Wyoming Cowboys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls | |
 |
|
| University | University of Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mountain West |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Tom Burman |
| Location | Laramie, WY |
| Varsity teams | 15 |
| Football stadium | War Memorial Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Arena-Auditorium |
| Mascot | Cowboy Joe (Horse) and Pistol Pete (Character) |
| Nickname | Cowboys, Cowgirls |
| Fight song | Ragtime Cowboy Joe |
| Colors | Brown and Gold
|
| Homepage | Wyoming Athletics |
Wyoming Cowboys is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Wyoming. The women's teams use the name Cowgirls. The University is a member of the Mountain West Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams. Wrestling is the only varsity sport that is not a member of the Mountain West Conference. It competes in the Western Wrestling Conference. The logo that adorns uniforms of the athletes is one of the most distinctive in the nation. The football helmets were chosen as the third best logo helmet (no letters) by Sports Illustrated's 10 Spot.[1] On October 12, 2006 Tom Burman was named the University's athletic director.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Nickname
The nickname Cowboys was used as early as 1891 when a true cowboy assisted the Wyoming football team against a team from Cheyenne, Wyoming. One of the Cheyenne players allegedly yelled "Hey, look at that cowboy," and the name stuck.[2]
[edit] Mascots
Wyoming is somewhat unique in that there are two mascots for the school - "Cowboy Joe" (a pony present primarily at football games) and "Pistol Pete" (a cowboy). The athletic teams are cheered on by the school song "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" and the fight song "Fight, Wyoming, Fight". Men's athletic teams are known as "Cowboys" and women's teams are called "Cowgirls". Teams of either gender are also referred to as "Pokes", short for Cowpokes.
[edit] Football
Football began in 1893 at UW, and games were played against local high schools and Front Range colleges. War Memorial Stadium was built in 1950 with an original capacity of 20,000 fans.[3] The stadium sits at 7,200 feet above sea level, and is the highest Division I football stadium in the United States. Currently the stadium holds 32,580 fans. The Wyoming Cowboys have two teams that are considered rivals. Wyoming and Colorado State meet annually in the Border War; the winner receives the Bronze Boot trophy. Wyoming leads the series 20-19. Brigham Young University is also considered a rival. Fans in western Wyoming tend to believe that BYU is the biggest rival, while fans in the rest of the state believe it is CSU. In 2004, the Cowboy football team ended a 38-year bowl game victory drought by defeating the University of California, Los Angeles in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 23, 2004.
[edit] Men's Basketball
Wyoming's Men's Basketball team has also had its share of success. In 1943 it defeated Georgetown University 46-34 to win the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Fennis Dembo was a popular player in the mid 80's.
[edit] Women's Basketball
The Women's Basketball team hosted and won the 2006-2007 WNIT (Women's National Invitation Tournament) after not receiving a bid in the 2006-2007 NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls finished with a 27-9 overall record and 11-5 in the Mountain West Conference. They also finished second among Division I institutions with one of the largest increases from the previous season. They averaged 1,699 during the 2005-06 season compared to 4,638 during the 2006-07 Season. They also finshed 22nd among NCAA Attendance leaders, averaging 8,757 fans a game.
In 2008, the Cowgirls finished the season with a 24-7 record overall, 12-4 in conference play. This earned them an at large bid for the NCAA tournament for the first time in history. They lost in the first round to Pittsburgh.
[edit] Cross Country
The Cowboy Men's and Women's Cross Country teams have had notable success over the years. In 2001 the team tragically lost 8 runners in an accident involving another Wyoming student Clinton Haskins. Haskins was drunk at the time and is serving 14 - 20 years for his crime.[4]
[edit] Olympic Sports
University of Wyoming athletics has also been represented on the Olympic stage by swim sensation Scott Usher. Usher was a member of the University of Wyoming Men's Swimming and Diving team from 2000 to 2004 where he was a 5-time NCAA All-American and six time Mountain West Conference individual champion and record holder.[5] In 2004 he qualified for the Athens Olympic Games in the 200 breast stroke and missed qualifying in the 100 breast stroke by .29 of a second.[6] At the Athens Olympics, the Nebraska native swam to an impressive 7th place finish in the 200 breast stroke. He is currently a U.S. national team member and was recently named to the 2007 U.S. World Championship Team.[7]
[edit] Rugby
Although technically UW Rugby union is a club sport, founded in 1972, it has consistently been one of the more successful programs at Wyoming. The team competes in Division I and are a member of the Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union (ERRFU) along with Colorado State, Colorado, and Air Force. While UW rugby is a club sport, it competes against scholarship teams such as New Mexico. The team regularly makes it the national tournament. In 2000, they were runner-ups to the University of California at Berkeley. In 1991 and 2002, they placed fourth in the nation.[8]
[edit] Women's Rugby
There is also a Women's rugby team at the University of Wyoming known as Wyoming Women's Rugby Football Union (WWRFU) which started in 1985. They are a club sport but like the men, compete at a Division 1 level. As a member of the Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union(ERRFU) they play teams like Colorado State University, Airforce, and the University of Colorado. Another recently added team to ERRFU is the University of New Mexico. Though the women's team has far less numbers than the men's team, they continue to grow making it to their first regional tournament in 2007 where they finished in third place in the union and forth place in the West Rugby conference. [1]
[edit] National Championships
- Skiing (2): 1968, 1985
- Men's Basketball (1): 1943[9]
- Hockey (1): 2001[10]
[edit] Traditions
Wyoming's fight song is Ragtime Cowboy Joe. Ragtime Cowboy Joe MP3. In football, the fight song is sung throughout the game including when the team runs on the field, at kickoff, and after a touchdown. A cannon in the north end zone fires every time a point is scored. When the football teams runs from the RAC locker room to Jonah Field, they touch the Steamboat bronze statue for good luck. The beer song is a long-standing tradition with the students. The students will occasionally chant "Beer Song, Beer Song" until the band plays it. UW Beer Song at the 2007 WNIT Championship Game
[edit] Ragtime Cowboy Joe
"He always sings
Raggy music to the cattle
as he swings
back and forward in the saddle,
on a horse - a pretty good horse!
