A year to remember — Milestones, records and new beginnings
The Dogie Swim team made the long trek to Cody in February for the 3A East Conference Meet and left their mark while also making history for Newcastle boys swimming in head coach Doug Scribner’s tenure. “Getting the whole team into finals in an individual event is a huge accomplishment for us,” Scribner said at the time. “That’s the team we are. We are tough and we are competitive, and we really came together this season to do well as a team.” In the two-day event, all seven swimmers on the team — John Sandrini, Sam Scribner, Isaiah Anderson, Lucas Scribner, Harrison Gross, Gabe Hoover, and Logan Olson — advanced from the preliminaries on Friday to the finals on Saturday, with three swimmers vying for podium spots in six different events. That resulted in the team scoring 154 points in the meet, which was 51 more points than they did in 2024 at conference. At the 2025 Boys State Swimming and Diving Championships, with only seven swimmers total and four individual qualifiers, the Dogies performed extremely well, finishing sixth out of 11 teams with 87 points. Their sixth-place finish was the highest for Newcastle High School boys’ swimming since 2005, when the team finished fifth with 155 points.
November 2025 — Volleyball makes history
For the first time since a second-place finish in 1977, the Newcastle High School volleyball team brought home a state tournament trophy.
The Lady Dogies capped a memorable season with a fourth-place finish at the Class 3A State Volleyball Tournament at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, marking their first state appearance since 2022 and their highest finish in nearly five decades.
Newcastle made it clear from the opening round that it was not satisfied simply returning to the state stage. The Dogies opened the tournament Thursday against Lovell, the eventual state champion and No. 2 seed from the West. Newcastle struck first, taking the opening set 25-22, before Lovell responded with wins of 25-18, 25-17 and 25-14.
Rather than letting the loss derail their run, the Lady Dogies responded with one of the most dramatic wins of the tournament Friday afternoon. Newcastle stunned Worland with a rare reverse sweep, rallying from two sets down to win 21-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-11. The comeback victory kept Newcastle’s season alive and set the tone for the remainder of the weekend.
“The girls worked so hard all three days,” head coach Mickey Crabtree said at the time. “They showed some amazing determination with some nail-biting five-set matches that kept everyone on their toes.”
The momentum carried into Saturday morning, when Newcastle avenged its regional semifinal loss to Torrington in another five-set thriller. After splitting the first four sets, the Dogies survived a marathon fourth set, winning 30-28 to force a decisive fifth. Newcastle closed out the match 15-9 to secure a spot in the trophy round (25-18, 24-26, 22-25, 30-28, 15-9).
“The girls’ confidence really shined through this weekend,” Crabtree said after the Torrington matches. “They got the opportunity to show everyone how hard they’ve worked this season for this moment.”
With a trophy already guaranteed, Newcastle returned to the court Saturday afternoon for the third-place match against Douglas. The Bearcats, one of the tournament favorites, claimed a straight-set victory, 25-17, 25-14, 25-17.
Despite the loss, the fourth-place finish represented a historic achievement for the program and capped a season defined by growth, resilience and belief.
April and December 2025 — From trails to college
Newcastle High School senior Sam Cunningham capped a record-setting cross-country career this fall by signing to continue his running career at John Brown University in Arkansas.
The signing marked the culmination of years of steady improvement, perseverance and resilience for Cunningham, who developed from a promising freshman into one of the most accomplished runners in Newcastle program history.
“The highlight of my running career is being state runner-up,” Cunningham said of his senior-year accomplishment.
That achievement followed years of incremental progress. As a freshman, Cunningham did not break the 20-minute mark in the 5K, but he committed himself to steady improvement, setting smaller goals and building toward larger ones each season.
His path was tested during his junior year, when an injury sidelined him for the first half of the season. Rather than letting the setback define him, Cunningham returned late in the year and still managed a fifth-place finish at the state meet.
With a healthy start to his senior season, Cunningham trained harder than ever. The work paid off with a personal-best time of 16:31 and a second-place finish at the Class 3A State Cross-Country Meet. His performance ranked as the third-fastest time in Newcastle history.
NHS coach Kathy Beehler said Cunningham’s impact extended beyond results.
“Sam has left a lasting legacy on the Newcastle High School cross-country program, and he will be remembered as one of the best runners to ever come through our school,” she said after the meet. “He has set a powerful example through his work ethic, leadership and never-give-up attitude.”
Cunningham chose John Brown University for its team culture and its mechatronic engineering program.
“They’re the only Christian college with a mechatronic engineering degree,” he said. “I want to qualify for nationals in college and continue to keep improving.”
As he prepares for the next level, Cunningham hopes younger runners learn from both his successes and setbacks.
“Set big goals,” he said. “What defines those who achieve them is what they do during setbacks.”
April 2025 — Olson rewrites record book
Adalyn Olson delivered one of the most remarkable seasons in Newcastle High School track and field history in 2025, rewriting school records, winning a state championship and establishing herself as one of the top all-around athletes in Class 3A.
The sophomore competed at a high level across sprints, hurdles and field events, culminating in a standout performance at the 3A State Track Meet in Casper. Olson finished third in the 100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash and second in the 200, and she captured the state title in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 2 inches.
Her championship came under challenging circumstances. The finals of the long jump and the prelims of the 200 took place at nearly the same time, forcing Olson to adjust her schedule on the fly.
“On her last jump, she got the big one, then she ran over to do her 200,” head coach Matt Conzelman described the athlete’s efforts at the meet.
Olson’s postseason success followed a regular season filled with record-breaking performances. At regionals, she broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles in both the prelims and finals. She also shattered a long-standing record in the 200, breaking Amber Fedderson’s 1998 mark with times of 26.20 and 26.07.
Earlier in the year, Olson dominated the NHS Quad Meet, winning the 100, 100 hurdles and long jump, anchoring the 4x100 relay and accounting for 30 team points.
She followed that with another statement performance at the Bulldog Invite, where she broke her own hurdles record with a time of 15.49 seconds and swept all four of her individual events.
By season’s end, Olson had emerged as a cornerstone of the program’s future and one of the most accomplished underclass athletes in school history.
April 2025 — Softball returns to Newcastle
Softball announced a return to Newcastle in April, marking the revival of a sport that had been absent from the community for years. The team fielded eager players for its summer 2025 inaugural season. The new youth softball league was launched through the efforts of Ashley Tupper and a small group of parents and volunteers who saw a need for opportunities for girls after they aged out of youth baseball.
“It won’t happen if we don’t get it done,” Tupper said.
Momentum began last summer with a free “summer roundup” designed to introduce girls to softball. The sessions drew strong turnout and showcased interest across experience levels.
“We had a great turnout,” Tupper said. “After seeing the girls at the roundup, we were even more excited.”
Justin Tystad, a longtime youth baseball coach, joined the effort after seeing his daughter’s enthusiasm for the sport.
“We wanted to give girls something that was their sport,” he said of the effort.
With interest established, organizers worked with the city of Newcastle and other field users to secure access and scheduling agreements. Practices begin April 28, with a preseason workshop planned the weekend prior.
The league will operate as part of the Northern Hills Softball League and offer U8, U10 and U12 teams. More than 30 girls have already expressed interest.
Former player and coach Elyse Dickey joined the board to help guide the effort.
“I wanted other girls to have the same opportunities I did,” she said.
Organizers believe the league fills a long-standing gap.
“Our girls are young, but they are only getting older,” Tupper said. “We needed to start it now.”