On September 16, 2001, just 17 miles south of Laramie on U.S. 287, eight members of the UW cross country team died in a car accident. The teammates were on their way back to Laramie after a team trip to Fort Collins.
The young men were Justin Lambert-Belanger, 20; Cody Brown, 21; Kyle Johnson, 20; Joshua Jones, 22; Morgan McLeland, 21; Kevin Salverson, 19; Nicholas Schabron, 20; and Shane Shatto, 19.
“I remember it was a shock to most everyone,” UW assistant research scientist, Justin McDonald, said. “There was a candlelight vigil, and I remember a lot of people showing up. Everyone was remembering those eight students.”
The accident occurred when Clinton Haskins, who was driving while under the influence, crossed the dividing line on the highway. He then crashed into the Jeep carrying the team members.
Haskins pleaded guilty to eight counts of aggravated homicide by vehicle and served just under 10 years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary.
“I was in high school at the time and remember hearing the news on TV. It was something at the time, and currently, puts things into perspective about life and not taking anything for granted,” current cross country coach, Scott Dahlberg, said.
Dahlberg said that the UW cross country team will be running the Silent Trails on October 2 in memory of the Eight.
Vice provost of undergraduate education and faculty member, Steven Barrett, said that the tragedy was an overwhelming blow to the Wyoming community.
“Days before, we’d had 9/11, and I am a retired military member and took that very hard. Then, we had this unbelievable situation of losing eight outstanding young men at the prime of their life.
“It hit me as a parent, because at that time my children were that same age. I just can’t imagine. A parent’s worst nightmare is to lose a child,” Barrett said.
Barrett attended this past Saturday’s football game, in which both the Wyoming Eight and Tony Evans Jr., a member of Wyoming’s 2021 football recruiting class who was fatally shot in April, were recognized and honored.
“It was so neat when they recognized not only the eight young men that passed 20 years ago, but also the young football recruit that was killed even before he got the chance to play for UW,” Barrett said. “I thought it was so moving that they recognized these nine students and basically said once a Cowboy, always a Cowboy.”
The Wyoming Eight are honored with the “Come Run With Me” memorial located outside of the War Memorial Fieldhouse.
The memorial features a plaque that describes the tragedy that occurred, as well as the pictures and names of the young men that were killed.
“I think a lot of people still remember and still hold those students dear in their hearts,” McDonald said. “It’s a wound that I would say never fully heals.”
“We’ll never forget. We’re one big family and we work through it,” Barrett said. “We did then, and we will with all the challenges facing us now.”
