BY JARED HENDERSON | [email protected]
Members of the MHS girls basketball team pose for a photo during team camp at CMU this summer as the Cowboys continued preparing for the 2026-27 season.
MEEKER | After a successful first season under head coach Eric Hamilton that saw the Cowboys return to the state tournament, the Meeker High School girls basketball program continued building toward the 2026-27 season with a challenging summer schedule against some of the top competition in the region.
The Cowboys varsity team finished the summer with a 15-8 record, while the junior varsity squad posted a 5-14 mark as players gained valuable experience through camps and tournaments throughout Colorado and Wyoming.
Hamilton said the summer schedule was designed to challenge the team and prepare players for the level of competition they will face during the upcoming winter season.
“We played a lot of very good teams and some really big schools throughout the summer at team camps and one-day tournaments,” Hamilton said.
Meeker competed at team camps hosted by the University of Northern Colorado and Colorado Mesa University while also participating in tournaments at Coal Ridge High School, Roaring Fork High School and Little Snake River Valley School.
The summer provided an opportunity for the Cowboys to continue developing chemistry while competing against larger programs and different styles of play.
“It was an outstanding summer season for Meeker girls basketball,” Hamilton said.
The summer success follows a strong 2025-26 season in which Meeker finished 18-6 overall and 11-3 in league play, earning a spot in the Class 3A state tournament. The Cowboys defeated Highland in the opening round of the Salida Regional Tournament before falling to host Salida in the Sweet 16.
With several players returning from last year’s team, Hamilton said the summer was an important step in continuing the growth of the program.
The Cowboys return a young core that gained valuable varsity experience during last year’s postseason run, including freshmen Cienna Rogers, Raegan Clatterbaugh and Haigen Harrison, who contributed throughout the season. The team also looks to build on the leadership and foundation established by last year’s senior class.
Hamilton said the work ethic and commitment shown by the players throughout the summer has been encouraging as the team prepares for the winter season.
“This is a hardworking, dedicated squad,” Hamilton said. “They are going to be tough to beat this winter.”
As the program enters Hamilton’s second season, Meeker will look to use the lessons learned from last year’s state tournament appearance and a demanding summer schedule to continue pushing toward another postseason run.