Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Inductees were honored during the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet Friday. Judy Giannino accepted the honor for her cousin William McCormick. Marie McDougall accepted the honor for her late husband Alex. She was joined by family members Kim, Jake and Joey Rayl, Mary McDougall and Rod McDougall. Members of the 1971 swimming team present included Dave Clayton, Jon Vicklund and Rex Campbell. Nate Miller was honored for his outstanding high school athletic achievements.
Friday evening saw three inductees into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 2006 as a way to recognize the many great athletes, coaches, teams, administrators and community members that have been a part of Bobcat athletics over the years.
Among those inducted were William "Bill" McCormick, a three-sport letterman in football, swimming and track & field. At one time, he had the school records in the high hurdles, low hurdles and high jump. At the time of his graduation in 1966, he held the Class 3A state record for the high jump. He was the state champion in the high jump, and fourth place in the 110-yard high hurdles and 180-yard low hurdles his sophomore year.
In his junior season, was the state champion in the high jump and 110-yard high hurdles, a member of the third place 880 relay team and fourth place in the broad jump. In his senior season, he was the state champion in high jump, high hurdles and low hurdles, placed second in the 100-yard dash and was a member of the mile medley relay team. He scored 29 points at the State Track Meet his senior season.
He was also an excellent student, graduating 14th in a class of 107. He was a member of National Honor Society, was the senior class president, attended Boys State and was a four-year member of the "T" Club. Upon graduating, he received the Kiwanis Scholarship, VFW Honor Pin, the Bausch & Lomb Science Award and a University of Wyoming honor scholarship. He was killed in Vietnam on March 12, 1970 and was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.
Nate Miller, another inductee, was a four-year letterman in football and basketball for the Bobcats, graduating in 2005. He was a three-time all-conference selection in football and basketball, a three-time all-state selection in both sports, a Super 25 selection in football his senior year and a Milward Simpson Award finalist.
He was also named the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year in basketball his senior year, was a McDonald's All-American, was named Mr. Basketball Wyoming and played on the Wyoming All-Star Basketball Team. He was a starter on two state championship basketball teams for the Bobcats in 2003 and 2004, and one state runner-up team in 2005.
He was salutatorian of the Class of 2005, and after graduation from Hot Springs County High School, he went on to play basketball at Northwest College in Powell and Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
The third inductee, Alex McDougall, coached over 25 years in Thermopolis. He served as head coach of the boys basketball team from 1979-85, was head coach of the girls basketball team from 1989-2000 and again for the 2007-08 season, and was an assistant coach in football from 1989-2000. He also served as athletic director for the Bobcats from 1983-85.
During his coaching tenure, he coached 11 girls teams that qualified for the State Basketball Tournament, three boys State Tournament qualifying teams and three Regional runner-up teams, was a six-time Conference Coach of the Year selection, and was head coach of the 1993 Wyoming Coaches Association Girls All-Star team.
The 1971 Bobcat Swimming Team was honored for compiling a 9-7 regular season record. The team also won the State Championship in '71, edging out defending Newcastle 85-76.
Reader Comments(0)