Thirteen Lady Panthers will put their swimming skills and training on the line Thursday and Friday in the Wyoming 3A state swimming finals.Leading the Powell team will be seniors Samantha Baker, Jessica Curtis and Stepfanie Thompson. Baker and Curtis are among the top swimmers in the backstroke this year, and both have qualified in several events, giving Coach Luke Robertson options for the state competition. Diver Thompson has achieved her personal best score during the season and will be shooting to better that mark this week.

Junior swimmers competing this week include Maddy Jones, Monique Zorgati, Brittany Christensen, Alyssa Smith, Jessica Wurzel and Emily Newman. Jones, Zorgati and Christensen have been to state before while Wurzel, Smith and diver Newman are making their first trip. Sophomores Alice Pinter, Anya Tracy and Belen Quillen were qualifiers as freshmen and will be returning to Gillette for the second time.

Rounding out the Powell squad is freshman Courtenay Zorgati.

The Lady Panthers face stiff competition from perennial power Lander and Jackson who are heavily favored to battle for first place. Powell will likely contend with Buffalo, Rawlins, Worland and Cody for a place on the winners stand.