Awards

The news was twice as nice Monday for the Wyoming Cowboys. In addition to being ranked in the USA Today Coach's Poll released Monday, Sr. Leonard Washington earned honors from the conference after his double-double in the Pokes win at SMU last week.

WyoTech-Laramie selected Lionel Reese as the school’s 2012 campus Dream Award winner. He is a recent graduate from the automotive technician program with an emphasis on applied service management. The award recognizes graduates who have overcome extraordinary obstacles to complete their post-secondary education and find success in their chosen fields.

Wyoming forward Chaundra Sewell earned Mountain West Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors for games played from December 24-30, 2012. It is her second MW weekly accolade of the season and of her career.

For the second straight year, outside hitter Jodi Purdy of the Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team was selected to the 2012 AVCA Division I Honorable Mention All-America Team, announced on Wednesday, by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). It’s the first time school history that a player has been awarded All-American honors twice in her career.

University of Wyoming senior free safety Luke Ruff received one of the highest academic honors a college student-athlete can achieve by being named on Thursday to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division I Football First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It is the first time in Ruff’s career that he has earned First Team Academic All-America honors. He is the first Wyoming Cowboy to earn the honor since Trenton Franz in 2004.

After leaving her mark on Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball and the Mountain West Conference, senior outside hitter Jodi Purdy continues to earn honors after it was announced Tuesday she was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-West Region postseason team. The selection is her second in as many seasons and second of her career.

Senior Center Nick Carlson and Senior Defensive Tackle Mike Purcell earned First-Team All-Conference recognition Tuesday, as the Mountain West announced its all-conference teams and individual awards for the 2012 season. A total of seven Wyoming Cowboys earned accolades for their performance on the gridiron this past season.

History could be in the making this weekend, with a defensive player and a freshman highlight among this year’s finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein were announced as candidates for football’s most prestigious trophy, which will be awarded Saturday night.