The Powell High School boys swim team started the season out strong at home in a triangular with Worland and Cody. Eight of the Panthers’ 16 swimmers posted state qualifying times — and they won nine of the 12 events on Friday.

“I think it was a great start to a first meet,” said head coach Stephanie Warren. “It was kind of hard as far as the competition goes ’cause they were really competing against their own teammates.”

Cody only had four swimmers who could compete while Worland had just five.

Powell won the event with 432 points, followed by Worland with 178 and Cody with 102.

“I think we are pretty pleased with our very first meet starting out. It’s good to see them come out and get some of these qualifications right away,” Warren said. She said that now, the team can focus on and figure out which strokes will be each swimmers’ strong point for the season.

State qualifiers

Powell competes at the Class 3A level, but many of the Panthers’ times were fast enough to theoretically make the 4A meet.

“Qualifying for the 3A times is what they [the swimmers] want but then their next goal after that is getting as close to a 4A time as possible,” Warren said. “Hopefully we’ll see more of those.”

Senior Kacey Creed placed first and qualified for state in both the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly with times of 2:16.68 and 1:01.66, respectively. Those times would get him to state in 4A as well.

Hudson Wilkerson, a senior, won the diving event with a state-qualifying score of 231.95 (which met the 4A bar) and posted a 3A state qualifying time of 26.01 with his second place finish in the 50 freestyle.

Sophomore Richard Spann posted state-qualifying times in the 100 butterfly, taking third in 1:05.53, and first in the 100 backstroke, with his 4A-caliber time of 1:00.52.

Meanwhile, senior Dillinger Wilkerson placed first in the 200 freestyle with a qualifying time of 2:11.67 and took second in the 100 breaststroke with a qualifying time of 11:07.69.

Joe Rogers, a junior, qualified for state while taking second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:15.28.

Senior Gavin Asay placed second in the 200 IM with a qualifying time of 2:29.75 and took fourth in the 100 butterfly with a state-qualifying time of 1:07.45.

Sophomore Bryce Hogen took second and qualified for state in diving with a score of 145.35.

Also punching a ticket to the 3A meet was senior Jared Fuller, who qualified for state in both the 100 freestyle — taking third in 58.36 — and the 100 backstroke, where he swam to third in 1:07.69.

More first place finishes

Trenton Wilson, a senior, won the 500 freestyle with a time of 6:31.24.

Powell’s 200 medley relay team and the 400 freestyle relay team each had first place finishes.

The 200 medley relay team, comprised of Fuller, Wilson, Creed and Spann, posted a time of 1:54.85 and the 400 freestyle relay of Dillinger Wilkerson, Wilson, Spann and Fuller had a time of 4:15.01.

On Saturday, the Panthers will compete at the Riverton Invitational, with a start time at 9 a.m.

200 Yard Medley Relay

1. Jared Fuller, Kacey Creed, Trenton Wilson and Richard Spann 1:54.85, 3. Jay Cox, Kason Cannon, Gavin Asay and Ben Cannizzaro 2:13.98

200 Yard Freestyle

1. Dillinger Wilkerson 2:11.67, 2. Joe Rogers 2:15.28, 3. Matthew Hobbs 2:19.64

200 Yard IM

1. Kacey Creed 2:16.68, 2. Gavin Asay 2:29.75, 4. Trenton Wilson 2:36.59

50 Yard Freestyle

2. Hudson Wilkerson 26.01, 4. Matthew Hobbs 29.24, 6. Tarren Blackmore 31.10, 9. Kason Cannon 38.66, 10. Michal Tomasik 39.79

Diving

1. Hudson Wilkerson 231.95, 2. Bryce Hogen 145.35

100 Yard Butterfly

1. Kacey Creed 1:01.66, 3. Richard Spann 1:05.53, 4. Gavin Asay 1:07.45

100 Yard Freestyle

3. Jared Fuller 58.36, 4. Jay Cox 1:01.72, 6. Tarren Blackmore 1:12.63, 7. Dallin Allred 1:16.41

500 Yard Freestyle

1. Trenton Wilson 6:31.24, 2. Ben Cannizzaro 6:58.61, 3. Joe Rogers 7:07.25

200 Yard Freestyle Relay

2. Kacey Creed, Dillinger Wilkerson, Joe Rogers and Hudson Wilkerson 1:44.48, 3. Matthew Hobbs, Dallin Allred, Jay Cox and Bryce Hogen 1:58.31

100 Yard Backstroke

1. Richard Spann 1:00.52, 2. Jared Fuller 1:07.69, 4. Ben Cannizzaro 1:27.20

100 Yard Breaststroke

2. Dillinger Wilkerson 1:12.79, 3. Bryce Hogen 1:21.48, 4. Jay Cox 1:22.11

400 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Dillinger Wilkerson, Trenton Wilson, Richard Spann and Jared Fuller 4:15.01, 2. Ben Cannizzaro, Matthew Hobbs, Gavin Asay and Joe Rogers 4:27.25