If you’ll read the accompanying story in this week’s Independent about a vote to come up with five Wyoming-born athletes who defined the state, you’ll find a couple locals like Rulon Gardner and Peter Visser. Amazing accomplishments not only for Star Valley, Wyoming and more, they absolutely deserve to be on this list.
But, by the very nature of lists for something like this, some people may not be considered that certainly deserve it. So, as an unofficial local sports historian, not only is it good to remember some of the best from the area and what they did after their time in Star Valley, it’s also good to remind the youngsters of the amazing accomplishments of who came before them but still called these mountains home. Here’s my stab at a list of athletes who certainly helped define Wyoming.
Mel Olson
After starring for the Braves football team under Lew Monsen, Olsen went on to play for Brigham Young University where he was an All-WAC and All-American center for the Cougars. It was after his playing days, Olson took up coaching and as an academic counselor for BYU where he was on staff for the fabled 1984 NCAA National Championship team.
Vern Gardner
Vern Gardner (1925-1987) was a 6’ 5” forward who played for the Star Valley basketball team before they were ever the Braves (1948). He went on to star at the University of Utah where he was a two-time All-American and was the first Ute to score 1,000 career points. He earned MVP honors of the 1948 NIT Tournament and his #33 is retired among the rafters of the Hunstman Center. He was selected 6th overall in the 1949 BAA (which became the NBA the following year) by the Philadelphia Warriors.
Cynthia Clinger (Kinghorne)
After helping the Lady Braves to multiple titles at SVHS under coach Robert Linford, Clinger was a standout at Southern Idaho University before getting a chance to be a member of the starting five for the Texas Tech Red Raiders NCAA National Championship team in 1993. Starting alongside women’s basketball icon, Sheryl Swoopes, Clinger averaged more than eight points per game for what is still the only national championship in Tech history.
Charlie Clinger
What can we say, the Clingers have some amazing athletes in their family right? Charlie still holds the Wyoming prep record for the high jump and won both an indoor and outdoor championship for Weber State University and his leap of 7’ 8.5” is ranked as one of the top 45 jumps of all time in the sport. Clinger earned a bronze medal in the Pan American Games in 1999 and was an Olympic alternate for the 2000 Sydney Games. He had a personal best of 7’ 9”.
