Picking the Sports Mount Rushmore for all 50 states

Wyoming

Rulon Gardner won the gold medal in men’s Greco-Roman wrestling in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He beat Aleksandr Karelin, who had won the three previous gold medals in the 130 kilogram weight class and was undefeated in 13 years going into the bout. Gardner also won the bronze medal in the 120 kilogram weight class at the 2004 Summer Olympics. An amputated toe forced him to retire, but his conquest of Karelin remains one of the most memorable moments in the history of the Olympics.

Kenny Sailors is most famous for popularizing the jump shot in basketball. He led the University of Wyoming to a national title in 1943 and was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for his efforts. Sailors was named a first-team All-American following the 1943 season and was a consensus second-team All-American following the 1946 season. He spent seven years in the NBA before retiring.

Theo Ratliff is an alum of the University of Wyoming. He was twice a part of the First Team All-Western Athletic Conference squad. Ratliff is the Cowboys’ career leader in blocks with 425, and has three of the four best blocking seasons in team history. Ratliff led the NBA in blocks three times and was an All-Star in 2001 while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Joe Alexander is a member of the Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame. He won an unprecedented five straight world titles in bareback riding and two consecutive PRCA regular season championships in bareback riding.