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Nearly 30 years separated state titles for the Panther girls’ track team. This year’s members of the Powell High School squad are hoping to defend the team title they earned in 2021, as …
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Nearly 30 years separated state titles for the Panther girls’ track team. This year’s members of the Powell High School squad are hoping to defend the team title they earned in 2021, as they return the talent and experience to make a run at a repeat.
The Panthers won last year’s state meet with a total of 105 points, 34 points ahead of second place Buffalo.
This year’s team returns two state champion sprinters in senior Jenna Hillman in the 200 meter dash (who also took second in the 400 meters) and sophomore Waycee Harvey in the 100 meter dash.
“You have Jenna [Hillman] who is the senior, has the experience, did indoor and had a successful indoor season,” Panther head coach Scott Smith said. “Then you have Waycee [Harvey] who is a sophomore who is kind of young and you get leadership from someone to look up to and a peer.”
In addition to Harvey and Hillman, the Panthers also return two other key parts of their state champion 4x400 meter relay team in juniors Anna Bartholomew and Megan Jacobsen.
In throwing, the Panthers return three girls who placed in senior Reagan Thompson, junior Grace Coombs and sophomore Megan McDaniel.
In the other field events, the Panthers return state placers in sophomores Kenzie Ratcliff and Addy Thorington in high jump; Harvey in the long jump; junior Sydney Spomer in the triple jump; junior Kami Jensen and sophomore Lauryn Bennett in the pole vault.
“I feel really good about this year,” coach Smith said. “The kids we have out are working hard and there is some good talent there. When May comes along we are going to be pretty strong.”
Key losses for the Panthers from this past year included Hailee Hyde, Emma Karhu, Elsie Spomer and Cassidy Miner.
Smith said last year’s team primarily won because of depth with a couple of top end performances, but he feels as if this year’s team will feature more top talent in addition to even more depth compared to last year’s team.
The Panthers were off for their first available weekend of the season due to spring break, but will kick things off Friday, when they head to Burlington for their first meet of the season. The event begins at 1 p.m.
