At a competitive state championship meet a season ago the Powell Panther girls’ track and field team finished fourth, the state championship streak snapped at three. The Panthers return this season with a mix of youth and experience that they hope can keep them on the podium for a sixth straight state meet.

Leading the charge for the Panthers this time around is expected to be the distance team, which returns a number of high finishers from the state meet a year ago.

That group includes seniors Kinley Cooley and Kenna Jacobsen who placed in the 800, 1600 and 3200 meter races, and sophomore Karee Cooley who placed in the 3200.

The Powell distance team also returns another pair of juniors in Myah Rakness and Shelby Zickefoose, who just missed placing at the state meet a year ago, along with a host of other runners looking to join those returners at the state meet.

“The distance group is really deep,” coach Scott Smith said.

The Cooleys, Rakness and Jacobsen also made up the Panther 4x800 relay team which placed third at state a year ago.

In the shorter distance races the Panthers return only one placer from a year ago in junior Audrey Johnson who took sixth in the 400 meters, and will need to replace a number of athletes who graduated after scoring points in those races.

That is where the youth will factor in for the Panthers, with a number of freshmen girls who were part of two straight team titles at Powell Middle School and set a number of sprinting records.

“We’ve got some good, young freshman girls that look talented that can really help us out,” Smith said. “Never know for sure, but from what they did last year, I think the girls are going to be pretty strong.”

Despite graduating a number of points in sprinting the Panthers will return a majority of their sprinting relay members who all placed in the top eight a year ago.

In the jumps the Panthers return one placer from last season, as a familiar face will take on the lead role as sophomore Paige Sanders will look to continue her strong indoor track season outdoors.

Smith is hopeful she can carry that momentum from the indoor season where she finished second in both the long and triple jumps, and continue her improvement from a freshman campaign that had her in the top 10 for both at the outdoor state meet.

“Paige had such a good indoor season. She’s really improved,” Smith said. “She had a good outdoor season last year, but she’s really stepped that up. She’s really going to help us out.”

The Panthers do not return any points in the throwers, but do return a pair who qualified in the discus in juniors Anai Torres and Nalani Jordan.

Smith expects the Panthers to get qualifiers in the throwing events, which should feature at the state level one standout from Lander in Adelyn Anderson, while other 3A competitors, including those from Powell, are expected to be competitive for the remaining positions.

“We’ve got girls that are going to be very competitive, and are going to get better — I like where we’re at,” Smith said. “The Anderson girl from Lander, she’s on a different level. Then after that, I think it becomes very, very competitive, and our girls sit well within that.”

In the team race the Panthers are hoping they can bring that youth along throughout the season to be competitive by seasons’ end, and compete for a trophy once again in an ever-competitive 3A Girls classification.

That classification will become more competitive this season with the addition of Cody which dropped down from the 4A ranks, along with defending state champions Lander, Worland, Buffalo, Mountain View and Torrington.

“I think they’re (the girls) going to be in the hunt for a trophy this year,” Smith said. “We have some good older kid leaders, and sometimes freshmen just need to learn how to lead. But, sometimes natural leaders are natural leaders, and if they step forward and are doing it right, that would be great too … I think our girls are in the hunt, but we’re going to have to develop some kids to really be there.”

The season will kick off early and close to home this season, with the Panthers making the short trip over to Cody on Friday to take part in the Cody Invitational.

Smith said he expects a smaller group of  Panthers to compete, with many athletes not meeting the requirements for eligibility following spring break last week but expects those attending to be competitive in the first action of the season.

“They’re young, great attitudes, they’re working hard, been a lot of fun to work with so far,” Smith said.

The 4x800 relay will kick off the meet at 11 a.m. alongside field events and a majority of the track events will start at noon.

Smith said he expects the meet in Burlington next Friday, March 28, to be the meet where a majority of the team will be in action.