Back-to-back state championships have the Powell Panther girls’ track team continuing to set its sights high — seeking a third straight title this May in Casper.

This year’s edition of the Panthers returns plenty of talent from the title team last year, but graduated significant talent in the process.

“You never know from year to year because freshmen coming in from other schools, there are sometimes those super phenom freshmen that you never see coming. You never really know what other teams are going to have,” coach Scott Smith said. “We have a good class coming in.”

From last year’s team the Panthers lost 36 individual points to graduation and four relay positions total in three of the team’s four relays that all placed in the top six.

Powell’s top point returner is junior Waycee Harvey, who earned 19 individual points in the 100, 200 and long jump.

“She [Harvey] is working hard and I think she is going to do better than she did last year time-wise so I am eager to see how she does,” Smith said.

Other points returners include seniors Anna Bartholomew, Megan Jacobsen and Sydney Spomer alongside juniors Addy Thorington and Lauryn Bennett.

Overall Powell returns 13 state qualifiers from last year, with the hopes that increased depth this year will help propel the team to victory after losing 36 of the team’s 96 points earned a year ago.

One returner who is expected to provide depth and experience to the Panthers is senior Kami Jensen, who placed seventh in the 100 hurdles, fifth in the pole vault and was part of the fourth place 1600 sprint medley relay her sophomore year, but was unable to compete last year due to a knee injury.

“We got Kami back, which is going to help us because we didn’t have her last year,” Smith said.

Another area the Panthers hope to gain more ground in this year will come in the distance races, where Powell will hope to improve on the four points that were earned in races 800 meters and longer while returning the entirety of the third place 4x800 meter relay team.

“They are already starting so far ahead of where they were last year and that’s going to be huge for us,” Smith said. “That’s going to be a strong nucleus for us.”

Another area the Panthers are hopeful to gain points in is the hurdles, where they were unable to score points last year.

Powell has been one of the few schools in the state that has been able to get out on the track to practice nearly every day, with every track meet over the first two eligible weekends canceled within Wyoming.

“I think the girls are definitely going to be in the hunt for a trophy,” Smith said. “If they keep doing what we did these last two years, and keep improving, then we have the nucleus to be in the hunt for a state championship again.”

Powell is scheduled to kick off the season in Burlington on Friday, and is exploring different options to participate in a second meet on Saturday in the Big Horn Basin after a meet in Buffalo was canceled.

“It would be nice to get a few pre qualifiers out of that (Burlington), but mainly we are just looking to get out and compete and have some fun,” Smith said.