WINNEMUCCA - This is the first of a two-part series that offers a look back at the local sports scene in 2011. Today's edition features stories and photos from January to June. The Jan. 3 edition will highlight July through December.
January
• The Lowry High School wrestling team turns in its best performance in school history at the Rollie Lane Invitational in Nampa, Idaho, with a fourth-place finish. Ryan Nelson finishes first at 170 pounds and Jace Billingsley and Michael Billingsley place second and third, respectively.
• The McDermitt High School boys and girls basketball teams begin their Eastern 1A schedule with road wins over Wells and Jackpot.
• For the third year in a row, the Lowry High School wrestling team wins the Kiwanis Invitational in Spring Creek. The Buckaroos outdistance Spring Creek, Yerington and Minico (Rupert, Idaho) for the title. Daniel Pollock, Jace Billingsley and Ryan Nelson win individual titles.
• The Lowry High School varsity boys basketball team makes 23-of-27 free throws in the fourth quarter to beat Spring Creek 83-74 to open play in the Ruby Mountain League.
• In a rematch of the 2010 state championship game, the Lowry High School varsity girls basketball team leads Spring Creek late in the fourth quarter but the Spartans come back to beat the Lady Bucks 38-34.
• As the second half of the conference season begins, the McDermitt High School boys and girls basketball teams clinch playoff spots in the regional tournament with wins over Wells and Jackpot.
February
• Carson Lanes wins the 15th annual Bad Boys Shootout bowling tournament held at Spare Time Bowling Center. The team won the top prize of $2,700. Team members include Elliot Morris, Andrew Gatrell and Chris Porcello. The tournament featured 108 bowlers, including a majority from out of town, playing for a $12,000 purse.
• The Lowry wrestling team sends 17 grapplers to the NIAA 3A State Tournament after winning the Northern 3A Regional Championship in Elko. The Buckaroos beat Spring Creek 264.50-235. Gus Duncan, Jace Billingsley, Michael Billingsley, Ryan Nelson and Ivan Ramirez all win individual titles.
• Just a week later, the Lowry wrestler wins its third consecutive state championship and state-tying 13th overall at Spanish Springs High School in Sparks. The Buckaroos beat Spring Creek by 30 points. Lowry has five individual champions in Gus Duncan, Jace Billingsley, Michael Billingsley, Ryan Nelson and Fernando Herrera.
• The McDermitt High School boys basketball team finishes the Eastern 1A season at a perfect 12-0 with home wins over Eureka and Austin, while the Lady Bulldogs beat Eureka and Austin to finish first in the Eastern 1A at 11-1. However, both teams lose in the regional playoffs in Reno the following week, ending their seasons.
• After winning the 2010 state championship, the Lowry High School varsity girls basketball team misses out on the postseason for the first time since the 1997-98 season, when it was a member of the Northern 4A.
• The Lowry High School freshmen and junior varsity boys basketball teams end the season undefeated in league play and conclude the year with winning streaks of 15 and 14 games, respectively.
• The Lowry varsity boys basketball team beats Sparks in the opening round of the NIAA 3A State Championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas but is defeated by Moapa Valley in the title game. The Pirates erase a double-digit deficit to come back to beat the Buckaroos. It is the second straight season Lowry finishes as the 3A state runner up.
• Johnny Davis, Eric Angelopulos and George Mentaberry are inducted into the Winnemucca High School Hall of Fame.
• McDermitt's Hyland Wilkinson and Teola Tom are named the Eastern 1A Players of the Year, for boys and girls basketball, respectively.
March
• The 22nd annual Ranch Hand Rodeo is held at the Winnemucca Event Center. It features over 30 teams, including many from outside the Winnemucca area. The event includes saddle bronc riding, calf roping, team roping, ranch doctoring, wild mugging and team branding, with over $20,000 in prizes.
