Underclassmen continue to shine as Panthers qualify in 10 events in Cody, Lander

It’s better to give than receive, but the Powell High School boys’ swim team did both over the weekend.

The Panthers gave the top team in the state another run for its money while receiving 19 new qualifications, including one new qualifier.

For the second time in nine days the Panthers tested the waters against the Tigers, who have won 19 straight state titles, and held their own despite competing without four swimmers due to illness, injury and other obligations.

Powell was second to Lander in a quad meet in Cody on Thursday, and finished third at a triangular in Lander on Saturday.

PHS head coach Stephanie Warren said the team’s strong start through the first three meets is promising for the rest of the season.

“The fact that we’re seeing so many personal records this early in the season is very encouraging,” Warren said. “Knowing that, size wise, we’re comparable to Lander ... it kind of puts the team in a different mindset of competition. It helps them be a little bit more excited about the way we can compete against Lander.”

Sheridan took second in Lander and third in Cody.

Thirteen of Powell’s 19 new qualifications came in Lander, where the Panthers finished third to the Sheridan Broncs and host Tigers.

Jared Fuller became the 10th Panther to qualify for the state tournament when he earned his first qualification of the season in Lander. The sophomore finished seventh with a time of 1:12.68 in the 100-yard back.

Six other Panthers added to their list of qualifications on

Saturday, including fellow sophomore Kacey Creed, who added four new qualifications over the weekend and now has six total.

Four Powell sophomores have qualified for state.

“Having four of our 10 qualifiers being the younger ones is exciting; especially this early in the season,” Warren said. “Last year they were trying to qualify for the majority of the season and some made it right near the end.”

Creed added the 50-yard free and 100-yard back in Lander, two days after qualifying in the 500-yard free and 100-yard breast in Cody.

Creed was first in the 100 breast (1:10.91) and 500 free (5:43.72), took fourth in the 100 back (1:06.92) and finished seventh in the 50 free (a new personal best of 25.44).

It wasn’t just the young guns that propelled the Panthers in Cody and Lander.

Senior Seth Fuller punched four more tickets to state with qualifications in the 100-yard free and 100-yard back in Cody, and the 200-yard free and 100-yard breast in Lander.

Fuller won the 100-yard back (1:01.28) and took second in the 100 free (50.82) on Thursday. He followed that up with a win in the 100 breast (1:12.31) and runner-up finish in the 200-free (2:02.50) on Saturday.

Both of his Lander times were new personal bests.

Josh Riedhammer earned his third, fourth and fifth qualifications in Lander.

“Even starting off the first week of competition, for a swimmer to get two events every meet is a pretty cool thing, and we have a few swimmers doing that,” Warren said.

The junior took second in the 100-yard breast (1:17.29) and was sixth in the 200-yard free with a time of 2:13.78. Riedhammer’s time of 57.67 during the first leg of the 400-yard free relay earned him a qualification in the 100-yard free relay.

Warren said the first legs of relays gives swimmers an extra chance to qualify in an event.

“It’s really nice to have that opportunity, because they can only swim two individual events, so it takes a little bit of the pressure off them,” Warren said. “A lot of times we set up the relay according to speed, but when we know there is somebody who is trying to qualify in that, we give them that second opportunity.”

Junior Joe Kuntz picked up one qualification each in Cody and Lander.

His time of 26.24 in the 50-yard free on Thursday was good for second place and a qualification. Kuntz then took second in the 100-yard free with a time of 58.74 in Lander. Kuntz’ qualification came in the 400-yard free relay.

Senior Tyson Wages is qualified in four events after his third-place finish and time of 1:05.61 qualified him in the 100-yard fly, and his fourth-place finish and time of 1:08.89 qualified him in the 100-yard back.

Senior Brandon Anderson, in his first season with the Panthers swim team, earned his second qualification of the season in Lander.

Anderson was 10th in the 50-yard free with a personal best time of 26.16 on Saturday. It was an improvement of 0.19 seconds.

Gavin Asay qualified in the 100-yard breast with a time of 1:10.10, good for fourth place on Thursday. The sophomore also took second in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:36.00 in Lander.

Junior diver Nate Magill increased his personal best score by 1.5 points with a 169.45-point performance.

“It was really nice to see him be able to do that, especially because he was one that was sick this week. That was a challenge going into the weekend,” Warren said. “He was out of practice for a couple days, and he was able to come back and still get to that next goal.”

Powell’s 200-yard medley relay team (Seth Fuller, Creed, Riedhammer, Kuntz) took first place in Cody with a time of 1:52.95. Powell was second in the 400-yard free relay (Kuntz, Creed, Riedhammer and Seth Fuller — 4:00.07) and fourth in the 200-yard free relay (Anderson, Owen Dent, Braden Schiller, Wages — 1:52.35).

The Panthers started the Lander Triangular with a second-place finish in the medley relay (Seth Fuller, Creed, Riedhammer, Kuntz — 1:54.10), another runner-up finish in the 200-free relay (Anderson, Chris Lopez, Schiller, Seth Fuller — 1:46.44) and were third in the 400-yard free relay (Riedhammer, Kuntz, Wages, Creed — 4:01.33)

Warren said the Panthers will have “a handful of practices over Christmas break” as they prepare for a dual at Cody on Jan. 8, and then their Gene Dozah Invitational on Jan. 9 in the Powell Aquatic Center.

“We’re going to take advantage of every minute we have in the pool and hopefully keep them conditioned so we can start strong in the new year,” Warren said.