Dave McCleave was a walk-on for the University of Wyoming golf team in 1989, but went on to become the most accomplished golfer in school history, and the sport’s first inductee into the UW Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. He became the first Cowboy in history to compete in the NCAA Western Regional in 1990. As a senior in 1992, he won three NCAA collegiate tournaments (five during his career), while finishing second and fourth in two others. He led the Cowboys to the 1992 NCAA West Regional, one of his proudest accomplishments. That year he was named to the Golf Coaches Association of America All-American team. He joined such PGA tour professional names as Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Mike Weir and David Duval, on that `92 All-American team. Earlier that senior season, McCleave was selected to the Western Athletic Conference First Team, the first UW player ever to earn such an honor in the WAC. His stroke average for that season was 72.67. Also included among the honors earned by this gifted athlete were a victory in the Colorado State Amateur, and a second-place finish in the state’s match play. Both of those events are considered the premier tournaments of Colorado amateur golf, and attract players from throughout the country. McCleave finished his career with unprecedented success, winning more tournaments than any golfer in school history.

A great two-way player for the Cowboys, this fleet, miniature-sized tailback–he played at 145 pounds– led the team in rushing during both his sophomore and junior seasons of 1954 and 1955, averaging 6.1 yards and 4.9 respectively. Not only did he lead the team in kick returns during both seasons averaging 27.6 and 25 yards per return, but he also did the punting for Wyoming. Running out of the Phil Dickens single-wing offense, Jester gained 750 yards in 1954, and 696 in 1955. During that sophomore season of `54, he was ranked fourth in the nation in rushing. He and the Cowboys capped the `55 season with an appearance in the Sun Bowl (January 2, 1956) where they defeated Texas Tech, 21-14. He was an All-Skyline performer that season, leading the conference in rushing. Jester was on pace to break Sonny Jones’ three-year rushing record of 1,600 yards when he was called into military service and did not have an opportunity to play his senior season. Dickens, who brought Jester with him from Wofford College, called Jester, “the toughest, most wiry back I’ve ever coached, and one of the best small men in college football”. During his career in the Army, Jester played semi-professional football for the Hawaiian Rams, and played in the 1959 Hula All-Star game.

Brenda Graham Gray was the “First Lady of Wyoming Cross Country” and one of the most accomplished distance runners in Wyoming track history. A native of Glenrock, she was the first Cowgirl to compete in the NCAA national cross country meet. A four-year letter-winner, she competed in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. She set records in both the 10,000 meters (34:24) and the two mile run (10:40.5), both of which she still owned upon her induction. She was a cross country All-American in 1981. During her sophomore season she was an NCAA national cross country qualifier, and became Wyoming’s first female runner to compete at that national event. She was selected to the Track and Field Association All-American team that year. It was during her sophomore season that she first broke the school’s 10,000-meter record, a mark she would shatter as a senior. During that senior season, as team captain she was the only Cowgirl to qualify for the 1984 NCAA track meet. She was as accomplished in the classroom as she was on the track. Not only was she a member of the UW Dean’s list for three consecutive years, she earned High Country Athletic Conference All-Academic honors for two years. After graduation, this Wyoming product continued to promote the sport of track, and ran in three Olympic Marathon trials.

Elsie Jo Bonger worked for seven different coaching staffs during her 16 years as secretary in the Wyoming football office. The success of any organization comes from dedication, discipline, hard work and a team-oriented mentality, and Elsie Jo fit the description perfectly. Always a warm smile, a listening ear and a word of encouragement, her attitude was never anything but positive. It didn’t matter whether she was dealing with a coaching staff that had just lost a big game, a homesick student-athlete, a fan, a parent, or someone in the athletics department, Elsie Jo was there for them. She was the glue that held the football office together, and kept it running smoothly. To the Cowboy players, Elsie Jo was “mom away from home”. So many Cowboys went to her with their problems, and she usually had the solution. When players could not make it home for the holidays, she opened her home for fellowship and hospitality. She was more responsible for keeping young, homesick Cowboys at UW, than any other single person. She also was a source of stability and calm for everyone during coaching transitions. Everyone shared in her kindness, wisdom, guidance, thoughtfulness and unconditional love that was so much a part of her spirit. She was symbolic of “Welcome to Big, Wonderful Wyoming” and all of its love and beauty.

Coached by UW Hall of Famer Margie McDonald, who was named Intermountain Coach of the Year, the 1978-79 Women’s Basketball team compiled an overall record of 25-7 and an Intermountain Conference record of 10-4. The most successful Cowgirl team ever at the time, they earned a post-season berth in the AIAW Regional Tournament at Tucson, where they lost in the first round to Weber State, 74-70. The team included players Nancy Anderson, Kim Benton, Cindy Bower, Denise Davies, Linda Gilpin, Lori Kline, Becky Kusler, Dale Ann Meeker, Linda Mondt, Sue Owens, Lori J. Rayfield, Debra Reed, Linda Schmidt, and Rosann Wisroth. The team manager was Barb Kisicki, and the student-trainers were Karla Michelena and Chris Villegas. Led by first-team All-Conference Linda Gilpin, and fellow starters Rosann Wisroth, Dale Ann Meeker, Cindy Bower (all Wyoming natives), and Sue Owens, the Cowgirls set and still hold school records for team rebounds in a game (77 vs. Southern Colorado in 1978); blocked shots in a game (15 against Northern Arizona in 1979); steals in a game (27 vs. Western Wyoming in 1979); points scored in a season (2464 in 33 games); field goals attempted in a season (2308); and rebounds in a season (1573).

