After finishing ninth a year ago the Powell High School boys’ track and field team is looking forward to a stronger 2026 season, with speed leading the way for the Panthers.

Senior Caden Nelson is the top Panthers returner and will return to the track for the first time in two years.

Nelson won the long jump his sophomore year, while also finishing second in the 200 meters and third in the 100 meters before being unable to compete his junior year following an ACL tear in the fall of 2024.

“It’s gonna be nice to have him back. I felt so bad for him last year because he wanted to so badly, but it was the right thing to hold off,” coach Scott Smith said. “I feel confident … I think we’re good to go with his health. I think he’s healed, and it’s gonna be fun to watch and see where he’s at. He’s gonna light some things up.”

Another key returner is Nelson’s younger brother Braxton, who placed third in the high jump as well as fifth in the long jump last year, and is expected to be a key part of a young core of sophomore Panthers this season.

“I’m really excited. They are very talented. A lot of those kids were in indoor, there’s a ton of speed there. In addition to the two Nelsons and Karcher [Foley], some of their hardest competition is going to be in practice every day,” Smith said. “It’s going to be our job to make sure we get them in the right places. It’s really exciting, we’re really young on the boys’ side, but we’re very talented. I’m really excited about that.”

The Panthers bring back everybody from their 4x100 relay which placed third, while adding in more sprinters on top of those returners to try maximizing their points this season.

“Sometimes it just takes care of itself. If we have six kids that prequalify, we can enter all six in the individual (races). Then we can spread them through the relays, and get really good relays,” Smith said. “Get those points, and some of them also transfer over and use that speed for jumps.”

While the Panthers have plenty of speed in the short sprints, Smith said the team has added a number of new 400 meter runners this year which the team was missing a year ago that he feels will help the team.

“Last year we just didn’t have 400 runners. This year we’ve got kids that have already stepped up and said ‘yeah, I want to run the 400.’ They’re working on it right now and looking good,” Smith said. “To get on the 4x400 relay this year is gonna be tough. That carries through everywhere.”

The Panthers also bring back two finalists in the 110 meter hurdles, where juniors Lincoln Crawford and Sawyer Wormald placed sixth and eighth respectively.

In the distance races the Panthers bring back a pair of seniors in Korbyn Warren and Colin Walker and add more depth despite losing their top runner from a year ago.

“There’s a little bit more depth. Liam [Taylor] was awfully good last year, but the depth is going to be a good thing,” Smith said. “(Sophomore) Alex Werner really started to show some things there at the end of the indoor season and I think he’s going to help us out. Those kids are going to want to get on the 4x800 relay, it’s not going to be easy.”

Lovell will look to defend its title, but Smith is expecting a close race at the top and he is hoping the Panthers can make a name for themselves in.

“They (Lovell) graduated one or two kids, but they also had a couple of freshmen that really came out at the end of last year that probably developed a little more. I’d put them as a favorite,” Smith said. “Lander has some good kids, if Cody gets all their kids healthy, they’ll have the depth … But I see both (girls and boys) teams having a good shot at a trophy. I think it could be competitive enough that there won’t be that runaway team, there might be four teams that are all within 15-20 points of each other and we could be one of those. It’s gonna be a fun year.”

Powell heads right down the road to start the outdoor season, taking part in a six team meet that will feature hosts Cody as well as Lovell and Worland, 4A Campbell County and 2A Thermopolis.

“What I’m really going to be most interested in is the new kids. Who is going to come out of the woodwork that we didn’t expect, and who is going to be what we had hoped for? It’s going to be kind of fun,” Smith said. “It might only be six or seven teams, but they’re all going to be really good. It’ll be a fun meet.”