Wyoming
Former Dragons LB Aaron Bohl ready for new role as Wyoming defensive coordinator
FARGO — As the sun sets on former North Dakota State head football coach Craig Bohl’s career, his son Aaron Bohl’s coaching career is ascending.
Aaron was recently elevated to defensive coordinator at the University of Wyoming for next season. First order of business, however, the Cowboys (8-4) play Toledo (11-2) at 3:30 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Dec. 30, in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson.
Craig is set to coach his final game for Wyoming after announcing his retirement in early December.
“I’m so excited for his retirement,” said Aaron, who turns 30 on Jan. 1. “He put everything he can into every program he was at. I’m excited to coach with him for his last game.”
Craig has a 60-60 record in his 10 seasons with the Cowboys. Prior to that, he spent 11 seasons at NDSU, leading the Bison to Division I FCS national championships (2011, 2012, 2013) in his final three seasons. He had a 104-32 record while at NDSU.
“I’m proud of him,” Aaron added. “He’s had a good career.”
Cowboys defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel is taking over for Craig, and Aaron will move into the defensive coordinator role next fall. Aaron — who played linebacker at Minnesota State Moorhead from 2012-2016 — has been on the Wyoming staff since 2017 and has coached linebackers since 2019.
“I’m excited for the challenge,” Aaron said of leading the Wyoming defense. “I’m excited to learn a lot. This is something I’ve wanted for a while.”
Bohl was a four-year starter for the Dragons and also was a three-year captain for Dragons head coach Steve Laqua.
“It’s a great step for him. I think he’s ready,” Laqua said. “It’s not just the Xs and Os. It’s his ability to lead.”
Aaron said his father and Laqua are among his biggest coaching influences.
“Coach Laqua was a huge one for me in terms of how to deal with people and leadership,” Aaron said. “He set a lot of my foundation of values and how I treat people, between him and my dad.”
Aaron added working with former Wyoming defensive coordinators Scottie Hazelton and Jake Dickert, along with Sawvel, are among his main influences when it comes to defensive schematics.
Hazelton and Dickert — now the head coach at Washington State — are both former NDSU assistant coaches.
“Those five have done a great job of setting my foundation,” Aaron said.
Aaron said he plans to run a defense similar to the “Tampa 2” defense, which NDSU ran under Craig Bohl and since.
“It’s still in the same family I would say,” Aaron said. “I consider us more of a cousin of the family rather than a brother. We have enough changes over time, but the foundation is still the same.”
Aaron said he’s ready to step into a coordinator role after learning from Hazelton, Dickert and Sawvel, along with his father, who has a background as a defensive coach.
Craig has been a college coach for more than 40 years.
“He’s shown me that for a long time, the attention to detail needed,” Aaron said. “It’s meant a lot to me.”
Laqua has enjoyed watching Aaron succeed as a coach.
“You’re happy for them when they succeed on the football field,” Laqua said. “When you see that same type of success in their personal and professional lives, you are as happy and satisfied as you are when they are making those gains when they are here as a student-athlete.”
Laqua said he first met Aaron when Aaron was in elementary school and hanging around NDSU’s football camps.
“He’s come a long way,” Laqua said. “It’s nice to see him continue to build on the leadership skills he displayed here at MSUM. … On his recruiting visit, he wanted to be a football coach.”
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.
Wyoming
Cal State Fullerton’s comeback bid falls short against Wyoming
FULLERTON — The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team erased most of a 19-point second half deficit but could not complete the comeback in a 73-69 loss to Wyoming on Sunday afternoon at Titan Gym.
Fullerton (4-9 overall, 0-2 Big West) trailed 50-31 early in the second half before going on a 16-4 run to get back into the game. The Titans held Wyoming (7-5) without a field goal for nearly eight minutes during that stretch, and Zion Richardson capped the run with a 3-pointer to get Fullerton within eight points with 10:33 left.
The Titans chipped away from there.
A Richardson 3-pointer cut the visitors’ lead to 69-63 with 1:55 remaining, then followed a Wyoming 3-point miss with a layup to cut the margin to four with 1:16 left. After another Wyoming miss from behind the arc, Fullerton cut the margin to two points on a pair of Donovan Oday free throws with 37 seconds left.
Wyoming’s Obi Agbim was fouled driving to the rim and made a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left for a 71-67 lead, then Oday made two more free throws with 7.3 seconds left to make it a two-point game again.
Kobe Newton, a Portland, Oregon product who helped Fullerton College win a CCCAA state championship during his two seasons there, then made two free throws with 4.3 seconds left to help Wyoming hold on.
Oday led Fullerton with 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting while grabbing five rebounds. Kaleb Brown had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Zachary Visentin added a career-high 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting and Richardson also scored 11.
Fullerton’s bench was a key factor all night, out-scoring Wyoming’s reserves 29-18.
