Winning five events helped pace the Powell High School girls’ swim team to a win over the visiting Cody Fillies on Thursday.  Lynea Christensen added one final qualifying time to officially qualify for all eight swimming events as well as diving midway through the season.

Christensen had an individual double victory, as she started with a win in diving with a score of 157.5, before later winning the 100 breaststroke, the final event she needed to qualify in for state with a time of 1 minute, 23.01 seconds.

“Lynea has now qualified in every swimming event plus diving. This is not a common occurrence,” coach Bailey Jackson said. “I think the last time a PHS girl managed it was 2018 or so. We’re very proud of her. Her hard work and dedication to swimming both in and out of the high school season is really starting to pay dividends.”

Autumn Kleinfeldt picked up a win in the 50 free in 28.98 seconds, while Stella Leighton won the 100 back in 1:18.19.

Powell also won the 200 medley relay, as the team of Christensen, Sophie Erkkila, Leighton and April Weckler won in 2:19.83.

The swimmers had to do a lot of quick turnarounds in and out of the pool for events, but despite those turnarounds the Panthers had plenty of top three finishes.

“They dealt with it pretty well,” Jackson said. “There was some complaining, but once they realized that they swim more yards in a shorter amount of time every day at practice, they realized they could do it.”

Second place finishes came from Tempie Day in the 200 IM (2:58.4), Claire Hultgren in the 50 free (32.27) and 100 back (1:23.06); Autumn Weckler in the 100 fly (2:06.61) and April in the 500 free (7:46.27) and 100 breast (1:49.26).

Third place finishes were Meredyth Giltner in the 200 free (3:06.71); Autumn in the 200 IM (3:35.46) and Day in the 100 free (1:12.91).

During the meet the Panthers were primarily swimming in off events, which Jackson said produced some mixed results for the team.

“It was kind of a mixed bag with the off events, but that’s to be expected — they’re off events for a reason,” Jackson said. “It was still good for the girls to get out of their comfort zone.”

The Panthers continue to get closer to adding another qualifier at the halfway point, with Jackson noting health is a main factor at this point in the year.

“If we can keep everyone healthy and everyone attending practice regularly, we are very close,” she said. “There are a few girls who are only a few seconds off qualifying. If we keep working hard, they’ll get there.”

Powell heads back on the road this weekend, making the trip southwest for a pair of meets.

The Panthers begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in Big Piney, swimming a meet in a meter pool — a longer course than they are used to — for the first time this season.

“It’s an 11% difference in length. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it definitely feels like a lot in the water. So we’ll be focusing on walls,” Jackson said. “They won’t be where the kids expect them to be and they’ll have to pay extra attention to things like turns and streamlines.”

Powell then continues to Pinedale at 10 a.m. on Saturday for likely the biggest meet of the season so far.

POWELL 91, CODY 73

* Denotes state qualifying mark

200 medley relay — 1. Lynea Christensen, Sophie Erkkila, Stella Leighton and April Weckler 2:19.83

200 free — 3. Meredyth Giltner 3:06.71, 4. Sophie Erkkila 3:20.19, 5. Michelle Hedges 3:36.71

200 IM — 2. Tempie Day 2:58.4, 3. Autumn Weckler 3:35.46

50 free — 1. Autumn Kleinfeldt 28.98*, 2. Claire Hultgren 32.27, 4. Lily Paisley 44.89

1-meter diving (six dives) — 1. Lynea Christensen 157.5*

200 free relay — 2. Claire Hultgren, Meredyth Giltner, Stella Leighton and Lynea Christensen 2:11.02; 3. Lilly Paisley, Michelle Hedges, Tempie Day and Autumn Weckler 2:38.46

100 fly — 2. Autumn Weckler 2:06.61

100 free — 3. Tempie Day 1:12.91

500 free — 2. April Weckler 7:46.27, 3. Sophie Erkkila 8:37.75, 4. Michelle Hedges 9:57.61

100 back — 1. Stella Leighton 1:18.19, 2. Claire Hultgren 1:23.06, 5. Meredyth Giltner 1:32.7, 6. Lily Paisley 1:44.72

100 breast — 1. Lynea Christensen 1:23.01*, 2. April Weckler 1:49.26

400 free relay — 2. Tempie Day, Claire Hultgren, Sophie Erkkila and Autumn Weckler 5:25.58