TMS girls basketball wrap ups

The Thermopolis Middle School seventh grade girls' basketball team finished their season with an 11-7 record and won the consolation championship at the conference tournament in Powell Feb. 27. The girls lost to Worland in the first round and then came back with wins against Greybull and Rocky Mountain.

"I have coached for 31 years and this could very easily be the best group of girls I have ever coached," said head coach Kent Hessenthaler. "They worked hard and were polite," he added.

Hessenthaler said the toughest schools for the girls were Cody and Worland but Thermopolis easily came in as the third best team in the Big Horn Basin.

"I was thrilled with the season and the girls had a great work ethic," said Hessenthaler.

Hessenthaler said the girls at this age go from being a little rough at the beginning of the season to being able to handle the ball, shoot a layup and recognize when they are traveling by the end of the season.

"Every one of the girls was terribly vital; we only had nine girls so they all got to play in every game," said Hessenthaler. He added that each girl came in, stepped up and without any one of them the team would not have won the games they did.

"I think the future is bright for the girls basketball program in Thermopolis," said Hessanthaler. He commented that the seventh grade girls, along with the eighth grade girls, showed some real talent.

Members of the team include Elisa Webber, Jazmen Jensen, Regan Severance, Mya Conrad, Jasmine Collins, Rebecca Johnson, Brianna DeVries, Oakely Bowman and Emme Norsworthy. Fifth grader Sadie Jo Burr is the manager of the team.