WyoPreps’ Mt. Rushmore of Wyoming Athletes in the Last Decade
High school sports in the 'Cowboy State' have had their share of outstanding athletes from 2010-2021.
WyoPreps asked high school sports fans to help us decide who the top four would be based on their prep careers only. Nothing beyond high school was considered.
Here’s who we chose versus how the fan vote went.
WyoPreps’ top four are Sydney Thorvaldson from Rawlins, Peter Visser of Star Valley, Robbi Ryan from Sheridan, and Lauren Taubert of Natrona County.
Sydney Thorvaldson: She’s the most decorated and dominant runner in state history. A six-time Gatorade Award winner (the most in state history), Thorvaldson never lost a cross country, indoor track, or outdoor track race in her high school career in Wyoming. She holds numerous state and even national records. Thorvaldson was this year’s female winner of the Milward Simpson Award. She’s headed to the University of Arkansas on scholarship.
Peter Visser: He’s the most decorated male athlete in state history with four Gatorade Awards. He won three Class 3A state championships in cross country. Visser earned 22 all-state awards and won 15 state championships during his prep career. He also placed at numerous national meets, such as first at the Cardinal Classic, first at the SHARC Invite, third at Nike Portland, and second at the Elite Alderbrook Course 5K. In indoor track, Visser took first at the UHSTC Championships and Jaguar Invitational and was runner-up at the Simplot Games. In outdoor track, he holds the overall state record in the 3200 meters. Visser won the BYU Invitational in the 1600 and 3200 meters, was third in the 1600 meters at the Arcadia Invitational, sixth in the 1600 meters at the NSAF Meet of Champions, and won the steeplechase at the NSAF Meet of Champions. He was the male winner of the 2021 Milward Simpson Award. If it wasn’t for Thorvaldson, Visser could’ve been considered the most dominant runner in state history. He’s going to Weber State on scholarship.
Robbi Ryan: She won three Gatorade Awards in high school with two in basketball and one in soccer. Ryan earned nine all-state awards in basketball (4), soccer (3), and volleyball (2). She scored over 1,500 points in her career and led Sheridan to a top-3 finish in hoops three times. Ryan also helped Sheridan finish as the 4A runner-up twice in soccer. She was the 2016 female winner of the Milward Simpson Award and was named Ms. Wyoming Basketball that same year. Ryan went on to play basketball at Arizona State University.
Lauren Taubert: She was the Gatorade Player of the Year in track in 2016. Taubert earned 14 all-state awards in track and volleyball. She won 11 state championships across volleyball, basketball, and track. Taubert was a three-time state champion in 300-meter hurdles & high jump. She holds the Class 4A record in the high jump and the all-class state record in 300-meter hurdles. Taubert holds 11 school records in track and field at Natrona County High School. She was also a five-time USA Track and Field Junior Olympic All-American and won two national championships. In volleyball, she led NCHS in kills and blocks on the 2013 state championship team. Taubert was a finalist for the Milward Simpson Award in 2016, the year Robbi Ryan won. She went on to compete at Kansas State in track as a multi-event athlete.
This was a more difficult decision than first thought. Several athletes came oh so close in our selection. We looked at Dino Collins, McKinley Bradshaw, Allyson Fertig, Logan Wilson, and a few more before narrowing our choices to our final four.
As for the fans, they voted in this order, Dino Collins from Lovell, Sydney Thorvaldson of Rawlins, Casper’s Logan Wilson, and Lauren Taubert, also from Casper.
Just behind those four in the fan vote were Brandon Nimmo, Ryan, and Bradshaw.
Here is how the fan vote turned out:
One thing’s for sure, the debate will continue!
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