Warner family `High´ light 3A West Regional Track meet in Cody

The days may have been overcast and chilly at the 3A Western Regionals in Cody, but Powell High School track and field was quite bright and heated up as the Panthers practically have their bus ride to the State Meet in Casper overflowing.

Prior to the penultimate meet of the season Friday and Saturday, Powell had automatically qualified 14 student-athletes to compete in Casper, having met the timing or measurement standards set at the start of the season.

Well, 11 more names were added to the list, giving the Panthers competitors in all but one event, the 200-meter run, most with athletes going on both the boys and girls side.

It was a highly competitve meet among the teams, with the top four boys’ scores being separated by 70 points, while the girls were even closer, as the top five teams saw a total margin of 37 points.

Star Valley won the boys side with 160 points, with Cody second at 123, Powell in third with 100.5 and Jackson Hole fourth at 90.

For the girls, the host Fillies tallied 125 points to stay 10 ahead of the Lady Panthers’ 115 for second.

Star Valley was third with 105 and Jackson Hole fourth at 93.

And though Powell had its fair share of automatic qualifiers, each were on hand to compete in their events.

“I’ve always wanted to be a regional champion,” said Danna Hanks, who had already stamped her ticket to state in the 100- and 300-hurdles, as well as the 400-meter run. “Knowing I’m already going just takes the pressure off, so I can just race my best and not have to worry about qualifying.”

Her assessment proved right as Hanks would take the regional championship in both of her hurdles events.

Anissa Warner was also pre-qualified in three events, the high, long and triple jumps, and couldn’t wait for the regional competiton.

“I’m nervous but really excited,” she said prior to the meet. “This is the time I’ve been waiting for my whole high school career.”

Warner may have been a bit too excited as she faulted in all three attempts during Friday’s triple jump, but relaxed enough to win both the high and long jumps on Saturday.

Among the other Panthers who were already set to head to Casper this weekend were Julia Kay O’Neill (800), Lexee Craig (pole vault, triple jump), Maddy Hanks (pole vault), Mason Olsen (discus), Zach Easum (discus) and the 4x800 relay teams of Teo Faulkner, Rachell Cole, Dagne Stratton and O’Neill, along with Tegan Cordes, Brandon Anderson, Alan Merritt and Cody Akin.

The Hanks sisters were able to add an event as both were part of the 4x400 relay team with Cole and O’Neill, and Craig was able to add the 100 hurdles and long jump to her list of events for state.

O’Neill was able to qualify this weekend for the 400 as well, while Olsen added the 400 and shot put to his docket.

Otherwise, it was a list of a lot more names that made this weekend’s cut by finishing in the top eight individually, or top four as part of a relay.

Freshman Gabri Lundberg added her name to the list in three events, the 100, long jump and triple jump, while Faulkner got in, individually, in the 3200.

Another freshman, Rachel Bonander qualified in the discus, as did Alan Merritt in the 3200 and Nate MaGill in the 110-meter hurdles.

There were two more Powell racers who made the cut in the 110 hurdles in the form of Kolter McGlaughlin and Paige Gann, with Gann also earning his spot in the 300 hurdles.

It was in the boys high jump that Powell made a big splash, qualifying four Panthers for the trip to Casper.

Freshman Colby Warner, Anissa’s younger brother, set a new personal best, beating his seed height of 5-foot-7 by three inches to take the regional title at 5-10.

The mark also set a new Warner family standard, soaring past the 5-7 cleared by both his sister and mother Chris.

Warner wasted little time rocketing off the landing mat once he had cleared the new height.

“I thought I might have grazed the bar when I went over,” he said. “I know there’s a rule that if the bar falls after you’re off the mat, it’s a good jump, so I wanted to get off the mat as fast as I could.”

Also qualifying for Casper in the event were Charlie Hall, who took second at 5-8, Jackson Griffin and McGlaughlin.

Akin had qualified previously as part of the 4x800 relay team, but placed in both the 800 and 1600 to stamp his individual ticket as well.

Brooks Asher cleared 11 feet on the pole vault, improving his seed height by nearly a foot, and sophomore A.J. Lewis made the cut in both the long and triple jump, while Kanyon Gann not only qualified in the triple jump, but came away as regional champion with a leap of 41 feet, .25 inches.

“A typical regional meet has good surprises and disappointments,” head coach Scott Smith said. “This year we had very few disappointments and a huge number of pleasant surprises. Overall, we scored better than had been predicted, which is awesome.”

The busload of Panthers will head to Casper this week, with competition running from Thursday through Saturday at the Harry Geldien Stadium at Kelly Walsh High School.