After finishing on the podium for four consecutive seasons the Powell Panther girls’ swim team finished seventh as a team at the state meet in Cheyenne, but saw several individual successes, with two swimmers finishing in the top three.

Those top three finishes belonged to a pair of junior swimmers, as Patricia Christensen finished third in the 200 free with a time of 2 minutes, 7.39 seconds, and Kaitlin Diver finished third in the 500 free with a time of 5:42.33.

Both swimmers finished behind a pair of Lander competitors.

Christensen also earned another top finish in the ‘A’ final, finishing fifth in the 100 back with a time of 1:04.85.

Diver also had another strong finish in the 200 IM after taking the top spot in the ‘B’ final to place seventh with a time of 2:07.39.

Powell also had one other swimmer make individual finals, as Addy Powell placed 10th in the 100 back (1:09.04) and 11th in the 50 free (27.87).

“Kaitlin and Patricia were the only swimmers at our conference meet to win two individual events,” coach Bob Smartt said. “Now they, along with Addy, will provide the core leadership for next year’s team. Both Kaitlin and Patricia have four strong strokes, which means they can swim any of the eight high school swimming events and place highly.”

The Panthers had one relay team make the ‘A’ final, finishing sixth in the 400 free relay.

That team was composed of Diver, Powell, Brooke Brown and Kate Miller, the lone senior on the Panthers, who returned to the pool for the first time in over a month after a concussion earlier in the season, sacrificing her one individual event to help the Panthers make the top final.

“She was a big help on deck urging her teammates on in practices and meets,” Smartt said. “The state meet was her first return to action. Unfortunately, her best individual event, the 100 breaststroke, was just before the 400 free relay. In an act of selflessness, Kate volunteered to give up her individual 100 breaststroke in order to help the 400 free relay make the championship final, our only relay team to do so.”

The 400 free relay finished in a time of 4:20.7.

Powell also had the top time in the ‘B’ final for the 200 medley relay, as the team of Kumora Snell, Miller, Diver and Powell finished seventh with a time of 2:07.47.

Powell also had one individual winner at the state meet, as Leah Sockey finished first in the 50 free special race with a time of 40.7 seconds.

As a team the Panthers finished seventh with 82 points, while Lander obliterated the competition with 431 points, more than double second-place Cody, which finished with 199 points. Buffalo and Kemmerer tied with 118 points as the other two podium finishers.

Lander won every swimming event, individual and relays, while the lone event the Tigers lost was diving.

The Panthers will say goodbye to Miller as the lone senior this season, but will return a majority of athletes, including a lot of new swimmers, to the pool next year.

“Many athletes showed big improvements this year, which will set them up for scoring major points next year at conference and state including diver Myah Rakness alongside swimmers Snell, Samantha Young, Brooke Brown and Charlotte Beeton,” Smartt said. “A big key for next year in returning to podium status at state will be faster relays.”

3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

p denotes preliminary round time

Team scores — 1. Lander 431, 2. Cody 199, T3. Kemmerer and Buffalo 118, 5. Worland 106, 6. Douglas 104, 7. Powell 82, T8. Rawlins and Lyman 58, 10. Sublette County 54, Newcastle 53

200 medley relay — 7. Kumora Snell, Kate Miller, Kaitlin Diver and Addy Powell 2:07.47

200 free — 3. Patricia Christensen 2:07.39

200 IM — 7. Kaitlin Diver 2:30.95

50 free — 11. Addy Powell 27.87

500 free — 3. Kaitlin Diver 5:42.33

200 free relay — 11. Samantha Young, Brooke Brown, Tempie Day and Charlotte Beeton 2:02.17

100 back — 5. Patricia Christensen 1:04.85, 10. Addy Powell 1:09.04, 17. Kumora Snell 1:14.45p

400 free relay — 6. Kaitlin Diver, Kate Miller, Brooke Brown and Addy Powell 4:20.7

50 free special race — 1. Leah Sockey 40.7