Snapping a drought lasting more than two decades, the Powell High School swimming and diving team won the 3A West Conference Championships over the weekend in Riverton — taking its first conference title since 1998.

The Lady Panthers took the top spot with 307 points, followed by Lander in second with 277 points and Lyman in third with 219. Sublette and Riverton rounded out the top five with 203 and 139 points, respectively.

Powell won the championship despite not winning any events.

“Last year at this meet we finished third with 230 points, only five points behind Lyman and 17 points behind Lander,” said PHS head coach Bob Smartt. “Our victory is the result of our team depth. We did not win a single event, but had more athletes make the championship final and more athletes make the consolation final than any other team.”

Lily Halter (50 freestyle) and Dakota Hansen (500 freestyle) became the team’s 19th and 20th state qualifiers, up from 12 qualifiers last year.

“Our performance at conference was greatly added by our athletes use of high tech knee suits,” Smartt added.

Diving was the highest scoring event for the Panthers (bringing in 36 points), with Emma Karhu achieving Powell Wall of Fame status for 11 dives with a score of 354.35 for second place. Maddi Hackenberg was fourth (290.70), Kami Jensen was fifth (276.65) and Taycee Walker was 11th (224.25).

In the 200 freestyle, Elizabeth Liggett took second place with what Smartt called “an almost perfectly paced race,” swimming 100 splits of 1:03.1 and 1:05.30.

“In a perfectly paced race, the first half of the race is always slightly faster due to the forward start,” Smartt explained. “Elizabeth [Liggett] was in fifth place after the first 50, but she passed three other swimmers who went out too quickly and tired. There is a huge advantage to swim level pace.”

Gabby Paterson (2:16.17) finished eighth in the event, while Grace Harder was 11th (2:18.94), both personal bests.

The Lady Panthers had four swimmers make the finals (top 12) in the 200 individual medley, doing so in three other events, too. In the championship final, Lucia Harder (2:27.35) and Addison Moretti (2:28.86) were third and fourth, both with personal bests. In the consolation finals, Ashlyn Aguirre took eighth in 2:32.42 and Sidney O’Brien finished ninth (2:38.49).

In the 50 freestyle, Madison Lowery finished third in 26.15, matching her Wall of Fame personal best. Emma Mitchell was eighth in 27.12 and Lily Halter placed 11th in 27.60, a one-second drop from her previous personal record of 28.62.

Lucia Harder, a freshman, earned Wall of Fame status in the 100 butterfly, placing third in 1:03.60; it was a striking improvement, with Smartt noting that she hadn’t even broken the 1:10 barrier until Oct. 5.

Rachel Kuntz finished sixth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:09.26. In the consolation final, Aguirre was sixth (1:09.02) and Sydney Legler broke 1:10 for the first time, finishing 10th in 1:09.90.

Kuntz was the Lady Panthers’ lone finalist in the 100 breaststroke, swimming a two-second personal best to win the consolation final in 1:18.16.

Anna Fuller (57.14) and Madison Lowery (59.41) were the championship finalists in the 100 freestyle, finishing second and fourth, respectively. Freshman Paterson was ninth in the consolation final (1:01.37). Fuller also finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke.

The 500 freestyle was the Lady Panthers’ top swimming event (35 points), led by Liggett’s second-place finish, earning a spot on the Wall of Fame with a time of 5:44.85.

“Congratulations to Coach Bailey [Jackson] for leading a distance group that features strenuous training every day,” Smartt said.

Also in the championship final were Moretti in fourth (5:53.79) and Grace Harder in sixth (6:11.89). In the consolation final, new state qualifier Dakota Hansen finished 11th.

In the 100 backstroke, Sidney O’Brien placed fifth (1:08.55), Emma Mitchell was ninth (1:11.87) and Kylie Kahl took 11th (1:12.92).

Powell recorded 34 personal best performances, including significant improvements by Azurdey Burton in the 200 freestyle, Katie Beavers in the 100 freestyle and Kami Jensen in diving. Sarah Miller won her heat in the 200 freestyle with an 11-second personal best (3:05.72).

Certain members of the team will travel to Riverton Thursday for a Last Chance Meet to qualify for state; the state qualifiers will then head to Gillette Nov. 7-9 for the 3A State Meet.

3A West Conference Meet Results

Team Scores

1. Powell High School 307, 2. Lander 277, 3. Lyman High School 219, 4. Sublette 203, 5. Riverton High School 139, 6. Kemmerer High School 72

200 Medley Relay

4. Sidney O’Brien, Anna Fuller, Lucia Harder and Madison Lowery 2:00.43, 9. Maddi Hackenberg, Colette Sanders, Lauren Lejeune and Kami Jensen, 2:31.39

200 Freestyle

2. Elizabeth Liggett 2:08.48, 8. Gabby Paterson 2:16.17, 11. Grace Harder 2:18.94, 8. Ashlyn Aguirre 2:32.42, 9. Sidney O’Brien 2:38.49 3A, 13. Sydney Legler 2:24.29, 19. Azurdey Burton 2:29.18, 32. Sarah Miller 3:05.72, 35. Juanita Martinez 3:15.44

200 IM

3. Lucia Harder 2:27.35, 4. Addison Moretti 2:28.86, 8. Ashlyn Aguirre 2:32.42, 9. Sidney O’Brien 2:38.49, 17. Colette Sanders 3:04.19,

50 Freestyle

3. Madison Lowery 26.15, 8. Emma Mitchell 27.12, 11. Lily Halter 27.60 3A, 14. Emma Karhu 28.11, 22. Kylie Kahl 29.49, 31. Kami Jensen 32.23

1 Mtr Diving

2. Emma Karhu 354.35, 4. Maddi Hackenberg 290.70, 5. Kami Jensen 276.65, 11. Taycee Walker 224.25

100 Butterfly

3. Lucia Harder 1:03.60, 6. Rachel Kuntz 1:09.26, 8. Ashlyn Aguirre 1:09.02, 10. Sydney Legler 1:09.90, 22. Sarah Miller 1:43.98

100 Freestyle

2. Anna Fuller 57.79, 4. Madison Lowery 59.41, 9. Gabby Paterson 1:01.37, 14. Lily Halter 1:04.28, 28. Lauren Lejeune 1:11.17, 38. Katie Beavers 1:20.58, 41. Juanita Martinez 1:27.14

500 Freestyle

2. Elizabeth Liggett 5:44.85, 4. Addison Moretti 5:53.79, 6. Grace Harder 6:11.89, 11. Dakota Hansen 6:38.47, 17. Azurdey Burton 7:09.04, 19. Colette Sanders 7:49.01

200 Freestyle Relay

2. Lucia Harder, Madison Lowery, Elizabeth Liggett and Addison Moretti 1:47.53, 9. Lilly Halter, Kami Jensen, Emma Karhu and Maddi Hackenberg 2:05.75

100 Backstroke

5. Sidney O’Brien 1:08.55, 9. Emma Mitchell 1:11.87, 11. Kylie Kahl 1:12.92, 14. Grace Sapp 1:14.11, 24. Katie Beavers 1:30.86

100 Breaststroke

4. Anna Fuller 1:16.26, 7. Rachel Kuntz 1:18.16 3A, 14. Grace Sapp 1:29.03, 16. Dakota Hansen 1:29.76, 24. Lauren Lejeune 1:34.92

400 Freestyle Relay

2. Elizabeth Liggett, Gabby Paterson, Addison Moretti and Anna Fuller 4:00.35, 10. Azurdey Burton, Lily Halter, Lauren Lejeune and Colette Sanders 4:52.06