Wyoming
Robust Montana boys sweep; Wyoming girls end skid in All-Star Basketball Series
BILLINGS — It had been nine long years since the Wyoming girls tasted victory in their annual all-star basketball rivalry with Montana.
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Robust Montana boys sweep, Wyoming girls end skid in All-Star Basketball Series
But that streak came to an end Saturday at Lockwood High School, as the Cowboy State snared an 81-75 victory to salvage a split in this year’s Midland Roundtable Montana-Wyoming series and win for the first time since June 10, 2016.
Meanwhile, the Montana boys had no designs on a split and rolled to a 98-73 victory in the nightcap, one year after being swept by Wyoming, which snapped a run of 22 straight wins.
The Treasure State boys took command early, leading by 25 points in the first quarter, and didn’t look back to extend their already commanding lead in the all-time rivalry.
MTN Sports
Montana boys 98 , Wyoming 73
The boys from the Treasure State came into the week aware of Wyoming’s two-victories from last season, which ended a long run of dominance.
“We just wanted to get the streak back going,” said Box Elder’s Tracen Jilot. “We didn’t want to be that team that lost. Everybody’s watching you. You have people texting you, ‘You can’t lose this game.’”
Jilot, who helped Box Elder to two states titles and back-to-back undefeated seasons, certainly did his part by scoring a team-high 19 points, including nine in the opening quarter as Montana built its advantage.
Missoula Loyola’s Reynolds Johnston added 15 points, not to mention an emphatic alley-oop dunk in the final seconds of the game that punctuated the victory. Johnston, the Montana Gatorade player of the year from this past season, scored 10 of his points in the first quarter.
Other standouts for the Treasure State included Billings Skyview’s Zakai Owens, who had 15 points, and Manhattan Christian’s Christian Triemstra, who added 11. Montana finished with 10 3-pointers, two each from Johnston and Owens.
Greg Rachac / MTN Sports
But Jilot credited his team’s performance on the other end of the floor.
“The big thing was our defensive pressure,” Jilot said. “The biggest thing you can control is your effort on defense. That’s one of the biggest things we focused on, just being relentless and letting our defense create our offense, and just being unselfish.”
Laramie’s Jaden Smith paced Wyoming with 16 points. Lane Hladky of Gillette Campbell County and Casper Natrona’s Tanner Hagar each added 12. Campbell County’s Truman DeGrange made three 3-pointers, account for his nine points for the Cowboy State.
Montana, following a 102-90 win at the Pronghorn Center in Gillette, Wyo., on Friday, now owns a 69-29 advantage in the longstanding series.
Montana was guided by longtime Three Forks coach Mike Sauvageau in lieu of Steve Keller, who was away due to responsibilities as head coach of the Great Falls Electric of The Basketball League.
Wyoming girls 81, Montana 75
In the midst of what was a back-and-forth first half, Montana’s girls were able to build a 10-point advantage in the second quarter. But Wyoming closed the half with a final-minute flurry, and the Cowboy Staters went into halftime trailing 43-39.
The teams were separated by just two points at the end of the third quarter, but after a hoop by Billings Skyviews’ Rae Smart on a pass from Huntley Project’s Paige Lofing, Montana jumped ahead 69-62.
Greg Rachac / MTN Sports
A tough shot in the lane by Lofing gave Montana a 71-68 lead with 4:35 left, but that was the last field goal the team made until Dillon’s Kenleigh Graham scored a bucket with 19 seconds left. In between, Wyoming took control.
A transition basket by MSU Billings-bound Lauren Kuhbacher of Gillette Campbell County put Wyoming in front 72-71 with 2:36 left, and a steal and hoop by Pinedale’s Elyn Bowers made the score 77-73 in favor of Wyoming with 55 seconds remaining.
Bowers, who is headed to play at Eastern Washington in the Big Sky Conference, scored 21 points and made 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter as Wyoming won for the first time in the series in nearly a decade.
“We really upped our intensity,” Bowers said. “We kind of really came together. As a group, I think we hate losing. All of our teams — our high school teams — are highly successful. We just wanted to come together, bring the intensity and get a win.”
Lofing, who is headed to play at Gonzaga, led the Montana All-Stars with 13 points, though she was hounded by tight defense in the fourth quarter. The MSUB-bound Smart added 12. Miles City’s Alli Glasscock and Lockwood’s Tailey Harris each had nine points.
Douglas’ Lauren Olsen scored 14 points for Wyoming, and Cheyenne Central’s Karson Tempel had 11.
Montana, which prevailed 91-80 in Game 1 on Friday at the Pronghorn Center, still leads the all-time girls series by a 42-14 margin.
Wyoming
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium | Fortune
Cheyenne, Wyoming, officials say Meta’s data center construction is responsible for the contamination of part of the town’s recycled water system.
The Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) traced the presence of a bacterium discovered in its wastewater treatment facility earlier this year to Goat Systems LLC, a Meta contractor for the tech company’s in-progress 715,000-square-foot data center campus, according to recent public notices from the BOPU.
