards, individual milestones and the long-awaited trophy made 2025 one of the most defining seasons Dogie volleyball has ever produced.

Cross-country: Cunningham leads the charge with all-state honors

The cross country program also claimed significant postseason awards behind a senior class that delivered all year.

Senior Sam Cunningham earned both All-State and All-Conference honors after a breakout season that included a state runner-up finish — Newcastle’s highest placement since Calbi Ausmann’s girls’ title in 2015. Cunningham now owns the third-fastest 5K time in program history and stacked up a résumé that included wins at Devil’s Tower, a top-four showing at the 3A East Conference meet and consistent top-tier finishes throughout the fall.

Senior Archer Ohnstad added All-Conference Honorable Mention, placing 15th at the conference meet and 54th at State. His reliability and leadership helped guide a young roster through the most challenging portion of the season as the Dogies closed out the year strong.

Swimming: Lunstra breaks through with conference recognition

In the pool, sophomore Allie Lunstra continued her rise as one of the top young swimmers in the 3A East. She earned All-Conference Honorable Mention for her third-place finish in the 100 butterfly at the Absaraka Conference Championships, a performance that reflected a year of steady improvement and big-meet poise.

Lunstra carried that momentum into the State meet in Laramie, where she advanced to finals in both individual events and held her seed each time — finishing fourth in the 100 fly and fifth in the 100 back. She also delivered wins and season-best times during the regular season, including a 1:00.99 in the 100 freestyle at the Buffalo Pre-Invite.

On a roster that carried only four swimmers, Lunstra’s versatility, consistency and ability to score across multiple events made her indispensable. She also played a key role in the Dogies’ 400 free relay, which dropped nearly 21 seconds in prelims to earn a spot in consolation finals. She’ll return next fall as a proven leader ready to elevate the program even further.

2025 Newcastle Fall Sports Post-Season Honors

Volleyball

All-State, All-Conference: Delainey Dresen

All-Conference: Kyndal Von Eye

All-Conference Honorable Mention: Sydney Pederson, Adalyn Olson

Career Milestones:

Dresen: 1,000 digs

Pederson: 1,000 digs

Olson: 1,000 digs

Morrill: 1,000 digs

Cross-Country

All-State: Sam Cunningham

All-Conference: Sam Cunningham

All-Conference Honorable Mention: Archer Ohnstad

Swimming

All-Conference Honorable Mention: Allie Lunstra (3rd in 100 butterfly)
From the volleyball team’s historic postseason run, to Cunningham’s climb onto the state podium, to Lunstra’s emergence as one of 3A’s strongest underclassmen, Newcastle’s fall athletes not only earned postseason honors — they reshaped the expectations for what the Dogies can accomplish across three programs.