After winning the past three state titles, including the past two by a combined 8.5 points, the Powell Panther girls’ track team is expecting a battle once again this season in pursuit of a fourth straight championship this spring.

Last year the Panthers held off a surging Worland squad, defeating the Warriors by 2.5 points by finishing just behind them in the 4x400, the final event, to earn their third straight title.

After last year the Panthers graduated 39 individual points from the team, along with at least two racers on each relay.

Despite those graduating seniors’ importance, the Panthers return strong talent from last year’s team looking to earn a fourth straight title.

“We have got a really good nucleus,” coach Scott Smith said.

Powell returns senior Waycee Harvey, who placed in the 200 meters, 400 meters, long jump and triple jump for the Panthers a year ago.

Powell also returns a strong distance running core, which includes junior Kinley Cooley who placed in both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters last year — with Smith anticipating the group will contribute more after winning the state cross country championship in the fall.

“All our distance kids are back and they are going to be stronger than they were last year,” Smith said.

Other individual placers returning for the Panthers include seniors Addy Thorington in the high jump, Lauryn Bennett in the pole vault, and Katie O’Brien in the throws alongside junior Charity Siggins in the high jump.

Powell also returns five additional state qualifiers from last year’s team, and Smith is hoping those athletes will continue to improve alongside newer athletes on the team to help contribute points.

“Worland looks to be exactly where they were last year … We get our kids to improve, that’s going to be our key is the new kids coming up for us,” Smith said.

The Warriors are the expected top contenders for a state title and return all of their athletes who scored individual points a year ago.

“Worland didn’t graduate anybody, they got them all back,” Smith said. “I’d put us in the trophy hunt for sure. We aren’t going to let it go away easily. We are going to do everything we can.”

He said despite Worland not graduating any top competitors from a year ago, he does not see many new faces for the Warriors so far in competition, and is uncertain how the rest of the state will break up the points this year as it is still early in the year.

The track season has been ongoing for a month, with the Panthers practicing now for a couple weeks following spring break, but eager to finally get on the track this upcoming week to kick off the year.

“There comes that point in time where you need to compete and we are there,” Smith said. “On the other hand, these young kids have had enough time to be ready for their first meet rather than just throwing them to the wolves. We are still throwing them to the wolves but we have a better chance of people not getting hurt.”

The first meet for the Panthers will give them an opportunity to see Worland for the first time in person, heading down south to the Warriors to take part in the D&D Invitational on Thursday.

That will be the lone meet this week, before the Panthers host the LA Kohnke Invitational next weekend on Saturday, April 13.