|
Bud Daniel, one of the best coaches in college baseball history, spent 20 seasons as the head coach of the University of Wyoming baseball team. During his tenure, he guided Wyoming to its only College World Series appearance in 1956. He coached Wyoming to four Mountain States Conference Championships (1954, `55, `56, `61) and one WAC division title in 1966. He coached 15 first team All-WAC selections. One of Daniel’s most famous pupils was former Wyoming All-WAC performer Art Howe, the current manager of the Oakland A’s. He also is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Daniel owns the Wyoming record for career coaching victories with 295. Inducted October 18, 1996 Honors and Awards
|
Blog Archives
Charles W. “Tub” Bradley
|
Charles Bradley, one of the most exciting and flamboyant athletes in University of Wyoming history, ranked as one of the best players in Western Athletic Conference history at the end of his career. Bradley guided the cowboys to the 1981 WAC title, a 24-6 record, and into the NCAA tournament, a first for Wyoming in over 15 years. A three-time first team All-WAC selection and an Academic All-American, Bradley finished his career as the second leading scorer in Cowboy history with 1,744 points and ranked second in assists with 215,. Bradley was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and played several seasons of professional basketball. He won the 1981 Admiral Land Award as UW’s top student-athlete. He returned to his alma mater in 1986 as an assistant coach and helped Wyoming win a WAC championship and advance to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA tournament in 1987. To this day, Bradley ranks as one of the greatest players in WAC basketball history. Inducted October 18, 1996 Honors and Awards
|
Lawrence V. Birleffi
Listen to audio interviews with Larry Birleffi by the Wyoming State Archives.
Larry Birleffi, a 1942 graduate of the University of Wyoming and native of Hartville, became the “Voice of the Cowboys” in 1947 and continued broadcasting Cowboy games for nearly 40 years. Birleffi’s journalism career began in 1937 when he was writing for UW’s campus newspaper, The Branding Iron. He began as a newspaper journalist and columnist, something he continues to this day at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Cheyenne. He began his broadcasting career in 1947 at station KFBC in Cheyenne. He later owned that station and the rights to the Wyoming football and basketball broadcasts. He broadcasts every Wyoming football and basketball game form 1947 through 1986. The War Memorial Stadium Working Press Area was named in his honor in 1992.
Inducted October 18, 1996
Honors and Awards
|
1967 Sugar Bowl Team
Football
As the only undefeated major college team in the nation in 1967 at 10-0, the Wyoming Cowboy football team was invited to participate in the 1968 Sugar Bowl, against Louisiana State in New Orleans, La. After winning their second straight Western Athletic Conference Championship, and four previous bowl victories, the Cowboys of 1967 were on the threshold of greatness. Led by captains Mike Dirks and Jim Kiick, Wyoming would outscore its opponents 276-99 during the 1967 season. On New Year’s Day, 1968, Wyoming would take a commanding 13-0 lead into halftime of the Sugar Bowl, and make their claim as one of the premier college programs in the country. Unfortunately for Cowboy fans, LSU would outscore Wyoming 20-0 in the second half to win 20-13, and hand the Pokes their only loss of the season. In that illustrious season, the 1967 Sugar Bowl Team would climb through the rankings all season before peaking at No. Five. That No. Five ranking is still the highest any Cowboy Football Team has ever been ranked.
