AMES, Iowa (AP) — Former Wyoming defensive lineman Ben Durbin will play his final season for Iowa State in 2012. Durbin, who starred at nearby Gilbert High in Iowa, has graduated from Wyoming with a year of football eligibility left and will take graduate courses at Iowa State next fall. Durbin was a first-team all-state pick for Gilbert in 2077 but wasn’t offered a scholarship by the Cyclones. He was moved to defensive line from linebacker in 2010 and started eight games for the Cowboys in 2011. Durbin, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 272 pounds, was expected to start for Wyoming this fall. But Durbin says playing for his hometown school is a dream for him. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming High School Activities Association has taken on the issue of social media. Last summer, WHSAA commissioner Ron Laird attended a social media seminar where participants discussed an incident in which a friendly back-and-forth between a coach and referee devolved into a full-scale war of words involving multiple schools. In an effort to be proactive, the WHSAA enacted a social media policy that went into place last November. It extends to Twitter and Facebook existing policies about publicly criticizing referees and other schools. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports that anyone found to have violated that policy faces a reprimand or suspension. … Read entire article »

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Don Yentes is out has head coach of the Wyoming track and field and cross country programs. UW Athletics Director Tom Burman announced Monday that a national search for a successor will begin immediately. Burman says in a statement that the university has invested a significant amount of resources in its track facilities to help the programs become more competitive. Yentes had been a part of the UW track and field and cross country programs for the past 15 years, starting out has an assistant coach in 1997. He was head coach for the past 12 years. This past weekend, both the men’s and women’s track and field teams placed last in the Mountain West Conference championships. … Read entire article »

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Former University of Wyoming basketball standout Chris Engler wishes he could have played one more year for the Cowboys. Engler played at Wyoming for two seasons in the early 1980s. In that time, the Cowboys won 47 of 60 games and took back-to-back Western Athletic Conference Championships and went to two NCAA Tournaments. Engler averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds. He went on to play professionally for 11 years, including five in the NBA. Engler tells the Laramie Boomerang that he wonders if he could have been better prepared for the pros if he had one more year at Wyoming. He transferred to Wyoming from Minnesota. He is now back in his home state of Minnesota where he is a teacher. … Read entire article »

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Several Wyoming players have signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams. Running back Alvester Alexander agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears, safety Tashaun Gipson with the Cleveland Browns and linebacker Brian Hendricks with the Washington Redskins. No Wyoming players were selected in last weekend’s NFL draft. Hendricks tells the Laramie Boomerang that he’s dreamed of playing in the NFL and is going to give 110 percent during his tryout.   … Read entire article »

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — None of the five participating University of Wyoming football players was among the 253 picks in the NFL draft, which ended Saturday. Four UW seniors — defensive back Tashaun Gipson, linebacker Brian Hendricks and defensive ends Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton — along with junior running back Alvester Alexander, entered the weekend with hopes of hearing their name called during the three-day draft. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the five ex-Cowboys will likely sign free agent contracts with an NFL team, probably within the next few days. … Read entire article »

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt has landed another junior college transfer. Shyatt announced Wednesday that 6-foot-9, 195-pound forward Derek Cooke will transfer to UW from Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kan. Cooke will have three years of eligibility at Wyoming. This past season, he averaged 6.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Shyatt says Cooke has tremendous upside to him because he hasn’t played much organized basketball. He says Cooke has quick feet and will give the Cowboys a level of interior athleticism it has had lately. Cooke attended Friendly High School in Washington, D.C., where he played football. … Read entire article »

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming High School Activities Association board of directors has delayed its reclassification process by one year. The move Tuesday came as a result of the reclassification committee exploring a five-class model and wanting more time to address concerns and questions about the logistics of five classes. Currently, schools compete in four classifications. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the biggest concern surrounding five classes is the logistics of holding state culminating tournaments for team sports like basketball and volleyball. In basketball, for example, the 1A and 2A boys and girls tournaments are now held on one weekend, and the 3A and 4A on the following weekend. Adding a 5A classification would mean holding a fifth tournament to the mix. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming coach Dave Christensen says overblown expectations for a young player can be a concern but he doesn’t see it affecting his starting quarterback Brett Smith. Smith was named the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year last season when he accounted for more than 3,300 yards of total offense and 31 touchdowns. Christensen says Smith is a competitor who strives to improve his game, and he doesn’t see that changing this year. He says Smith will have to work hard this summer and next fall after being limited during spring while recovering from offseason surgery reportedly on his throwing hand. Christensen also says he’d like to see other offensive players improve in order to lessen the pressure on Smith to carry the offense. … Read entire article »