Lady panthers are runners-up at Worland meet

The Powell High School track teams captured a championship finish on the boys’ side and a runner-up finish on the girls’ side in Worland on Tuesday. Both teams also added to their lists of automatic qualifiers to this year’s state meet.

Taking advantage of more mild early-season weather conditions, the Panther added seven additional automatic qualifiers on Tuesday. Several others who had already qualified for state improved their times or distances to better position themselves for the Wyoming Track Classic later this month.

Four of the new state berth qualifications came on the boys’ side. Josh Cragoe, already part of the state field in the 110-meter hurdles, added a first-place finish in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-11 to qualify for state in that event. Cragoe also improved upon his 110-meter time.

Similarly, junior Vince Sleep was already part of the state field in the shot put. With a runner-up finish in the discus after recording a throw of more than 140 feet, Sleep assured himself of a spot in Casper this May. Sleep also finished third in the shot put on Saturday

Sophomore Garrett Lynch captured the title in both throwing events for the Panthers. Lynch surpassed 53 feet in the shot put and threw better than 154 feet in the discus to score the win there. Lynch had previously qualified for state in both events, but his performances Tuesday improved his season best in both events.

Hayden Cragoe cleared the bar at 12-3 in the pole vault. The sophomore was competing in the event for the first time this season and is now assured of a return to the state championships, where he earned a medal last May.

The Panther boys also earned a spot in state with the 4x800 relay, which was another event making its debut this season. The foursome of Zach Thiel, Marshall McArthur, Justin Lynn and Zander Andreasen were 13 seconds faster than needed to earn a place on the track in Casper.

The Powell boys have now qualified all three of their relay teams for the state meet already.

Not to be outdone, the Panther girls also punched a state championship ticket for their 4x800 relay as Bailey Sanders, Brooke Nisley, Gretchen Morretti and Sierra Morrow carried the baton. Like the boys, this marked the first track meet of the year in which the Panthers fielded a relay team in the event. The Panther girls are the defending state champions in the event.

Morretti, a freshman, also earned a spot in the state field running the day’s longest individual race. The Panthers’ distance runners are expected to be one of the team’s strength areas this season. Morretti becomes the first state qualifier for Powell this season at 3200 meters.

The final automatic qualification on Tuesday came from sophomore Shawnea Harrington. Harrington’s meet-winning throw of more than 112 feet in the discus produced her second event for this year’s state meet.

Harrington had already qualified for Casper in the shot put, and added some emphasis to that earlier qualification. Harrington produced the best toss of the day from among a field of more than three dozen competitors when she unleashed a heave of 39-7, adding more than two feet onto her previous personal best.

The Panthers’ track team will be off until a week from Saturday. Powell will christen the track at the new Panther Stadium with its first meet as Powell hosts teams from around the region on Saturday, April 14.

The team also continues to look for volunteers to help with the regional track meet in May. Anyone intersted in volunteering to help with that meet should contact Powell High School activities director Tim Wormald or call the high school at 764-6181.

Girls Individual events

300m hurdles — 2. Desiree Murray 48.46.

100 — KaDee Harrison 14.38, Mikaila Moore 14.39, Jada Swires 14.40, SarahJean O’Neill 14.71, Kadi Cooley 15.42, Paris Miears 16.35, Skyler Bagnell 17.33.

200 — SarahJean O’Neill 31.7, Skyler Bagnell 37.98.

400 — 6. Brooke Lensegrav 1:06.82, Anne Condie 1:13.94, Cassidy Lynn 1:14.26.

800 — 2. Sierra Morrow 2:36.0, 6. Bailey Sanders 2:42.48.

1600 — 4. Sierra Morrow 6:12.56, 5. Brooke Nisley 6:20.43.

3200 — 5. Gretchen Morretti 12:51.05.

4x800 relay — 1. Bailey Sanders, Brooke Nisley, Gretchen Morretti and Sierra Morrow 10:54.45.

Discus — 1. Shawnea Harrington 112-4, 3. Tori Sleep 103-9, 7. Alice Pinter 90-11, Morgan Kasper 86-10, Emily Kath 80-4, Lex Brady 76-4, Morgan Ley 43-9.

High jump — 6. Mikaila Moore 4-5, 8. Cassidy Lynn 4-5.

Triple jump — Jada Swires 29-6 3/4, Brooke Lensegrav 28-5 1/4, Cassidy Lynn 27-1.

Pole vault — 3. Kadi Cooley 7-3, 7. Bailey Sanders 6-3.

Boys individual events

110m hurdles — 1. Josh Cragoe 15.38, 3. Hayden Cragoe 17.05, 7. Kalei Smith 17.87, 8. Cameron Bennett 18.13, Brendon Phister 18.27, Cody Ringler 22.58.

100 — 6. Marco Borja 12.36, Logan Harsh 12.62, Garrett Lynch 12.62, Vince Sleep 12.84, Andrew Feller 14.33, Justin Layton 14.93.

200 — 2. Blaise Gann 24.5, 7. Jakob Bowers 25.45, Logan Harsh 25.94, Brendon Phister 26.31.

400 — 5. Jakob Bowers 55.71, 6. Marshall McArthur 56.51.

800 — 2. Zach Thiel 2:06.96, 4. Justin Lynn 2:12.75, 6. Mat Abraham 2:17.04.

1600 — 3. Zander Andreasen 5:00.15, 4. Mat Abraham 5:04.44.

3200 — 3. Zander Andreasen 10:40.26, 5. Andrew Feller 11:18.43.

4x100 relay — 2. Logan Harsh, Garrett Lynch, Marco Borja and Josh Cragoe 45.82.

4x400 relay — 1. Blaise Gann, Marshall McArthur, Zach Thiel and Josh Cragoe 3:33.8.

4x800 relay — 1. Justin Lynn, Zander Andreasen, Marshall McArthur and Zach Thiel 8:43.18.

Long jump — Andrew Feller 14-2.

Pole vault — 3. Hayden Cragoe 12-3, 6. Brendon Phister 10-9.