Tenacity, Humor and Teamwork a Part of 2015 Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt Awards

Laramie, Wyo. -  Hunters at the 3rd Annual Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt were recognized at an awards banquet and ceremony Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Ranch at Ucross. The awards recognized a variety of accomplishments and Wyoming Governor, Matt Mead, visited with event participants, guides and landowners prior to the awards festivities. He congratulated them on their commitment to empowering women and playing a role in conservation through hunting.

Five awards were presented on Saturday night:

The Annie Oakley Award was presented to hunters who harvested their pronghorn by firing only one shot during the two day hunt. Award winner were:

Barbara Baird (Norwood, MO)
Jillian Balow (Cheyenne, WY)
LeeAnne Bell (Landery, WY)
Kathryn Boswell (Cheyenne, WY)
Gloria Courser (Jackson, WY)
Jessica Crowder (Cheyenne, WY)
Randi Downham (Laramie, WY)
Toby Everett (Houston, TX)
Carmen Goodman (Casper, WY)
Nicole James (Biloxi, MS)
Cheryl Johnsen (Diamond Springs, CA)
Kelli Jones (Cheyenne, WY)
Sherry Motsch (Casper, WY)
Jennie Muir-Gordon (Buffalo, WY)
Amber Nuse (Cheyenne, WY)
Rose Ann Rinne (Cheyenne, WY)
Danielle Sanville (Southampton MA)
Shelley Simonton (Cheyenne, WY)
Hilary Stern (El Cajon, CA)
Jana Waller (Florence, MT)
Cindi Wulff (Sundance, WY)
CaitlinYoungquist (Worland, WY)


The Roman Goddess of the Hunt Award was presented to first-time big game hunters who harvested an antelope. Roman Goddess Award winners:

Jillian Balow (Cheyenne, WY)
Lauren Benigni (Laramie, WY)
Amy Blumenstock (Sheridan, WY)
Kathryn Boswell (Cheyenne, WY)
Alexa Daugherty (Jackson, WY)
Randi Downham (Laramie, WY)
Toby Everett (Houston, TX)
Carmen Goodman (Casper, WY)
Dawn Gregg (Katy, TX)
Kim Krieger (Katy, TX)
Laura Leffler (Houston TX)
AmberNuse (Cheyenne, WY)
Hilary Stern (El Cajon, CA)
CaitlinYoungquist (Worland, WY)

The Founders' Cup Award goes to our corporate sponsor team with the closest average shot distance; all team members must harvest. It is named for the hunt founders, Marilyn Kite, Donna Wichers and Lynne Boomgaarden, and was presented by Marilyn Kite. The award is sponsored in part by Twin M Designs, which is co-owned by one of the hunt's guides, Matt Moran. The cup is new this year, and will be passed from one team to the next each year. Individuals on the team receive commemorative bracelets handmade by Matt, who is a leather craftsman based in Sheridan.
The winner of the 2015 Founders' Cup is the Merlin Ranch (Buffalo, WY). The team had an average shot distance of 84.6 yards. The team's four hunters were:

Jillian Balow (Cheyenne, WY) - 90 yards
Jennie Muir-Gordon (Buffalo, WY) - 58 yards
Jessica Crowder (Cheyenne, WY) - 97.4 yards
Shelley Simonton (Cheyenne, WY) - 93 yards


The Super Stalker Award goes to the individual closest to her antelope when making the kill shot. This award is presented by our title sponsor, BP Americaand sponsored by Maven Outdoor Equipment. The 2015 Super Stalker was:

Jennie Muir-Gordon (Buffalo, WY) - 58 yards

Her guide was Kellen Little (Leiter, WY).

The hunt's Roosevelt Award is named after Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president, conservation champion and co-founder of the Boone & Crockett Club, which sponsors the award. This award celebrates the type of personal character Teddy Roosevelt held in highest regard - an adventurous spirit, determination, self-reliance, and the need to give back more than what is taken - all of which he believed defined what was inside every true sportsman and sportswoman. Voted on by the guides, this award is given to the participant that had the fortitude to keep trying and hung tough, win lose or draw. Roosevelt Award winner:

Janet Marschner (Cheyenne, WY).

A new award was also created at the event. TheCantelope Award was presented to Danise Edmonds (Katy, TX). Danise hunted hard for two days, but in the end, she did not harvest an antelope. Recognizing the spirit of the hunt did not depend on getting an antelope, but in enjoying the experience, Denise asked her guide to stop at the grocery store before returning to the ranch. She went inside and returned with a cantaloupe, saying with a grin that she got her (c)antelope. She attached her carcass tag to it and  a set of make-shift horns imagined from the weathered trunk of a sage brush. The newly-created award goes to the hunter who keeps her sense-of-humor about her throughout the hunt.

In spite of incredibly warm weather, this year's hunt resulted in 36 of 40 hunters harvesting antelope. The hunt was created in 2013 to promote camaraderie and mentorship among women through hunting while raising awareness and funds for the Wyoming Women's Foundation. BP America was the title sponsor of this year's event. Next year's event is slated for Oct. 6-9.