LARAMIE, Wyo. (August 29, 2019) – The Wyoming men's and women's cross country teams returned to Laramie on Thursday to report for the 2019 fall camp. Under the direction of recently promoted head coach Scott Dahlberg, the teams will have a retreat at Medicine Bow Lodge this weekend before starting the season at the Wyoming Invite on Sept. 6 in Cheyenne.
 
"As a group, we really enjoy this time that we get to hang out together," Dahlberg said. "It's a good chance for a lot of the athletes to reconnect and for the new athletes to get to know their teammates before the school year hits and we get into the competitive season. We get to get away to the Medicine Bow Lodge, and there's no internet service, so everyone has to interact with each other. There's all sorts of things to do, and it's a good time for us to get in some training and build some invaluable camaraderie."
 
The Cowboys bring back their top four scorers from 2018's NCAA Cross Country National Championships: Paul Roberts, Christopher Henry, Harry Ewing and Daniel Hintz. Roberts earned All-America honors by finishing in 20^th place, providing the low stick to lead Wyoming to a 12^th-place finish as a team. It was Wyoming's first national championship appearance since 1986, and its best finish since placing third in 1977. After the race, Henry was awarded the NCAA Elite 90 award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA and most completed hours at a championship event.
 
The trio of Roberts, Henry and Ewing also earned all-region and all-Mountain West honors in 2018. Roberts also became Wyoming's second ever MW individual champion, as he placed first at the league's championship to be named Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
 
The Cowboys also bring back Jerald Taylor, who scored points for Wyoming at two meets last season and was a fixture in the Wyoming top seven. Philip Henry, Blake Hubert, Will Persin, and Albert Steiner all redshirted for the Cowboys last season.
 
Newcomers to the Cowboys include Seth Bruxvoort (Fort Collins, Colo.), Tom Moulai (Christchurch, New Zealand), Josh Rodgers (Aurora, Colo.), Noah Tellez-Velazquez (Escondido, Calif.), Asefa Wetzel (Grover, Wyo.) and Connor Zydek (Wheaton, Ill.).
 
The Cowgirls had a solid 2018, as they won the Roadrunners Invitational as a team, and had Katelyn Mitchem earn a MW Athlete of the Week award. Wyoming brings back its most common top three finishers from a year ago in Kacey Doner, Ashley Bock and Mitchem. Mitchem was Wyoming's top finisher three times, while Bock led the way for the Cowgirls twice.
 
Addi Iken, Kaylee Bentley, Michelle Renner and Victoria Tenpenny all saw action in races last season for the Cowgirls and return with valuable experience.
 
The Cowgirls will also add Jasmyne Cooper, McKenzi Davison, Kaleigh Douglass, Kaylee Kearse and Zia Macdermid from the 2019 track & field team to the squad. The only new freshman on the team is Molly Sitter (Polson, Mont.)
 
The Wyoming cross country teams kick off the 2019 season at the Wyoming Invite in Cheyenne on Friday, Sept. 6 at the Little America Golf Course.
 
Fans can also participate in the annual Always a Cowboy run/walk on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Laramie at 9 a.m. The race will be on the cross country trails behind Jacoby Golf Course. Registration is $20 and covers race entry and a t-shirt. The remaining money will be placed into an account that will be utilized to enhance the "Wyoming 8 Memorial" at the south end of the athletics fieldhouse.