Cross Country girls third, boys fifth in Thermopolis

Powell cross country continues to be consistent in its placings — and improvement — as the second half of the season progresses.

Saturday’s Thermopolis Invitational, a 10-team competition, ended with the Panther boys placing fifth and the Lady Panthers third.

Freshman Kayla Kolpitcke continued to be the lead runner for the Powell girls, taking the first scoring placement with a time of 21:14, while Emma Andreasen came in next, exactly one-minute behind at 22:14.

Teo Faulkner showed that she’s coming on by taking the third spot for the Panthers for the third straight meet, timing in at 23:42, while Kaitlyn Decker (24:25) and Natalie Dillivan (24:47) had the final two scoring finishes.

“Teo is really running well and taking strides to finish off her senior year strong,” head coach Cliff Boos said. “And Kayla’s time was very impressive on this course.”

For the Powell boys, who were running without the services of Jessie Erickson, it was sophomore Alan Merritt setting the pace and breaking the 19-minute mark to finish at 18:59.

Freshman Colin Queen was next in at 19:38 and Jayden Yates was the third Panther in at 20:15.

Dylan Cordes (20:23) and Steven Shopa (21:20) completed the Panther scoring times, and again showed the consistency of the boys.

“That’s pretty much how they’ve been finishing, and all within a close time to one another,” Boos said. “Our times were down here a bit because this was a slower course that is very hilly, especially on the back part of it. But those will come down again this week when we’re on a faster, flatter course.”

That meet will be the Panthers own invitational at the Powell Golf Club on Friday starting at 4 p.m.