Newton scored 20 points to pace the Cowboys. The senior shooting guard made his first six shots of the game and finished 6 for 9 from the field (5 for 8 from 3-point range) while making all three of his free throws. Agbim scored 16 points, and Touko Tainamo added 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
Fullerton led 22-20 with seven minutes left in the first half, but Wyoming finished the half on a 12-2 run for a 39-29 advantage at the intermission. The Cowboys then used an 8-0 run to open their 50-31 lead with 17:07 left in the second half.
Fullerton finished with a 34-22 advantage in points in the paint and a 13-5 advantage in fast-break points.
UP NEXT
Fullerton will host NCCAA program Nobel (of Los Angeles) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in its final nonconference matchup.
Originally Published:
Wyoming
Inside The Making Of Wyoming Whiskey’s Tribute To Yellowstone National Park
Each year since 2021, Wyoming Whiskey has released a special edition bottle to highlight America’s national parks, and naturally, particularly those in the state of Wyoming.
The company recently announced the release of its fourth limited edition whiskey in the brand’s annual National Parks Series: the National Parks No. 4 Straight Bourbon Whiskey—Mammoth Hot Springs. This bourbon honors Yellowstone National Park and aims to support its preservation efforts through a collaboration with the official nonprofit partner, Yellowstone Forever.
“The straight bourbon whiskey celebrates Yellowstone, a place of natural wonder boasting half of the world’s known hydrothermal features, including Mammoth Hot Springs,” says David DeFazio, Wyoming Whiskey’s co-founder and National Brand Ambassador in a Zoom interview. “This ever-changing system of travertine terraces has been formed over thousands of years, and the National Parks No. 4 release is a tribute to the park’s unique and evolving landscape.”
Whitney Brunner, partnerships manager at Yellowstone Forever Partnerships Manager, emphasizes the importance of this collaboration, which has so far resulted in $150,000 in donations to support conservation initiatives within the park.
“The work is multi-faceted, scientific and dependent on philanthropic funding,” says Brunner.
Climate change presents serious challenges for the American whiskey industry, impacting weather patterns and the availability of raw materials. Rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall affect the growth of essential grains like corn and barley, potentially leading to shortages and higher costs. Additionally, warmer conditions can speed up the aging process in barrels, altering flavor profiles and reducing the ideal maturation time. As these environmental changes affect the landscape and local wildlife, whiskey producers may need to adapt by sourcing grains from new regions or adjusting aging techniques to maintain product consistency.
The already extreme climate of Wyoming plays a crucial role in the maturation process of Wyoming Whiskey’s products. During the summer, temperature swings of over 55 degrees within a single day influence the maturation of each cask. The barrels breathe in and out dramatically during these temperature fluctuations, allowing the whiskey to interact more intensely with the wood. This process shapes the final character of the spirit, making it uniquely reflective of Wyoming’s climate.
“Wyoming’s environment is tough on the people, but good for the whiskey,” DeFazio says.
One of the key projects funded through this partnership is the restoration of Yellowstone’s native fish species, such as the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Brunner explains that native fish are vital to the park’s ecosystem, serving as a crucial food source for many species, including bears, otters and birds of prey.
Brendan Cook, Wyoming Whiskey’s master blender, draws a parallel between the formation of the park’s natural terraces and the bourbon aging process.
“Mammoth Hot Springs, with its tiered formations and layers of mineral deposits, mirrors the aging process of bourbon, where time and nature intricately shape the final character,” Cook says.
The complex interaction between spirit, wood and the surrounding environment during the aging process contributes to the bourbon’s distinct flavor profile. Like the hot springs, the bourbon evolves over time, developing layers of flavor as it matures. Aged for a minimum of five years, the National Parks No. 4 whiskey offers a blend of flavors such as vanilla, candied ginger, crème caramel and honeysuckle.
Over 70 barrels were carefully selected for the National Parks No. 4 release, with each barrel chosen from specific areas within the warehouse to create layers of flavor. The team’s attention to detail in the blending process ensures that each bottle of National Parks No. 4 bourbon captures the essence of Wyoming’s natural landscape and the park it honors.
In addition to the Mammoth Hot Springs release, Wyoming Whiskey has also launched a new expression called Old Faithful. This marks the first-ever release of a 10-year wheated bourbon from Wyoming Whiskey. DeFazio explains that while previous 10-year editions included rye bourbon, this release pays homage to the vision of the founders and the original master distiller, who aimed to create “the next great wheated bourbon.”
Looking ahead, Wyoming Whiskey intends to continue its focus on conservation efforts through future projects in the National Parks Series. DeFazio emphasizes the importance of these releases in shaping the brand’s legacy.
“National Parks No. 4 reflects Wyoming Whiskey’s commitment to the people, efforts and foundations that help protect and maintain our national parks,” he says.
Wyoming
What Is That Weird Boulder Dug Up On Historic Wyoming Ranch?
In a trench meant for a sewer line, a Wyoming ranch family found a massive, nearly spherical boulder that was so out of place, it left them bursting with questions.
Scott Coale and his son William, 18, were digging a trench recently on the Hogg Ranch near Meeteetse, a historic homestead that had been in Scott’s family for over 100 years.