He's got a syncopated gaiter,
and you ought to hear the meter
to the roar of his repeater;
how they run - yes run! -
when they hear him 'a-comin',
cause the western folks all know,
he's a high-falootin', rootin, tootin',
son of a gun from ol' Wyoming,
Ragtime Cowboy
Talk about your Cowboy,
Ragtime Cowboy Joe.
C!
O!
W!
B!
O!
Y!
S!
Cowboys! Cowboys! Cowboys!
OR for the Cowgirls:
C!
O!
W!
G!
I!
R! L! S!
Cowgirls! Cowgirls! Cowgirls!
[edit] Beer Song
In Heaven there is no beer, NO BEER!
That's why we drink it here, RIGHT HERE!
And when we're gone from here,
All our friends will be drinkin' all the Be-e-eer
[edit] Facilities
[edit] Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium
Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium, capacity 32,580, was built in 1950. The playing field is at an elevation of 7,220 feet (2200m), the highest in Division I football. The natural grass field was replaced by artificial turf in 2005. The new surface, known as Desso Challenge Pro 60 Monofilament Synthetic Turf, is the first of its kind in Division I.
Near the north end zone is a bronze statue depicting the Steamboat and rider logo. At the beginning of the game and at halftime, the team runs from the locker room in the RAC to the field and the statue is touched as a token of good luck.
[edit] Arena-Auditorium
The Wyoming basketball teams have always enjoyed playing on the "Highest Courts" in the nation. Built in 1982 at a cost of $15 million, the Arena-Auditorium commonly called the A-A (or "Dome of Doom") seats over 15,000. It has been home to the Cowboys since its opening, and to the Cowgirls since 2003. In the yard outside the A-A, is a beautiful statue named "Fanning a Twister." This statue is a cowboy on top of bucking bronco, similar to the sports logo.
[edit] UniWyo Sports Complex
The UniWyo Sports Complex serves as the facility for Cowboys wrestling and Cowgirls volleyball, and was also home to the Cowgirls basketball team before it moved into the Arena-Auditorium in 2003. The seating capacity is approximately 1,200 people. It is situated north of the Field House, south of the Arena-Auditorium, and northwest of War Memorial Stadium. Formerly the Multi-purpose Gymnasium, it was renamed in 2005 to the UniWyo Sports Complex thanks in part to a $1 million gift.
[edit] Rochelle Athletics Center
Commonly called the RAC (pronounced "Rack"), it opened its doors on August 31, 2001. It serves as the training facility for all varsity sports. It also contains the football locker room, an academic and counseling center, and a sports medicine facility. It began construction May of 2000, and was competed at a cost of $9.4 million.[11]
[edit] Indoor Practice Facility
Construction on the new Indoor Practice Facility (also called the IPF) began in Fall of 2006. It is located on the north portion of the War Memorial Stadium parking lot, north east of the stadium. It is 82 feet high, and has a total of 85,000 square feet. Due to the potential for inclement weather in Laramie, it will be a highly useful tool in recruiting and protection from the elements. When completed it will incorporate a plaza area between the RAC and lobby of the IPF that will be beautifully landscaped. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2007 at a total cost of $11 million.
[edit] Glenn "Red" Jacoby Golf Club
[edit] Future Facilities and Improvements
Currently the athletic department has several projects regarding athletics facilities on its platter. Continual improvements to War Memorial Stadium are being planned. The addition of luxury boxes are in the planning stages, as well as a facade on the east side of the stadium. Paving the parking lot is also planed for the near future. Indoor tennis facilities are also on the agenda. In a recent interview, Tom Burman also mentioned that he would like the Arena-Auditorium to be state of the art, and would like to add luxury suites.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official University of Wyoming Athletics Site
- Rivals Wyoming Sports Message Board
- Wyoming Athletics and Message Board
[edit] References
- ^ The 10 Spot: Nov. 19, 2004. sportsillustrated.cnn.com.
- ^ Cowboys. wyomingathletics.com.
- ^ Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. wyomingathletics.com.
- ^ Killer Drunk Driver Tries To Atone. CBS.
- ^ Player Bio: Scott Usher. www.wyomingathletics.com.
- ^ United States Olympic Committee - Usher, Scott. www.olympic-usa.org.
- ^ Athletes: Scott Usher. www.tyr.com.
- ^ National Collegiate Rugby Championships. calbears.cstv.com.
- ^ WyomingAthletics.com : Men's Basketball :: University of Wyoming : Official Athletic Site
- ^ Wyoming Cowboys Hockey
- ^ Building Wyoming's Athletic Legacy into the 21st Century, The Rochelle Athletics Center. www.wyomingathletics.com.
|
||||||||
|
