Good, but could be better
by George Kay
The first of three state high school tournaments scheduled for Casper is history, with the two basketball events next on the schedule.
The Wyoming High School state wrestling tournament was completed over the weekend at the Casper Events Center, and it was a wonderful event.
The competition on the mats was outstanding as Cokeville repeated as the Class 2A champion, Gillette captured a sixth straight 4A crown, and Powell was crowned the Class 3A champion.
At the conclusion of the tournament, I was left with a few impressions that stood out in my mind.
First off, Star Valley proved that the former Class 3A power is equally competitive in 4A after moving to that classification this season. The Braves actually led the 4A teams going into the finals on Saturday night and were tied with Gillette going into the last match of the tournament.
The Camels managed to win that 285-pound match and that enabled Gillette to capture a sixth straight 4A title. In the end, no one was questioning the ability of Star Valley to compete against the largest schools in the state.
Powell was a powerful force in winning the 3A title, as the Panthers returned to the top after many years as a non-factor at state. And they promise to remain a power with a strong contingent of individual wrestlers coming back next season.
Cokeville rapidly is becoming the beast of the 2A ranks after capturing a third consecutive title on Saturday night.
There's no question that the state wrestling tournament was wonderful, but there were some obvious items that could be improved upon. There is a need for more effective security personnel at the Events Center.
I realize that it is difficult to hire people in the current economy, but there seemed to be a lack of security during the weekend. In past years, security people were on hand to keep the aisles clear and maintaining some semblance of order in the stands and on the wrestling floor.
And there is a definite need for additional concession outlets at the Events Center. I watched fans standing in line for more than 30 minutes, waiting to order coffee-type drinks or mini-donuts.
Additional and more varied outlets for food and drink would be an improvement and would enable fans to make a purchase and return to the arena without missing a large segment of the action. And it would be good for business for the vendors involved.
Another area that should be addressed is the lack of current information on the large video screen at one end of the Events Center. The board is used to convey commercial messages throughout the tournament, but it could and should be much more than that.
For example, the team scores as the tournament moves into the final matches should be updated every few minutes to allow fans to see just how close the team standings are at the moment.
On Saturday night, the Gillette and Star Valley teams were in a flat-out tie for the Class 4A championship going into the last match of the tournament. That information was passed along by the public address announcer, but was never flashed on the big screen.
Since the information is obviously available at the tournament head table, there is no good reason that the team scores cannot be put up on the video screen. It would enhance the public's enjoyment of the tournament. Since the noise level in the arena is such that a PA announcement is not easily heard, the visual impact of the team scores would be most welcome.
All-in-all, despite the above glitches, it was still a terrific event and now we can enjoy two state high school basketball tournaments this week and next.
Another mixed bag last week for the UW basketball teams. Going into tonight's Cowboys game at CSU, the Pokes lost two home games to conference opponents during the week, while the Cowgirls won two league road games.
Last week in this space, we deplored the decline in attendance at the Cowboys' home games this year, and that trend continued. The Arena-Auditorium was about one-third capacity for the Pokes' losses to San Diego State and UNLV last week, so there is obviously a lack of interest.
It appears the Cowboys will need to win a play-in, pigtail game to even secure a spot in the conference tournament next month in Las Vegas. It has not been easy to be a Cowboy fan this winter, and folks I know already are thinking about spring football and the prospects for next fall.