A stubborn and unexpected obstacle blocked the ditch they were digging, interrupting their work.
They found they’d struck a huge boulder that by all appearances, shouldn’t have been there.
“We’d been in putting in a sewer line to a cabin,” Scott said. “There’s no rocks here at all. We were having smooth sailing, and then, all of a sudden, the backhoe struggles.”
William got out of the skid steer he was using to backfill and was surprised by what he found.
The Discovery
“I asked him how big it was because it was in the middle of our ditch to run the sewer line,” Scott said. “He tells me that it is as big as the side-by-side. At first, we’re just kind of joking, but then I realize I don’t know if I can get it out.”
Scott called a friend with a backhoe and they tackled the boulder.
“I had some daylight left and got on the side of it and started digging,” he said. “Next thing I know, I got it out the hole with the backhoe. It was this big old round rock. It just amazed us that it was so perfectly round.”
They set the rock to the side and resumed their chores, although distracted as they tried to figure out what they had found. The boulder is about 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
“It’s just weird,” Scott said. “The geology of Wyoming is a great thing. You never know what you’re going to find.”
The family was especially surprised to find the giant boulder because the area it was unearthed in is devoid of rocks.
“I’ve never personally seen anything like that,” William said. “We were just digging and then bam, there is this big old boulder in the ground that’s not normally shaped.”
What On Earth Had They Found?
Unsure of what they had unearthed, Scott’s wife Diane posted the find on the Facebook page Wyoming Rockhounder. She asked if they should try to open it and see what was inside.
There was much debate, but the consensus from other rock enthusiasts was that it’s a sandstone concretion.
“I thought it was interesting that people commented about maybe it was a geode or what might be in it,” Diane said. “So, we did a little bit of research and the geodes are found in limestone rather than sandstone.
“The likelihood of us cutting it up and finding a geode is probably pretty minimal, so we kind of want to leave it the way it is.”
That is a good idea, said geologist and owner of Ava’s Silver and Rock Shop in Thermopolis.
Ava Cole has more than 50 years of experience in the field and is familiar with this type of rock.
“There’s quite a few places around Wyoming that have them,” Cole said. “Sometimes there are iron stains in the middle of them, but they’re not worth cutting into — unless you want to sharpen your blade.”
Just A Rock
Concretions are commonly misunderstood geologic structures, according to the Paleontological Research Institution.
Often mistaken for fossil eggs, turtle shells or bones, they are not fossils. They’re rocks. This common geologic phenomenon occurs in almost all types of sedimentary rock, including sandstones, shales, siltstones and limestones.
There may be fossils surrounding the concretions if it’s in shale but not inside the rock itself.
“The concretions that you find in the shale may have fossils in the shale or crystals,” Cole said. “The concretions themselves are just sandstone. There are no fossils in them. The fossils are not in the sandstone layers, they’re in the shale layers.”
These concretions form inside sediments before they harden into rocks in continuous layers around a nucleus such as a shell or pebble.
Rates of this formation vary, but can sometimes be relatively rapid over as short a period as months to years, the Paleontological Research Institution reports.
“There’s a void in the ground,” Cole said. “It’s like a magnetism to them that attracts different minerals until the sand forms tightly around them. There’s some kind of quartz in it, too. It’s microscopic, but they’re not hollow or anything like that. Not like a geode.”
What Do You Do With It?
“I’ve collected them before and sold them, but don’t get much money out of them,” Cole said. “Even if the family wanted to, they probably couldn’t get anybody to cut it because it is a pretty good-sized rock and you’d have to have a big diamond saw to cut it.
“Anything that big [when] you cut it open, it would be futile because what’s on the outside is mostly on the inside.”
Her suggestion is to let it just sit around in the yard – since it’s always nice to have a round circle rock hanging around.
That is exactly what the Coales plan to do.
“It’s going to be a yard ornament,” Scott said. “I want to be able to showcase it in our front yard. I think it’s cool.”
Collecting Your Own Yard Ornament
These concretions are found throughout the Cowboy State and can be collected even on BLM land.
“A lot of people pick them up,” Cole said. “Between Worland and Ten Sleep, on Rattlesnake Ridge, there’s a whole bunch of them, all different sizes and shapes since they’re not always round. They can be like a peanut or anything like that.”
The Coale family are already avid rockhounds. They have interesting formations on their property that they explore and one area on the historic ranch is dubbed Death Valley because, according to William, it looks like the badlands.
That was why they were even more surprised to find this rock in an area where they normally would not be looking.
“I’m the rock person in the family,” Diane said. “We’d always go find petrified wood and stuff ever since I was a kid but I’m pretty excited about this rock.”
This plain, nearly perfectly round boulder has been added to their family collection as the centerpiece.
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
-
Politics1 week ago
Canadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
-
Technology1 week ago
OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics1 week ago
U.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
Technology1 week ago
Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
-
Business1 week ago
Freddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
Technology1 week ago
Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age
-
News1 week ago
East’s wintry mix could make travel dicey. And yes, that was a tornado in Calif.
-
Technology2 days ago
Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps