The Powell High School cross country teams ran in meets on back-to-back days this week, something veteran head coach Cliff Boos said was new to him.

“We’ve never had it before,” Boos said. “First time in all my years of coaching.”

They ran in the Rocky Mountain High School Invitational at the Foster Gulch Golf Course by Lovell on Monday and followed that by competing in the Worland Invite on Tuesday. The Worland meet was to have been held this weekend, but it was moved up since the Green Hills Golf Club will be used for the Class 2A State Golf Tournament instead.

“I wouldn’t do it by choice,” Boos said. “It’s all new.”

He said the runners did fine and had no problems with the pair of meets. But he allowed them to run on their own Wednesday and will not push them too hard today (Thursday) when they take on “The Hill,” an uphill run on a dirt road off Elk Basin Road that is part of an annual workout to adjust to courses with more elevation.

“It’s just a great place to train,” Boos said. “No traffic and good footing.”

Complete results were not available for the Rocky Mountain meet, since that school’s coach was ill. But Boos said he thinks the Powell boys won the meet.

Alex Aguirre was the top Panther runner, finishing in a time of 19:06.

“I thought he did a nice job,” Boos said. “He’s running hard and he finishes really strong.”

Aguirre missed the 2013 season due to injuries, but the junior is in fine form this year, his coach said.

“No aches and pains — I’m encouraged with that,” Boos said.

Senior Ben Wetzel, who has battled health issues this season, was the second PHS runner on Monday, finishing in 19:48.

“He’s still pretty bunged up. He’s still pretty sore,” Boos said. “He’s going to try to do some swimming.”

Sophomore Matthew Waite came home in 20:15; he has been “really consistent,” Boos said, and knocked 30 seconds off his time at the same meet last season.

Freshmen Aaron Smith, who ran the course in 20:33, and Jesse Erickson, who finished in 20:58, continued to show promise, Boos said.

“I thought, overall, the kids did really well with that one,” he said.

The Lovell girls won the meet, while Powell was second, Boos said. Senior Bailey Sanders returned to competition with a time of 21:01.

“Good to have her running again,” he said.

Senior Gretchen Moretti finished in 21:29, while Kiley Cannon ran it in 21:37.

“She knocked over a minute off her time,” Boos said of Cannon, a sophomore. “Last year she was having a lot of knee problems.”

Classmate Teo Faulkner came home in 22:37, and freshman Emma Andreasen finished in 24:06.

At the Worland Invite, the Cody boys won with 24 points, followed by Riverton with 56, Worland with 58 and Powell with 72. Thermopolis also competed.

Cody’s Brody Smith won the meet in a time of 16:34, while Powell’s Aguirre finished eighth in 19:46.

Waite was 14th in 20:35 and Smith 15th in 20:44. Erickson claimed 16th in 20:44 and Wetzel took 19th in 20:47.

Cody won with 30 points, followed by Worland with 43 and Powell with 63.

Mishayla Waltari from Cody won the girls meet in 20:23. Sanders claimed sixth in 21:58.

“She’s really back to normal,” Boos said. “She’s running really good. I’m encouraged.”

Cannon came home in 12th place in 23:15, Faulkner was 14th in 23:34, Andreasen was 19th in 24:22 and junior Danna Hanks came home in 23rd place in 26:22.

The cross country season is rapidly slipping past. Powell will compete in Billings on Thursday, Oct. 2, and then host its own meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9. The conference meet is set for 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at Star Valley High School and the Class 3A State Meet will be in Sheridan on Saturday, Oct. 25.