{gallery}08_31_10/crosscountry{/gallery}Although the draw had Powell starting behind the field out of the opening chute, the Panther girls passed the competition to capture the team title in their 2010 opening meet in Cody last Friday. Tribune photo by Randal Horobik PHS girls top field at Cody The Powell High School girls won the title while the boys were runners-up at the Cody Invitational cross country meet on Friday. The event was the first of the 2010 fall season for the Panthers. “Both the boys and girls teams got off to a good start to the year,” said coach Cliff Boos. “They got out there and ran with some enthusiasm and showed a good attitude.”

The Panther girls sent a statement to the rest of the 3A field that they look to be contenders once again. Powell had four of the top eight runners to cross the finish line as they out-paced Jackson 33-38 to win the team title.

Sophomore Tally Wells, making her cross country debut, placed second in a time of 21:07 after running stride for stride with eventual race winner Alexis Oaks of Riverton for all but the final 400 meters. Oaks wound up with an 11-second margin of victory.

Sophomore Brooke Nisley added a fifth-place finish in 22:43. Junior Desiree Murray (23:03) and freshman Sierra Morrow (23:15) crossed in seventh and eighth place, respectively. Senior Kassey MacDonald rounded out the scoring for Powell with a 14th-place finish in 25:45.

Powell ran the race without former all-state runner Alyssa Rodriguez, who didn't have enough practices in to run in the meet. Freshman Carley Klein sat out the race with an ankle sprain.

“Tally ran a great race,” said Boos. “Running a 21 is impressive this early in the year.”

On the boys' side of the ledger, Jackson sent five of the first 10 runners across the finish line to easily out-distance Powell 29-57 in the team standings. Cody was third with a score of 64.

Jackson's Oliver Scofiels won the meet in a time of 18:19. Cody Fagley was the first Panther to reach the finish line. Fagley crossed in sixth place in a time of 19:27. Andrew Feller also placed in the top 10 for Powell, placing eighth with a time of 19:58.

Three more runners placed in the top 20, led by Danny McKearney (12th, 20:31). Justin Lynn (14th, 20:47) and Tyler McCauley (17th, 21:46) also were part of the Panthers' team score. Rounding out Powell's varsity roster were Grant Nickles (21st, 22:35) and Max Norberg (22nd, 23:43).

Like the girls, the boys ran the meet without some key faces. Bodie Friday and Wyatt Horner, both state meet runners for Powell last season, did not have enough practices in to be able to run in the event.

“Both the boys and the girls teams will get tougher,” said Boos. “We had some runners that we think will compete for scoring spots at meets that weren't able to run this week.”

Many of those faces are expected to line up this Friday, when the Panthers return to action at Billings.