LINGLE – The Eastern Wyoming College men’s basketball team took to the court Friday at Lingle-Fort Laramie High School to have a shoot around with L-FL elementary students who met their reading goals for the month of January.

As the reading celebration for last month, those Doggers that achieved their reading goals got the chance to meet, chat with and play hoops with the Lancers.
During the players’ introductions, EWC sophomore Jordan Mirich, a 2011 graduate of Lingle-Fort Laramie, got the loudest welcoming cheers.
“When I introduced myself from Lingle, it was kind of an uproar,” Mirich said. “I wasn’t expecting it, but it was a great feeling to know that no matter what, Lingle always has
Lingle’s back.”
Following introductions, the court was flooded with elementary students dribbling through and around EWC players and vice versa. There was a continual line of Lancers lifting Doggers high enough so they could dunk, as well as the requests of the college hoopsters to dunk.
For the Lancers, it was another community service effort and Mirich said it was an opportunity for the players to relate to who they are representing on the court. He said a lot of players come from bigger cities, but Friday was an opportunity to show the team that they represent the county as a whole.
For Mirich, taking the floor at L-FL hit close to home.
“Just stepping on the court, I can remember one of my last shots taken and a certain game that impacted my high school career,” he said. “A lot of memories came back and I enjoyed it a lot.”
The Lancers may have made an impression or two on the aspiring college basketball stars at Lingle. Mirich, who was once in those same shoes in Lingle, has not lost
his roots.
“When I put EWC on, I know it isn’t just EWC. It represents Lingle, Torrington and Yoder,” he said. “I really hold that into account when I put that jersey on because I know it’s Lingle too. When you are playing in your home town, you have that atmosphere of when you still played in high school.”