The Powell Panther swimming and diving team finished the last competition of 2019 in strong fashion at Saturday’s Riverton Invitational. As a team, Powell finished second behind Worland at the meet with 241 points. Worland earned the top spot with 258 points. Also competing at the event were Riverton, Rawlins and Pinedale (Sublette County).

“It is always good to see the other teams we will meet up against at state,” said PHS head coach Stephanie Warren. “It is early in the season but Rawlins and Sublette are teams that we are always very close to.”

In the 100 breaststroke, sophomore Nate Johnston came away with a win and meet highlight by grabbing the No. 4 spot on Powell’s Hall of Fame board with a time 1:04.78. That bested the time of Josh Honstain who set that mark in 1996 and pushed Tim Anderson’s time, set in 1991, off of the board.

“I know he [Johnston] has had that swim on his mind, as well as the Hall of Fame board, for a few years. Starting in middle school swimming, he was asking me questions about the records,” Warren said. “The cool thing is, being so early in the season, Nate has plenty of time to move up even more and I’m sure he will.”

Senior Bryce Hogan continued his winning streak by earning the number one spot in diving, finishing the six-dive contest with 192.25 points. Powell also captured a couple of relay first places in both the 200-yard medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay; both Powell teams featured senior Richard Spann, Johnston, senior Jay Cox and freshman Ru Parker.

The Panthers also continued to add tick marks to state-qualified events with many impressive time improvements and performances Saturday.

Spann added the 100 fly with a second place finish and his 55.52 second lead-off time as a member of the winning 400 freestyle relay team also earned him a state qualifying ticket in the 100 freestyle.

Cox added the 100 backstroke, finishing third, Johnston added the 500 freestyle with a third place finish and Parker added the 500 free, finishing fourth.

Freshman Kobus Diver had an impressive swim in the 500 freestyle, improving on his state qualifying time from the same event just a week ago in Cody by seven seconds, earning him a sixth place overall.

Following the Christmas and New Year’s break, the Panthers will meet up against perennial swimming champs Lander in a Friday, Jan. 10 dual. The annual Gene Dozah Invitational is slated for Saturday, Jan. 11 in Powell.

“We look forward to the new year and the coming meets. We are resting a bit more this break than we have in the past. Hopefully we can stay healthy and come back strong after the break,” Warren said. “Overall, we feel good about where they are at this point in the season. Some great things are happening.”

Riverton Invitational results

1. Worland 258, 2. Powell 241, 3. Riverton 236, 4. Rawlins 193, 5. Pinedale 189, 6. Cody 144.

200 Medley Relay

1. Richard Spann, Nate Johnston, Jay Cox, Ru Parker 1:50.25. 6. Kobus Diver, Cole Frank, Tarren Blackmore, Bryce Hogen 2:10.05. 13. Nathan Fuller, Kyler Warren, Aidan Cannizzaro, Caiden Gerhts 2:35.87

200 Freestyle

7. Ben Cannizzaro 2:17.94. 9. Diver 2:24.61, 11. Kyler Warren 2:32.93

200 IM

2. Spann 2:18.74

50 Freestyle

9. Hogen 26.27, 15. Tarren Blackmore 27.93, 20. Gehrts 29.95, 28. Hunter Davis 37.14

1 Meter Diving

1. Hogen 192.25, 3. Frank 147.15, 9. Ben Hawley 113.95, 11. Caiden Gehrts 96.60

100 Butterfly

2. Spann 104.43

100 Freestyle

5. Cox 57.51, 11. Ben Cannizzaro 1:03.49, 14. Hawley 1:05.37, 22. Aidan Cannizzaro 1:11.16, 28. Nathan Fuller 1:18.58

500 Freestyle

3. Johnston 5:42.33, 4. Parker 5:49.41, 6. Diver 6:11

200 Freestyle Relay

4. Hawley, Blackmore, Hogen, Frank 1:53.40, 10. Warren, Ben Cannizzaro, Fuller, Gerhts 1:59.21

100 Backstroke

3. Cox 1:06.75, 16. Davis 1:27.76

100 Breaststroke

1. Johnston 1:04.78, 9. Frank 1:20.91, 11. Blackmore 1:21.03, 13. Warren 1:24.49, 21 Fuller 1:37.71

400 Freestyle Relay

1. Spann, Cox, Parker, Johnston 3:46.58, 8. Diver, Ben Cannizzaro, Davis, Hawley 4:47.56