Big Weekend for Laramie Swimming and Volleyball

The post-season had arrived for girls’ high school swimming and diving, as Laramie participates in the 4A West Conference Championships Friday and Saturday.

For the first time, Laramie High School is in the West Conference, as state officials moved LHS that way to balance the conferences at six and six between East and West. Laramie will be in Casper. The meet is hosted by Natrona County but is at the Kelly Walsh High School pool.

Preliminary round competition begins at 1:30 p.m. Friday. All the events finals start at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Laramie will be taking on both Casper schools, NC and KW, plus Evanston, Green River, and Rock Springs.

Head coach Tom Hudson said this conference meet is certainly different for us.

“We’ve never been in the ‘west’ conference being from Laramie, so that’s a little odd, but we’re just going to roll with the punches.”

Hudson feels Green River provides their stiffest competition this weekend. They finished runner-up to the Lady Plainsmen at last week’s big, Laramie Girls Invite. Still, Hudson doesn’t focus on this meet.

“Really as always, conference isn’t the meet we’re shootin’ for. We do have a tremendous amount of girls that are trying to qualify (for state) at that meet, so that’s going to be our push. Win the meet, win the relays, and then try to get a few more girls qualified.”

Hudson does like the two-day format and preparing his team for what the state meet will be like in two weeks, Nov. 1 and 2 in Laramie. He also said they enjoyed competing at the newly refurbished Kelly Walsh pool earlier this season.

“We have one of our fastest dual meets of the year, the day before the Sheridan Invite, so we’re looking forward to going up there and swimming in a new conference and just competing with everybody. It’ll be a good weekend for us.”

Lady Plainsmen Volleyball

Not to be overshadowed, but it’s a very busy conclusion to the regular season for the No. 4 ranked Laramie Lady Plainsmen volleyball team. They will play three matches in the next three days.

First is a conference match at home versus No. 5 Cheyenne Central Thursday at 6 p.m. That will be followed by another conference match at Cheyenne East Friday at 5 p.m. Then, Saturday it’s an interclass battle at 3A No. 3 Douglas at noon.

LHS head coach Becky Baker said I’m not going to lie, I’m not totally thrilled with how the schedule turned out.

“The first year switching to quads (quadrants for the conference), you just don’t know what it’s going to look like. I’m going to hold these kids accountable to rise to the challenge. I mean, it’s three opportunities to get better.”

Baker realizes it sets up a lot like state volleyball, which is just two weeks away.

Thursday is also Senior Night. The six seniors of Olivia Elias, Jennifer Aadland, Ashlyn Titensor, Hailey Judd, Jacqueline Murdock, and Kelsey Crane will be honored prior to the match.

Baker said, “This is a great group. I’ve known all of them for so long because they were that first crew that came in when I got hired. I know them so well, and they’ve worked so hard for me over the years. I can’t describe enough how much I appreciate this class.”

Baker admitted it’ll probably be really emotional, but they’ll have to find a way to focus for the big conference match against Central after the Senior Night ceremony.

Laramie (17-9, 4-0) swept the Indians in Cheyenne on Sept. 14.