With poor weather descending on the region last week, there were fears that some swimming and diving teams might be unable to make the trip to the 3A West Conference Meet in Powell.

But not to worry: All six schools that were supposed to swim and dive made it to the Powell Aquatic Center for the Friday-Saturday event, where the host Panther boys finished second.

Many of the members of the PHS squad improved their times and placements between Friday’s preliminaries and Saturday’s finals to help the Panthers amass 255 points. Lander outpaced the field with 428 points to take the conference title, while Riverton came in third with 182 points.

“We are so proud of each and every member on our team” and “again each one of them had a season best time,” PHS coach Stephanie Warren said of the “great meet.”

Warren added that the success came despite the Panthers having to cancel their Thursday night practice due to the weather.

The coach congratulated all of the teams and athletes who participated at the meet — “especially the new conference record holders from Lander,” Warren said, referring to record-breaking performances by Tigers Nick Kulow in the 200 free and Johnny Kulow in 50 free and 100 breast.

As for the Panthers, sophomore Kyler Warren became Powell’s 14th state qualifier after meeting the standard in both the 200 IM and 500 freestyle. Freshman Ashtin Prentiss also added the breaststroke to his list of qualifying events.

In what coach Warren referred to as “another PHS Hall of Fame performance,” sophomore Nate Johnston swam to the fifth-best time in school history in Saturday’s 500 free finals (5:15.68). It was a nearly 8-second improvement from his preliminary time and good for second place at the conference meet. (Johnston set PHS’s second-best time in the 100 breaststroke earlier this season.)

Senior Richard Spann finished second in the 200 individual medley after being barely out-touched — by 0.36 of a second — by Dylan Huelskamp of Lander. With a massive 5.46 second improvement from Friday to Saturday, Spann also came just a fraction of a second short of the conference title in the 100 butterfly, finishing just 0.27 seconds behind Nick Kulow. His time of 55.99 in the finals of the event bettered his fourth place time of 56.08 on the PHS Hall of Fame board set last year.

Also taking silver at conference was the 200 medley relay team of Rui Parker, Johnston, Spann and Jay Cox (1:46.40) and the 400 free relay squad of Parker, Johnston, Cox and Tarren Blackmore (3:41.09).

As for third-place finishes, Blackmore, Bryce Hogen, Ben Cannizzaro and Spann took bronze in the 200 free relay, as did Cox in the 100 breaststroke and Parker in the 100 backstroke.

Hogen took fourth in diving with a personal best of 333.1 points and Blackmore took fourth in the butterfly.

Any Panthers seeking some last-minute qualifications for the Class 3A state meet will have a final chance at Cody High School at 5 p.m. Thursday. Powell’s qualifiers will then travel to Laramie on Thursday, Feb. 20, and Friday, Feb. 21, to compete in the 2020 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships.

3A West Conference Championship results:

1. Lander 428, 2. Powell 255, 3. Riverton 182, 4. Kemmerer 161, 5. Sublette 120, 5. Lyman 117

200 Medley Relay

2. Parker, Johnston, Spann, Cox 1:46.47

200 Freestyle

5. Parker 2:03.35, 9. Francis Rogers 2:06.18, 16. Kobus Diver 2:15.63, 23. Nathan Fuller 2:38.68

200 Individual Medley

2. Spann 2:06.36, 7. Warren 2:31.77, 12. Josh Wright 2:37.35

50 Freestyle

7. Johnston 23.99, 8. Blackmore 24.05, 22. Aidan Cannizzaro 28.55, 25. David Polson 32.30, 26. Hunter Davis 33.31

1 Meter Diving (11 dives)

4. Hogen 333.10, 5. Cole Frank 297.85, 9. Ben Hawley 253.65, 10. Prentiss 233.90, 14. Caiden Gehrts 213.6

100 Butterfly

2. Spann 55.99, 4. Blackmore 1:01.26, 10. Ben Cannizzaro 1:07.13

100 Freestyle

6. Cox 55.22, 9. Rogers 56.41, 11. Hawley 58.84, 19. Gerhts 1:01.45, 24. Polson 1:11.83

500 Freestyle

2. Johnston 5:15.68, 7. Ben Cannizzaro 5:55.76, 9. Diver 5:57.60, 14. Warren 6:14.42, 20. Fuller 7:06.52

200 Freestyle Relay

3. Blackmore, Hogen, Ben Cannizzaro, Spann 1:39.95

100 Backstroke

3. Parker 1:02.38, 8. Wright 1:05.95, 12. Aidan Cannizzaro 1:14.02, 16. Davis 1:19.82

100 Breaststroke

3. Cox 1:06.39, 7. Hogen 1:09.42, 12. Frank 1:12.77, 14. Prentiss 1:17.73

400 Freestyle Relay

2. Parker, Johnston, Cox, Blackmore 3:41.09