Dogies win post-season honors
Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
With winter sports about to begin, the votes are in for postseason honors for the fall sports, and several Dogies caught the attention of coaches across the state in football, volleyball, swimming and cross country.
Carson Bock earns All-Conference honors in Cross Country
Unlike the team fall sports where coaches cast votes for individual athletes, in order to be named to the All-Conference team in cross country, a runner must earn their spot by finishing in the top 10 at the conference meet.
Carson Bock did just that at the 3A East Conference meet in Douglas on Oct. 18 when he crossed the finish line in 18:69 claiming 10th place.
“Carson had an outstanding season, and was our top runner in many of our meets especially near the end of the season,” head coach Kathy Beehler began. “We had a talented group this year, so they all vied for that top spot each week, which helped keep Carson focused on his goals.”
Bock’s goal for his junior season was to make the All-Conference team, and pushed hard to make that goal a reality.
“I don’t know if Carson realizes how much talent he has, and what he is able to accomplish,” Beehler mused. “Sometimes, it takes a runner a few years to realize their potential and begin to understand that they have much bigger dreams and goals. Carson began realizing this as the season progressed, and that he has the capacity to be a top state finisher as well.”
Bock will return along with several other Dogies to the team next season for another shot at the All-Conference and All-State teams.
“It is really exciting as I visit with Carson and see that he has bigger plans for himself and his team. He really wants to help motivate his team to begin some leadership activities during the off-season to make our team the best possible next season,” Beehler smiled. “It is so exciting to have so many runners back next season who have such high goals and expectations, and Carson will be right along with them leading the way.”
Hannah Gross and Becca Henkle honored
in swimming
Like cross country, being named to the All-Conference and All-State teams in girls’ swimming requires finishing among the top in each event.
In order to make All-Conference, one must win their event, and junior Hannah Gross out-touched her competition in both the 50 Free and the 100 Backstroke to claim the title at the conference meet in Worland on Oct. 26. In the process, she also set a new pool record in the 50 Free and a new conference record in the 100 Back.
At the State meet, an athlete must finish in the top two in order to be named to the All-State team. On November 8th in Gillette, Gross won the 200 Free and set a personal best time of 1:57.79, and picked up another PR in the 100 Backstroke where she came in second in 1:00.20. With those finishes, she made the All-State team in both events.
“Hannah had a very productive year even before she got back in the pool for this season. The work that she has put in for the last three years has built a foundation for her to compete with confidence,” head coach Doug Scribner nodded. “That confidence along with her willingness to practice as hard as she competes led to a successful season. More importantly it lays the groundwork for what she hopes to accomplish in the next year.”
Though, Becca Henkle finished 3rd, and out of All-Conference contention, her score was such that she drew the attention of 3A East coaches and received Honorable Mention to the All-Conference team in diving.
“Becca was excited to compete in diving this year. She put in a great deal of focused effort in practice and quickly learned all the dives she needed to compete,” Scribner stated. “She showed great focus and patience in learning not just to compete but how to compete in the diving event.”
Grace Coy, Jaylen Ostenson and Johnna Dawson catch coaches eyes in volleyball
During the 3A East Regional Volleyball Tournament in Buffalo Nov. 1 and 2, coaches from the eight teams gathered to select the 16 best players to receive All-Conference honors and when head coach Jenny Willard walked away from that meeting two of her players had made the cut and one received Honorable Mention.
Senior Grace Coy and freshman Jaylen Ostenson, both middle hitter/blockers for the Lady Dogies, impressed coaches enough with their prowess at the net to make the All-Conference team, while senior Johnna Dawson got enough votes to be Honorable Mention.
Coy amassed 150 kills on the season, while Ostenson added 71 of her own.
“I am very proud of both Grace and Jaylen for receiving this award, because it is an honor that should not be overlooked. Other coaches vote on this award and it really goes to show that they were noticed,” Willard declared. “There were a lot of good nominees this year and it is great that Jay was able to take that as a freshman and the future of Lady Dogie volleyball is looking bright. They both demonstrate great leadership qualities and I think they were both very deserving. I am happy for the both of them.”
Dawson, who played libero, lead the team with 37 aces this season, had the best serve percentage with 89.3%, racked up 233 digs and 445 serve receives.
“Johnna had two new defenses thrown her way this year and she absorbed it all so well,” Willard continued. “I am proud of her accomplishments this year, because she really had to work hard against some of the big hitters we went up against this year, especially on a learning curve.”
Dogies claim their place among the top athletes
in 2A football
Six Dogies claimed postseason honors in 2A football this year. Kale Corley brought home the most hardware being named to both the All-Conference and All-State teams. Corley finished the season with 85 tackles and was ranked 36th in the state for tackles across all five classes.
“Kale has been a great leader this season, and was instrumental on the offensive line and the Dogie defense,” head coach Matt Conzelman began. “He has a keen sense of always knowing where the play would be and was there to make some great tackles. We are excited to have him back next season.”
Bradyn Frye, the Swiss army knife of the team, earned All-Conference Honors. He played a variety of different roles throughout the season including wide receiver, quarterback, defensive safety, kicker and punter. Frye was ranked fifth in 2A in punting, averaging 33.1 yards per punt, and he finished the season with 892 all-purpose yards on offense.
“Bradyn has shown much growth in playing football these past four years,” Conzelman nodded. “He left everything on the field each, and every game, and as our only senior will be missed next season. However, once a Dogie, always a Dogie.”
Sophomore Slade Roberson also claimed a spot on the first team All-Conference for 2A. He played quarterback on offense and a safety on defense, finishing the season with 723 passing yards and was ranked sixth in 2A.
“Slade has proven to be an exceptional athlete for the Dogies,” Conzelman declared. “He was asked to do a lot for his age and we are very excited to have him around for another two years.”
Sophomores Josh Womack and Leo Orban, along with junior Tristan Wornkey were each named to the Second Team All-Conference squad.
Wornkey played running back on offense and linebacker on defense. He led the team in rushing yardage and finished the season with 566 all-purpose yards and 42 tackles on defense.
“Tristan showed much promise with offensive plays this season, and put up some impressive numbers in the games he was able to play in this year,” Conzelman exclaimed. “It will be exciting to have him back again next season.”
Womack played offensive and defensive tackle for the Dogies and ended the season with 30 tackles.
“Offensively, Josh did a great job blocking and creating holes for the running backs,” Conzelman described. “He is a hard working, hard nosed player and it has been exciting to have him on the line this year.”
Orban also played as an offensive and defensive tackle where he finished second on the team with 48 tackles on the year.
“Leo was a force, and he improved offensively every week making gains on his blocks,” Conzelman nodded. “He has a great attitude and will be a big asset to our football program in the future.”