Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Lady Miners get recognized for their State volleyball placement with a parade and assembly Wednesday
The Lady Miners greet their fans at HEM before they go into the gym to show their State trophy.
Buses and emergency vehicles were part of Wednesday's parade.
The elementary students from Medicine Bow and Hanna were the first to greet the Lady Miners.
Head Coach Jackie Jones introduces the Lady Miners to the audience assembled in HEM's gym on Wednesday.
The teachers from HES are acknowledged by Jones for all their support.
Taylor Scott, left, and Madison Campbell hold the State second place trophy for the crowd to see.
The Lady Miners volleyball team was honored at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7 by residents of Elk Mountain, Hanna and Medicine Bow in the gymnasium of Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School for being the first girl sports team to ever go to a State Championship game.
The Lady Miners were given a parade from the Hanna fire station to the high school where their bus was escorted by the Hanna Marshall, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and Hanna Emergency services. Waiting for the volleyball players at the high school were hundreds of fans.
Although the Lady Miners did not beat Cokeville, the crowd of several hundred cheered as if the girls had gone the whole distance. The elementary students from Medicine Bow and Hanna Elementary started a line outside the school that had students on both sides so the girls could slap hands as they went into the school. The line continued inside the school with junior and high school students taking over to cheer the girls as they entered the gym.
Once inside the gym, the crowd moved into the stands.
Steve Priest, principal of HEM, introduced the girls and acknowledged their history-making effort for the school.
The crowd was rapturous as there were hoots and screaming as Priest introduced Jackie Jones, the head coach for the team.
She handed the mic over to Jessica Nelson, a senior who is a member of the team. Nelson thanked all the fans for their support. She gave the mic back to Jones who reminisced about moments in the tournament.
"The first game we were up 7-0 and I got this feeling telling me 'we are going to do this', Jones said. "After losing the 3rd set, the girls came out and got all over Kaycee and at point 20, I sort of passed out a little and I was beyond what you would call excited and when it was 23, tears started falling because I knew what was going to happen with this group of girls."
Jones thanked a group of elementary teachers from Hanna she said listened to her every week about games of the season without complaint. She thanked the fans who came to games and supported the girls and Russ Wiggam, the assistant volleyball coach.
Wiggam spoke after Jones and said how proud he was of the girls.
By the reaction of the crowd that cheered, he was not the only one.
At the end of the tribute for the team, the girls went outside the gym and signed autographs to many of the elementary students who waited in line for a signature.
It was a great way for the girls to end their season.
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