The bacterium did not enter Cheyenne’s drinking water supply and was found in systems used for irrigation purposes only. Cupriavidus gilardii is a rare organism typically found naturally in water and soil. Infections from this bacterium are extremely rare, BOPU said, but can pose a threat to elders and immunocompromised individuals directly exposed to it.
It was discovered during routine testing in February, prompting BOPU to temporarily suspend the city’s reclaimed water irrigation program and terminate Meta’s discharge privileges.
The board also announced last week it would not accept industrial wastewater discharges associated with fill-and-flush operations—which circulates, then flushes purified water to eliminate construction debris and residue—nor closed-loop cooling systems popular in data centers that circulate coolants mixed with water.
The board classified the incident as “significant non-compliance with federal pretreatment regulations.”
“Over the past two months, BOPU staff have undertaken significant remediation efforts, including draining and disinfecting the entire reuse water system and Prairie View Pond to eliminate any remaining bacterial presence,” one notice said.
Cheyenne’s BOPU declined Fortune’s request for comment and said it will hold a press conference in the next week with additional details on the situation.
A Meta spokesperson told Fortune the company is supporting Fortis, its general contractor, in its efforts to resolve the problem, and that Fortis began testing its own water through a third-party environmental specialist, who found no traces of the bacterium.
“When the board shared that it found a substance in the city’s wastewater—not public drinking water—Fortis immediately stopped discharging industrial wastewater and began hauling it offsite,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Meta is committed to being a good neighbor in Cheyenne, including through the protection of local water resources, and will continue encouraging collaboration between Fortis and the board until this situation is resolved.”
Pollutants from data center construction and operations are part of the mounting anxieties Americans have around the exploding growth of AI infrastructure around the country. A recent Gallup poll found about 70% of Americans somewhat or strongly oppose the construction of data centers in their local area. While half of respondents cited environmental concerns, such as excess water usage and deforestation, 16% of respondents cited pollutants, including air and water contamination, among reasons for their opposition.
Meta announced the construction of the Cheyenne data center in July 2024, saying it would be the company’s 21st data center in the U.S. and 25th globally. According to the company, Cheyenne provided access to infrastructure and energy and had a large talent pool from which to recruit.
Meta projected that the $800 million investment would sustain more than 1,000 construction jobs at the height of the build and support 100 jobs once completed. The campus is one of 27 data centers in Cheyenne and 31 in Wyoming. By comparison, Northern Virginia has the most data centers in the country, with about 550.
The tech company, for its part, previously said it would allocate resources toward the energy grid and water-cleanup efforts, including working with Black Hills Energy and the Laramie County Conservation District to restore Crow Creek, which recharges the state’s Ogallala Aquifer.
“Meta wants to be a positive contributor in communities like Cheyenne,” the company’s announcement said. “And that includes investing in the energy grid and supporting local water restoration projects.”
Wyoming
Fourth Annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, Wyoming Governor’s Match returning to Casper July 18, 19
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation recently announced that the community is invited to a series of events happening on July 18 and 19.
The weekend will feature the Wyoming Governor’s Match, as well as the Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo.
A release from the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation says that the 10th Annual Wyoming Governor’s Match, hosted in partnership with the Casper Shooter’s Club, will run July 18–19 at the Stuckenhoff Shooters Complex, 10 minutes outside of Casper.
The event will bring together spectators, shooting sports organizers and elected officials to interact with more than 360 competitive shooters from across the country.
Eye protection is required for spectators, and ear protection is highly recommended.
Additionally, on Saturday, July 18, the fourth annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo is taking place at David Street Station from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The expo is free and open to the public, and it will feature exhibitor booths, a legislative panel and family-friendly activities. It will also feature local food and drink vendors, including WY Knot Pretzel Co., The Dog House and Kuver’s BBQ.
Expo attendees will be able to explore products and gear and will be able to witness demonstrations by the following Wyoming-based brands and organizations:
- 3C Guiding LLC
- 9×19 Fabrication
- ACG
- Adventure Ready RV Solutions
- Cutting Edge Tactics and Training
- Diamond R Saddlery
- DVL Custom Lures
- FEROX
- Freedom Tactical Firearms
- Guardian Warrior Solutions
- Gunwerks
- High Carbon Mercantile
- Kimber Tracks Big Game Recovery/Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery
- Lucid Optics
- Maven Optics
- MOD Outfitters
- National Wild Turkey Federation
- Red, White and Blued
- Ridgeline Customs LLC
- Rocky Mountain Discount Sports
- Scouting America
- Sheridan Fly Rod Co.
- Thunder Beast Arms
- Wilkinson Tactical
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
- Wyoming Game & Fish Department
- Wyoming Gun Company
- Wyoming Motorcycle Trials Association
- Wyoming Patriots
The release notes that from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation will facilitate an Outdoor Recreation Legislative Panel on the lawn of David Street Station. The panel discussion is also free and open to the public and will offer legislators and elected officials an opportunity to discuss the importance of growing and sustaining the outdoor recreation and shooting sports industry.
To RSVP or learn more about the Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, visit wyorec.info/Expo2026.
To register or learn more about the Wyoming Governor’s Match, visit wyorec.info/GovMatch2026.
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