Inducted September 19, 1997
Joseph N. Nzau
|
Often referred to as the pioneer of Kenyan running, Joe is perhaps the greatest track athlete ever at the University of Wyoming. A four-year letterman from 1977-82, Nzau was a six-time All-America and voted Wyoming’s Most Valuable Track Athlete all four years he competed. As a freshman at UW, Nzau finished 21st in the country in cross country and helped Wyoming finish third NCAA Championships. That year he earned his first All-America honor. As a sophomore, Nzau was two-time All-America in the 10,000 meters and fourth in the 3,000 meter steeple chase. As a senior, Joe would round out his collegiate career with his sixth All-America honor, with a fourth-place finish in the 10,000 meters. After graduating from UW with a degree in engineering, Joe competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., for his native Kenya. In the `84 Summer Games, he would finish sixth in the marathon and 10th in the 10,000 meters. Inducted September 19, 1997 Honors and Awards
|
Ronda K. Munger
|
Ronda Munger was one of the greatest homegrown volleyball players in Wyoming history. As a four-year starter for the Cowgirls at her outside hitter position, Munger led Wyoming to its first ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1986. She also led the team in kills with 365, and received second team High Country Athletic Conference honors. As a senior, Munger would become the first Cowgirl volleyball player ever to be selected all-West Region by the American Volleyball coaches Association. During her senior campaign, Munger would once again lead the team in kills with 515. For her efforts her senior year, Munger earned the honors of First Team High Country Athletic Conference and Defensive Player of the Year in the HCAC. For her career, ronda recorded 1,536 kills and 1,108 digs. Both records still stand today at the University of Wyoming. Munger also holds school records in kills in a single match with 42 in five games. She played in 415 games in her career to be ranked sixth all-time. Inducted September 19, 1997 Honors and Awards
|
Stig Hallingbye
|
Stig Hallingbye is the first skiing inductee into the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame. The Slependen, Norway native earned All-America honors three times during his career at Wyoming in the Nordic events, including First-Team honors his freshman and sophomore seasons. Over his four year career at UW, Hallingbye won two National Championships in cross-country and helped guide the Pokes to two second place finishes, one third place finish, and one fourth place finish in the NCAA Championships. After earning his degree in Agriculture Economics, Stig returned to the slopes as an assistant head coach for UW. Over the next four years, Hallingbye would coach both the men’s and women’s cross country teams and the jumping team. During his tenure as an assistant coach, he would guide four national champions in cross country and jumping. Hallingbye also earned a master’s degree from UW in Agriculture Economics. Inducted September 19, 1997 Honors and Awards
|
Joseph W. Alexander
|
Known as “Alexander the Great”, Joe Alexander is regarded by many as one of the most flamboyant bareback riders ever to compete for Wyoming, and is the first rodeo participant to be inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame. The Cora, Wyo., native competed for Wyoming Rodeo Club team as a bareback rider in 1968 and 1969. In 1968, he place third at the National College Finals Rodeo in bareback riding, and ranked in the Top 10 in bareback riding in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association standing both years at UW. Joe transferred to Wyoming from Casper College where he won a National College Finals Rodeo Championship and led the NIRA in bareback riding in 1967. After graduating from Wyoming with a degree in Agriculture business, Joe won a record five consecutive world bareback championships from 1971 to 1975. He also owns the world record for the best score ever in bareback riding with a 93 at the Grand Daddy of `Em All, Cheyenne Frontier days in 1974. Over his illustrious career, Joe competed in 13 National Finals Rodeos, and was selected to the Professional rodeo cowboys Association hall of Fame. Inducted September 19, 1997 Honors and Awards
|
C. Keith Bloom
Keith Bloom is one of the last and greatest three-sport athletes at the University of Wyoming. Recruited to Wyoming on a basketball scholarship from Powell, Wyo., Keith was a real athletic talent. Along with being a four-year letterman for the Cowboy basketball team, Bloom also enjoyed one season on the football field for the pokes, lettering in 1947. After an injury ended his football career, Bloom accepted his biggest challenge ever, playing first base for the Cowboy Baseball team. Having never before played organized baseball, Bloom would blossom into a three-year starter for the Pokes and lead the team in putouts and fielding percentage his junior and senior seasons. Bloom would also excel in basketball his junior and senior seasons, starting every game for the Cowboys over that time span, and being named captain of the team his senior year. During that season, Bloom would be rewarded for his efforts by being named the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Inducted September 19, 1997
Honors and Awards
|
Kathleen Van Heule-Romsa
|
A Worland native and one of the greatest all-around athletes ever to compete for Wyoming, Kathy Van Heule-Romsa made a name for herself in the heptathlon. After transferring to Wyoming as a sophomore from Florida State, she was a three-time High Country Athletic Conference (HCAC) Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Kathy was a back-to -back-to-back HCAC heptathlon champion during those years, and was also the HCAC 100-meter hurdles champion in 1985. During the 1984 conference championships she scored an amazing total of 46 points for the team, all while nursing an injured ankle. Kathy is the HCAC record holder in the heptathlon and holds UW records in the heptathlon and the mile medley relay. At one time she also held UW records in the 55-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles, high jump and the 100-meter dash. A two-time NCAA qualifier, Kathy received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award and served as a UW assistant track coach for three years following her senior year. Inducted September 25, 1998 Honors and Awards
|