Final - Daily Recap Nine from Australia

It was the final day of the trip for the Cowgirls, on Monday, May 21, 2007, in Cairns. The day began with the choice of going to the beach or the zoo. Those who went to the Cairns Zoo were treated to a bird show, pictures taken with a koala, feeding the kangaroos, as well as other amazing animals. The players that went to the beach unfortunately woke up to overcast skies and a not so nice day on the beach. The afternoon was spent laying by the pool after the sun came out and last minute shopping for souvenirs. The Cowgirls also played their final exhibition game against the Cairns Dolphins. Through the first two quarters Wyoming gained a sizeable lead at 33-21. They continued to hold a 12 point advantage, 48-36, after three quarters, but the Dolphins were not about to go away. Cairns would out score the Cowgirls 27-16 in the final ten minutes and it would take an Elisabeth Dissen put back with under a minute to go to give Wyoming a 64-63 victory. The Cowgirls were led by Aubrey Vandiver with 15 points and seven rebounds. Jodi Bolerjack added 11 points followed by two players with eight. Tuesday the team will be off to Sydney to connect to Los Angeles, then to Denver and then a bus ride back home to Laramie. It's been a great trip!

Dominique Sisk holding a koala at the Cairns Zoo.

Daily Recap Eight from Australia

Day eight of the Cowgirls' tour through Australia took them to the Great Barrier Reef. The journey began from Cairns with a bus ride to Port Douglas, which is about an hour and a half northwest of the city. From there a beautiful boat ride out to the docking port on the reef, which was about ninety minutes. There the team was able to take advantage of snorkeling, scuba diving and even an underwater walk in the ocean. It was a great time for all. Tomorrow is the Cowgirls' final day in Cairns, which will bring more sight seeing and one final basketball game.

Team photo on boat at Great Barrier Reef.

Daily Recap Seven from Australia

Day seven of the Cowgirls' adventure through Australia was a travel day. After going through a small street market right outside the hotel on Saturday morning it was off to the airport. They took a three hour flight to the northern resort town of Cairns.

Daily Recap Six from Australia

It was day six for the Cowgirls on their Australia journey, and their first full day without a planned trip. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with good beach conditions. Many had hoped to take a ferry out to Manly Beach, about half an hour ride out, in order to swim and catch some rays, but rain intervened. A nice rain shower spread through out the city, so instead the team shopped and had some lunch. Finally some clear skies prevailed and the team took in the sights at the end of the day. Despite the weather it was a good time. Tomorrow is a travel day and it is off to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

Shops along Manly Beach in Sydney.

Daily Recap Five from Australia

It was the first full day in the city of Sydney for the Cowgirls, and it was jammed packed with things to do. The day began with a tour of the world famous Sydney Opera House. The Wyoming team toured all five theatres within the structure, but unfortunately pictures were only allowed to be taken in the main concert hall. UW took advantage of the opportunity and sang Ragtime Cowboy Joe in one of the most magnificent places in the world. The afternoon brought a ride on a boat around the Sydney Harbour, a tour through the Sydney Aquarium or a visit to the Sydney Zoo. The Cowgirls also played their third game of the trip against the Bankstown Bruins. It was a tough battle, but Wyoming came out on top 61-56. They were led in scoring by Jodi Bolerjack who finished with 29 points, while hitting seven three-point field goals in the game. Elisabeth Dissen followed with nine points. Tomorrow is a free day and it looks like a lot of the girls may be going to the beach. See you then.

A shark at the Sydney Aquarium.

Daily Recap Four from Australia

Hello from Sydney! It is day four in the Cowgirls trip through Australia and today brings them to Sydney. After an hour long flight and gathering luggage at baggage claim, they boarded a tour bus to take a look at the city. Their first stop was Bondi Beach. Filled with shops and places to eat everyone on the team seemed to go straight for the beach and water. It seemed to be just a taste of what they will see at the Great Barrier Reef. They returned to the bus to take a small tour through out the city before checking in to the hotel. The weather has been wonderful and it looks to get even better as the week goes on. Check with us tomorrow as it will bring a tour of the Sydney Opera House along with other sights in the city.

The Sydney Opera House and the Sydney skyline.

Daily Recap Three from Australia

Day three of the Cowgirls' journey through Australia involved some shopping. Their morning was spent at the Queen Victoria Market, which is full of different types of shops and food stores. Everyone collected some souvenirs, and then most of the team spent the afternoon sightseeing around the city, including a trip to the Botanical Gardens. The day concluded with the team's second exhibition game, a match up against the Club Bulleen Boomers basketball team. Wyoming earned a convincing victory, 75-40. Both Jodi Bolerjack and Aubrey Vandiver finished with 13 points each, while Megan McGuffey added 11. That night the team headed over to Hanna's house for cake in honor of Rebecca Vanderjagt's birthday. Talk to you tomorrow from Sydney.

Rebecca Vanderjagt blowing out her birthday candles at the Zavecz's house.

Daily Recap Two from Australia

The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team continued their trip in Melbourne, on Monday morning, May 14, with a tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail). The former 19th century prison was home to several famous Australian criminals including Ned Kelly. Following that, they took in several sights around the city, including the Aquarium, China Town and a boat ride on the Yarra River. They also played their first exhibition game of the trip against the Under 21 Australian National Team, one of the most elite teams in the country. After keeping it close in the first quarter 15-15, the Cowgirls were outscored 24-12 in the second which gave the Sapphires a 39-27 lead going in to halftime. It was a different story in the second half as the Cowgirls struggled to get a shot to drop against a very talented team. The Sapphires went on to a 73-47 victory. Wyoming was led in scoring by Justyna Podziemska with 15 points and six rebounds. She was followed by Megan McGuffey with ten and Hanna Zavecz with nine. Zavecz brought down ten rebounds as well.

The Australian Under 21 team and the Wyoming Cowgirls.

Daily Recap One from Australia

The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team began a ten day journey through Australia on Friday, May 11, 2007. They started their trip leaving from Laramie and heading to Denver International Airport. Their first flight took them to Los Angeles International Airport, where after a several hour lay over, they took off at midnight to embark on a 15 hour flight to Melbourne, Australia. After traveling over the International Date line, the Cowgirls landed at 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, May 13, 2007, in Melbourne. After going through customs, they took a short sight seeing tour through the city before checking in to the hotel. The afternoon included an Australian Rules Football game between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs followed by a dinner with Hanna's family and friends.

The Cowgirls at the Australian Rules Football Game on their first day in Melbourne.

Hotel Information
Crowne Plaza - Melbourne	Holiday Inn Old Sydney - Sydney	Sofitel Reef Casino - Cairns
5 Spencer St.	55 George Street	Spence & Wharf Street
Melbourne, Australia	Sydney, Australia	Cairns, Australia
011-61-3-9629-5111	011-61-2-9252-0524	011-61-7-4030-8888
www.crowneplaza.com	www.holidayinn.com	www.reefcasino.com.au