Cowgirl seniors revel in success and friendship on and off the court

Richard Anderson photos

From left, Wyoming seniors Elisabeth Dissen, Megan McGuffey and Rebecca Vanderjagt.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Success followed seniors Megan McGuffey, Elisabeth Dissen and Rebecca Vanderjagt around for their careers with the Wyoming Cowgirls. In their first three years with the program, the trio enjoyed a WNIT berth, WNIT title and then NCAA Tournament berth in that order.

It remains to be seen if they can close their Wyoming careers with postseason play. Regardless, it has been a ride they will never forget.

“It’s like one of the best times of my life here,” Vanderjagt said, as the Cowgirls and the three seniors will prepare for the final home game Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host Air Force. “It is something that I will never forget. Every experience that I have had here has exceeded any expectations that I had.”

Has it hit them yet? Yes and no.

“I’m excited, but I am trying to look at it like a normal game and just play normal and not get too amped up for it,” Dissen said.

McGuffey, a Wyoming girl all of the way around as a Cheyenne native, said it will be pretty emotional on Saturday.

“It is always sad to end your career, but we’ve had a great run here,” McGuffey said. “It’s just been an honor to play for this program.”

Added Vanderjagt: “It’s been great playing here for four years. Having the last game here hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m sure it will by the end of the game. It will be sad knowing that it was our last game here.”

Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said it has been a tremendous run for his three seniors, having an opportunity to play in postseason play for three years.

“Being able to get to the NCAA Tournament and winning the WNIT championship, it is just a tremendous run,” he said. “They had to change their roles this season. We’ve looked upon Megan and Elisabeth to be able to score more on the inside and that has been important. With Rebecca, her role has basically been the same whether she has coming in as a starter or coming off the bench just to provide some leadership out there. I’m excited about what has happened to the three of them. We still have a great deal of basketball to play and I think they want to go out playing very well at the end.”

Saturday’s game could be the final time the three jog down the ramp together in front of their fans unless a big run at the end of the season and in the Mountain West Conference Tournament lands them into more postseason play, specifically the WNIT.

The Cowgirls, 14-12, 6-7 in the Mountain West, still have a lot to play for.

“I don’t feel like it is the end of anything at all, we still have a lot of plays after this. I’m just excited to get to postseason and see what we can do,” Dissen said.

The Cowgirls have three of their last four and six of their last nine games. They want to keep that momentum as long a possible.

“We’ve been playing a lot better the second half of this conference season, so it has been a maturation process for this team,” McGuffey said. “I think things are looking up right now and knock on wood, hopefully we can get a win over Air Force and continue it through the next few games.”

A quick start on Saturday will make the final game go much easier.

“It will be nice to have a comfortable game for our last game,” Vanderjagt said.

Winning the WNIT title and advancing to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament is a memory that will never be taken lightly.

“We’ve had a lot of great experiences, winning the WNIT and playing in the NCAA Tournament,” Dissen said. “I think we have done a lot of cool things while we have been here; it’s been really fun.”

McGuffey said that just making the NCAA tournament was pretty much the ultimate goal, especially for any college athlete at this level.

“It was pretty amazing. It was like a dream come true,” McGuffey said. “Not only that, the WNIT as well, playing in front of a sold-out crowd. Not too many women athletes can say that.”

When they all stepped onto the court for their first practice as freshmen, that was probably the WNIT and NCAA Tournament were likely the furthest things from their mind.

“I don’t think that as a freshman, I ever imagined the things that I would get to do, and it has been great,” Dissen said.

Vanderjagt came to Wyoming from Australia and said she had no idea what she was getting into.

“I wasn’t sure at first if I would last all four years,” she said. “I thought I would do it for a year and see if I would like it. But I really enjoyed it and stuck it out. I have no regrets.”

Talent certainly has been a springboard for their success. Chemistry and friendship has been what sprung them as players on and off the court.

“They are two of my best friends. We’ll be best friends for life. With them, it is more about friendships than anything,” Vanderjagt said.

Dissen and McGuffey echoed Vanderjagt‘s feelings.

“They are like my best friends, on the court and off the court. We get along so well and it has been good,” Dissen said.

“I’ve had so much fun this year. I love my teammates, I love the seniors I will be leaving with,” added McGuffey.