WYOMING SNOWPACK

Wyoming snow levels lagging

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A week after Wyoming’s snowpack showed signs of improving, snow levels have declined.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service said Monday that the snowpack statewide is 80 percent of average, down from 88 percent a week ago.

Last year at this time the snowpack was 114 percent of average.

Wyoming is still faring better than Colorado, where snowpack was 71 percent of average on New Year’s Day.

Lee Hackleman of the NRCS says the lagging snowpack is concerning but he thinks Wyoming could still make up for the slow start later, especially with big spring storms.

Meanwhile, reservoir levels are still high because of last year’s record snowpack.

There’s no help coming in the immediate future. Some snow is expected in western Wyoming late Tuesday but it’s forecast to be light.

TEAM WITHOUT A HILL

Pinedale high school team has no hill to call home

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Once a week, members of the Pinedale high school alpine skiing team must bus 75 miles to Snow King Resort Jackson in order to practice on the slopes.

That’s because Pinedale’s White Pine Ski Area didn’t open this season for the first time since 1999, leaving the Wranglers without a home hill to practice on.

Pinedale coach Max Lundberg says the adjustment to training has been a challenge but the team is handling it well so far.

The team has been making do for now with mostly dry-land training, supplemented with weight-training and other aerobic activities.

Last Friday’s opening high school invite of the season at Casper Mountain was just the fifth time all year the team has skied with gates.

WYOMING-ROSTER CHANGES

Doctson, Pittser leave Wyoming football program

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Freshman wide receiver Josh Doctson is among four players who are not returning to Wyoming next season.

Doctson started eight games this past season, catching 35 passes for 393 yards and five touchdowns.

Coach Dave Christensen said Monday that other scholarship players not returning are: redshirt freshman wide receiver C.J. Morgan, freshman quarterback Adam Pittser and freshman wide receiver Kevin Robertson.

Morgan, Pittser and Robertson did not play in any games. Pittser lost the starting quarterback competition to freshman Brett Smith.

It was also announced that senior wide receiver Jonathan Aiken has been ruled academically ineligible and won’t return to the Cowboy team.

In addition, four walk-ons are not returning. They include junior linebacker Brandon James and redshirt freshman linebacker Luke Knapton.

Christensen declined further comment.

IDAHO ST-WYOMING

Martinez leads Wyoming over Idaho State 73-79

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Luke Martinez scored a career-high 23 points to lead Wyoming over Idaho State 73-49 on Monday night.

Leonard Washington had 12 points and nine rebounds and Adam Waddell added 12 points for Wyoming (14-2), which is off to its best 16-game start the 1950-51 Cowboys squad was 15-1.

Dejan Kostur led Idaho State (3-13) with 11 points.

Martinez, who was 6 of 6 from the floor and 5 of 5 from 3-point range, scored 17 points in the first half to help stake Wyoming to a 42-21 lead at intermission.

Wyoming, which shot a season-high 56.5 percent, defeated the Bengals 80-56 in Pocatello, Idaho, on Dec. 22. Idaho State shot only 39 percent and got no closer than 13 points after falling behind 23-7.

Arthur Bouedo gave Wyoming the first of two 32-point leads on a layup with 12:11 remaining to make it 61-29.