• The Winnemucca Junior High School eighth-grade wrestling teams win the Tah-Neva championships, while the seventh-grade squad finishes second. The eighth-graders defeat Fallon 200-165.50 to win their third consecutive title. The Warriors have seven champions on the day, and Beau Billingsley is named the outstanding wrestlers in the upper weight class.
• Dixie Richards, a 2008 Lowry High School graduate, was named the all-around cowgirl at the Cochise College rodeo held in Sierra Vista, Ariz.
April
• After spending 25 years in Fallon, the Silver State International Rodeo announced that the high school rodeo will be moving to Winnemucca. Nearly 500 contestants from around the United States and Canada will head to Winnemucca in July for a week of activities.
• The Lowry High School boys golf team shoots a season-low 377 at Fernley to win its first conference meet of the year, beating Churchill County by 10 shots. The Buckaroos have three golfers finish in the top three, including low medalist Dean Vetter with a 70.
• Lowry High School graduates Justin Grant and Trevor Grant are named Academic All-Americans by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association, following the Division II National Championships.
• The Lowry High School junior varsity baseball and softball teams close out the season with wins over Spring Creek. The baseball team scores on a walk-off wild pitch to win 19-18, while the Lady Bucks outscore the Spartans 46-2 in two games to finish the year 16-2-2.
May
• The Winnemucca Regional Raceway begins its ninth season, with IMCA, Pro Stock, Mini Mod, Pure Stock and Dwarf cars racing at the Jungo Road track.
• Lowry High School graduate and William Jessup University freshman Joey Dendary earned All-Region honors with a fourth-place finish at the NAIA Regional at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto. Dendary shot an even par 216 to finish three strokes behind the winner.
• The Lowry High School swimming teams close out the Northern 4A Zephyr League schedule with dual wins over South Tahoe. Both the boys and girls teams finish 5-1 in the league.
• The Lowry High School baseball team beats Sparks 13-0 and 14-9 in the 3A Regional Tournament to advance to its first state tournament since the 2006 season. A week later, the Buckaroos play in the state tournament in Mesquite. Lowry loses to Churchill County 1-0 in the opening game of the tournament. The Bucks beat Truckee 10-0, but their season ends with a 10-0 loss to Boulder City.
• The McDermitt High School boys track and field team finishes second at the Northern 1A Regional Championships in Fernley. Ian Hinkey wins the shot put and Frankie Hill places second in the 300-meter hurdles. The Lady Bulldogs' Ashley Egan wins the girls' shot put. At the state tournament a week later, Hinkey repeats as the state champion in the shot put. Hill and Egan finish second in the 300-meter hurdles and shot put, respectively.
• The Lowry High School boys golf team finishes second to Churchill County at the 3A State Championships at Hidden Valley Golf Club in Reno. The Greenwave beats the Buckaroos by 13 shots. Lowry shoots a 394 on the second day, which is best among all 3A and 4A schools. Dillon Bryan shoots 154 to finish third as an individual.
• Lowry High School graduate Alicia Echevarria finishes second in the pole vault for the University of Nevada, clearing a height of 12 feet, 3.50 inches, at the WAC outdoor championship.
June
• The Lowry High School boys and girls basketball teams held their annual youth camps. Children from the third through ninth grade took part in various drills to help increase their basketball fundamentals. Members of the coaching staff as well as players from the various teams helped with the camp.
• The Humboldt County Rodeo Club competes at the Nevada State High School Rodeo Association Finals in Elko. Humboldt County's Bobby Hoenck, DeeAnna Pasquale, Savannah Montero, Josh Harrer, Christian Stremler and Sam Harper qualify for the National High School Rodeo Finals.
• Humboldt County's Dixie Richards and Joe Harper qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. Richards competes for New Mexico State and Harper attends Blue Mountain Community College.
• Jessell Owens, a 2007 graduate of Lowry High School, is named the Pepperdine University 2011 Scholar Athlete of the Year.
- Information compiled by Tony Erquiaga, the Humboldt Sun
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