Freshman registers eighth qualification

Powell High School’s girls’ swim team won back-to-back meets and picked up four individual state qualifications as the Panthers enter the second half of the season.

The Panthers topped Lander in a dual at the Powell Aquatic Center Friday, winning 116-66 behind a well-rounded team performance led by two relay victories and strong individual efforts by Amanda Tracy, Baxter Heinert, Gretchen Moretti and Tristan Bohlman.

A Panther team or swimmer took first place in 10 of the meet’s 12 events.

Tracy won the 50 and 500 free, adding her seventh qualification of the season with her time of 26.86 in the 50. The sophomore cut 3.26 seconds off her 500 free time and earned 12 points for Powell.

Heinert, who has become one of the team’s most valuable swimmers in her senior year, scored 10 points with a win in the 100 fly and second-place finish in the 100 back. Her victory in the fly qualified her for state and she now seeks only the 100 breast in her pursuit for eight qualifications.

“She’s just had a killer year,” said head coach Luke Robertson.

The shoulder injury that Heinert battled last season has been resolved and has contributed to her strong senior campaign.

“A big part of it, she’s stayed healthy,” Robertson said. “She came into the season in good shape and I think both of those things have really helped.”

Moretti, a junior, won the 100 breast and finished third in the 200 IM, adding nine points to Powell’s total.

Bohlman also scored nine points in Powell’s win. The sophomore swimmer cut more than 10 seconds off her time as she took first in the 200 IM for her fifth qualification of the season.

“For a girl like that to cut 10 seconds ... that’s a lot,” Robertson said.

Bohlman also cut .23 seconds in the 100 fly, in which she finished third.

Junior SarahJean O’Neill scored eight points in individual races and contributed to Powell’s winning 200 medley and 200 free relay teams, which totalled 16 points. O’Neill cut 1.89 seconds as the runner-up in the 100 free, and also finished second in the 100 breast.

Freshman Aly Schneider became the first Panther to qualify in all eight individual swimming events when she finished fourth in the 100 breast with a time of 1:23.27. Schneider also won the 200 free with a personal best time of 2:13.44 and swam the final leg of the first-place 200 free relay team.

“She swam an awesome 200 freestyle,” Robertson said. “She cut four seconds from her previous best.”

Senior Katelyn Lang took fifth place in the 100 breast and earned her first qualification of the season with a time of 1:23.95.

Diver Hannah Sweet scored a 153.20 to win the diving competition.

Freshman Katie Doughty won the 100 back with a personal best time of 1:11.67.

The team traveled to Worland Saturday to compete against Lander again as well as Buffalo, Cody, Douglas, Rawlins and the host Warriors at the invitational.

Powell topped the leader board with a 408.5-point output, well ahead of the second-place Tigers (323.5), and did so with the benefit of only one event victory.

That win in the meet’s first event, the 200 medley relay, cashed in 32 points for Powell.

The team’s top scorers were Tracy (32 points), Liggett (31), Moretti (31), Tristan Bohlman and Schneider (30).

Tracy swam the 50 free in 27.05, good for third place. She also placed third in the 100 free.

Liggett took third-place in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 fly.

Moretti was the runner-up in the 100 breast and finished fifth in the 200 IM.

Tristan Bohlman finished second in the 100 back and fifth in the 100 fly.

Schneider got Powell’s only other second-place finish in the 200 free, and also placed sixth in the 100 free.

No Panthers qualified in Worland, but many came close or set new personal best times.

Emily Doughty cut 1.14 seconds in the 200 free and sister Katie cut 1.31 seconds in the 200 IM. Both swimmers qualified in their respective events earlier in the season. Katie scored 28 points and Emily tallied 26.

Heinert put together another fine day at the pool, starting with a seventh-place finish in the 50 free and then a third-place finish in the 500 free in which she cut .18 seconds — no small feat in the meet’s longest race. Heinert scored 28 points for the Panthers.

Sophomore Jace Sharp was less than a half-second shy of her first ever state qualification when she swam the 100 back in 1:15.79.

“Jace has been flirting with the 100 back,” Robertson said. Sharp will get plenty more opportunities to reach that qualifying time.

“I’m going to swim her in the 100 back and I’m going to keep trying it,” Robertson said.

Freshman Katie Brown’s time of 2:35.33 in the 200 free was 10.13 seconds faster than her previous best. She cut 10.53 seconds off her 500 free time later in the meet.

“She did awesome,” Robertson said. “She really had a stellar meet.”

In third was Rawlins with 283, followed by Cody - 214.5, Douglas - 193, Buffalo - 176.5 and Worland - 166.

The girls will travel to Riverton Friday for a dual with the Raiders, then compete in the Pinedale Invitational on Saturday.