One of the greatest offensive linemen ever to wear a Cowboy uniform, Scifres started every game of his career – 47 consecutive games at offensive tackle. He was named the WAC “Freshman of the Year” in 1993, the only offensive lineman to be so honored. He earned all-conference honors his junior and senior years (1995-96). Scifres allowed two quarterback sacks as a freshman in 1993, one quarterback sack in 465 pass plays in 1994, one sack in 429 pass plays in 1995, and zero sacks in 486 pass plays in 1996. In his senior year of 1996, he anchored the line as the Cowboys rode a prolific offense, which averaged 498.9 yards per game, to a 10-2 record. That year Josh Wallwork was the first Wyoming quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season (4090) as the Cowboys led the nation in passing offense (359.2 yards per game). Named one of 13 semi-finalists for the Outland Trophy, he also was a NACDA Scholarship finalist. A native of Colorado Springs, Scifres was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft.

Wyoming’s only four-time conference champion, Myers won Western Athletic Conference titles at three different weights – 158 pounds (twice), 167 pounds, and 177 pounds – and represented Wyoming at the NCAA Championships four times. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the WAC Tournament in both 1991 and 1992. He led the Wyoming wrestling team to conference championships in 1990 and 1992. In his senior year (1992), while wrestling with a knee injury, he earned All America honors by finishing 8th at the NCAA Championships. Using an aggressive and dominant style, he won 121 matches as a Cowboy, placing him in a tie for fourth on Wyoming’s all-time victory list. A secondary education major, Myers also earned All-WAC Academic honors twice. A native of Denver, Colorado, Myers won the Admiral Land Award as UW’s top student-athlete in 1992.

A consensus All American, Lee was named to the Football Writers of America, Football News, Walter Camp Football Foundation, and Associated Press First Teams in 1997. With Lee at free safety, UW’s defense ranked number six in the country in pass defense and set a school record with 24 interceptions in 1997. Lee owns the school record for career interceptions with 17, and the single-season record of 8 (set twice, in 1996 and 1997). He also shares the single-game record of three interceptions in a game (against Montana in 1997 and vs. SMU in 1996). He led NCAA Division I in 1997 averaging 0.73 interceptions per game. Lee returned two interceptions for touchdowns during his career. An excellent student, Lee was also named First Team Academic All-American in 1997 and Academic All-WAC in 1995, 1996, and 1997. As a senior in 1997, he earned All-Conference honors. A native of Denver, Colo., he won the Admiral Land Award as UW’s top student-athlete in 1998.

A two-sport star, Geir Kvernmo earned All America honors in cross country skiing and in distance running. As a skier, he had an outstanding freshman year, winning the Utah, Wyoming, and Regional cross country events. He was ill during the NCAA championships that year but still managed to place 16th to earn second-team All America honors as UW finished second as a team. As a sophomore, he finished first at the Western State Invitational and the Wyoming Invitational and second at the NCAA meet, earning first-team All America honors and helping the team to another second-place finish. In 1979, he was second at the Wyoming Invitational and fourth at the Western State Invitational before finishing eighth at the NCAA championships, while the team finished fourth overall. In Track, Kvernmo gained All-America honors twice (in cross country in 1979 and in the 10,000 meters in 1980). One of UW’s top distance runners ever, he still holds the UW outdoor record for the 5,000-meter run (13:41.24 set in 1980) and is second all-time in the outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase. A Business major, he won the Admiral Land Award in 1980 as UW’s top student-athlete. Upon completing his eligibility, he served as an assistant coach for the UW Track Team.

A native of Philadelphia, Miss., Walker “Sonny” Jones played his first two years of collegiate football at Mississippi State. When MSU assistant coach Bowden Wyatt accepted the head coaching job at Wyoming prior to the 1948 season, he convinced Jones to transfer to UW and play tailback in Wyatt’s “Tennessee T” single-wing offense. In his first game as a Poke, Jones, a former Mississippi state track champion, ran for 210 yards (still 9th best on UW’s all-time single-game list) and scored three touchdowns, including a 100-yard kick return, in a 61-7 win over Colorado College. He also returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown vs. Montana State that year. Overall, he rushed for 680 yards and scored 54 points during the 1948 season and was named All-Conference. He liked Wyoming so much that he convinced two former Mississippi State teammates, blocking back Truitt Smith and center Jerry Taylor, to transfer to UW as well, laying a foundation for years of success. As a senior in 1949, he teamed with Eddie Talboom, a UW Hall of Famer as well, to become Wyoming’s tailback “Touchdown Twins”, and again earned All-Conference honors. That year, Talboom and Jones finished one-two in the league in scoring and Jones rushed for 817 yards and scored 78 points, ranking 6th in the nation and earning AP honorable mention All America honors. Jones was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in 1950.