T-Birds Emerge as National Powerhouse

When sports historians look back on Casper College women's basketball, they will remember the 1990s as one heckuva ride.

It was during that decade that Casper College emerged nationally as a women's junior college basketball powerhouse. The Thunderbirds won five Region IX championships during the ‘90s, finished as high as third in the national tournament, and won better than 78 percent of their games. When they weren't winning the regional title, they were at least playing for it – twice the T-Birds were runners-up.

Women's basketball at Casper College began in 1971. Former athletic director Jean Wheatley was responsible for bringing women's varsity athletics to Casper College long before many colleges had considered the notion. The sport actually had established some tradition before the 1990s, too. The 1978-79 team, behind Tena Genoff, Carla Stauch and Cheryl Wolfgang, won 14 games. The 1986-87 team, coached by Abe Steward, won the school's first regional championship. Sheryl Schoefel and Krisser Kiever led the T-Birds to a win at the national tournament, too.

Today, Casper College is known throughout the country and internationally as a great place for women athletes to start. More than 30 T-Birds have gone on to play Division I basketball at programs like Old Dominion, Brigham Young, Ohio, Oklahoma, Illinois-Chicago and Wyoming. Casper has had 15 All Americans and seven Distinguished Academic All Americans. Two T-Birds were named to NJCAA all tournament teams.

More important to that success on the court, T-Bird women athletes have gone on to success in life with careers in medicine, law, education and business.

Dwight Gunnare
Head Coach

307-268-2627

Coach Gunnare enters his first season as the head coach of Lady T-Bird Basketball.

Gunnare comes to Casper College after spending the past six seasons at Mile Community College where his teams compiled a 126-61 (.674) record. As a result of his team going 31-2 last season Coach Gunnare received the Region IX Coach of the Year Award. He was also the two-time Mon-Dak Conference Coach of the Year and twice named the Region IX North sub-region Coach of the Year.

Prior to entering the college coaching ranks Coach Gunnare was the varsity girls’ basketball coach in Colstrip, MT. In his tenure at Colstrip High School Gunnare compiled a record of 175 wins and 87 losses. His teams qualified for the State Tournament in eight of his eleven seasons, winning State Championships in 1993 and 1999.

Gunnare has twice been named the Montana State “A” Coach of the Year and in 2000 received the National Federation Coaches Association Award for the state of Montana in girls’ basketball.

Coach Gunnare is a 1977 graduate of Wagner High School in Wagner, SD and received his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Education from Black Hills State University in 1982. While attending Black Hills State University he pitched for the Yellow Jacket baseball team lettering four years and was an All-Conference selection.

Dwight and his wife Ann, who has been an educator for the past 25 years, have three children: Rachael Brabant, who is a graduate of Utah Valley State, Chris, whom is completing his graduate work at the University of Montana, and Danielle, a junior at South Dakota State University.

Matt Vega
Assistant Coach

Information coming soon.

Bill Landen
Athletic Director
(307) 268-2667

Bill Landen took over as athletic director two years ago, but he is not new to those who have been around Casper College and its athletic programs.

Bill has spent the past 22 years at Casper College. Prior to accepting his current role, Bill served as Director of College Relations for 18 years.

Bill’s commitment to the T-Birds dates back to his student days at Casper College, where he wrote about Swede Erickson’s T-Birds as editor of the campus newspaper. He later covered Casper College as a professional journalist for the Casper Star-Tribune and KTWO Radio.

Since his arrival in the athletic department, his focus has been on community and student involvement in the college’s four sports programs. Bill has worked with the T-Bird Booster Club to establish a permanent endowment for athletics, and that fund hit the quarter million dollar mark this year.

T-Bird fans may recognize Bill from his days as the radio play-by-play voice of the T-Birds in the 1980s and ‘90s. Along with serving as the voice of the T-Birds, Bill spent 18 years in marketing and information for the college. He has earned numerous awards during his professional career, including twice being named Wyoming’s Sportswriter of the Year by the national association of sportswriters and sportscasters. He was named Rosenthal Outstanding Administrator at Casper College in 1997. In 1993 he was honored by his peers as Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations.

Along with his duties at Casper College, Bill was recently appointed to the Wyoming Legislature as State Senator for District 27.

Bill’s wife, Robyn, is the associate controller for Casper College. They have three children: Nick, Zack and Hailey.

Judy Griffin
Administrative Assistant, Athletics
jgriffin@caspercollege.edu
307-268-3000

Judy has been at Casper College for the past six years. She joined the athletic department team two years ago after serving three years as the alumni assistant in College Relations. Judy coordinates all the athletic office duties, including season ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.

#

NAME

YR.

HT.

POS.

HOMETOWN

3

Emily Elliott

SO

5’9”

Guard

Parker, Colorado

10

Kelly Fargen

SO

5’6”

Guard

Glenrock, Wyoming

11

Cami Miller

FR

5’10”

Guard

Pocatello, Idaho

12

Samira Van Grinsven

FR

6’2”

Post

Helmond, Netherlands

13

Jenny Hanna

SO

5’8”

Guard

Kelly, Wyoming

14

Dana Seth

SO

5’7”

Guard

Casper, Wyoming

20

Wendy Walker

FR

5’8”

Forward

Lovell, Wyoming

21

Yianna Nadeau

FR

5’9”

Guard

Portland, Oregon

22

Megan House

FR

5’7”

Guard

Yoder, Wyoming

23

Megan Wilson

FR

5’9”

Guard

Colstrip, Montana

24

Kerstin Minchow

FR

5’ 11”

Forward

Fort Collins, Colorado

25

Jenny Marshall

FR

5’ 7”

Guard

Casper, Wyoming

31

Josie Stewart

SO

5’10”

Guard

Glenrock, Wyoming

Juliana Paunovic

SO

6’0”

Forward

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Jackie Westover

FR

6’0”

Post

Harrison, NE

• 2007-2008 Final Season Stats
• 2006-2007 Final Season Stats