The Powell Panther cross country team got off to a strong start last Friday in Billings, as Kinley Cooley won the girls’ race leading the team to a second place finish, and Liam Taylor earned a fifth place finish to lead the boys to sixth.

“Overall, we are very happy with how our kids competed in the first meet of the season,” coach Ashley Hildebrand said. “The weather was very hot in the 90s, which makes for pretty miserable racing conditions, but our runners did a great job of staying hydrated and fueling properly so that they were able to run well in the heat.”

Cooley kicked things off for the Panthers by winning the varsity race with a new school record of 18 minutes, 49.06 seconds, claiming victory by 38 seconds over the nearest competitor.

She broke the previous record she held of 19:38.46, and also became the first Panther to win the Billings Invitational.

“We have never had a runner take first in Billings and for Kinley to do it with a huge PR made it even more exciting,” Hildebrand said.

The second runner across for the Panthers was the younger Cooley, as Karee raced to a seventh place finish with a time of 21:18.

Third across for the Panthers was Melissa Merritt who ran a time of 21:33.2 to take 12th.

Fourth across was Shelby Zickefoose, who finished 22nd with a time of 22:31.6.

Rounding out the team score for the Panther girls was Macie Velasco, as the freshman finished 34th with a time of 23:16.9.

Sixth for the Panthers was Kenna Jacobsen, who typically is one of the top three finishers for the team, but battled to a 39th place finish in 23:32.5.

“(She) typically races at the front of the pack but got hit with a horrible side cramp and struggled with that for the entire race, but she is really tough and gutted out a 23:32.5,” Hildebrand said.

Rounding out the varsity race was Eleasah Horsley who finished 43rd with a time of 23:43.3.

Overall the girls team placed second with 62 points behind Hardin which finished with 31 points, but ahead of Billings Skyview in third with 79 points.

“This is the highest place our girls’ team has ever finished in Billings,” Hildebrand said.

The Panther boys were led by Taylor, who ran a personal best time of 16:47.1 to take home fifth place.

“He ran a very smart race and was able to stay in the lead pack and position himself for a strong finish,” Hildebrand said.

Korbyn Warren slipped into the top 20 with a 19th place finish in 17:55.5.

Third across for the Panther boys was Colin Walker, who finished 51st with a time of 19:23.2.

Fourth was Troy Cheatham, who ran a 20:14.7 in his first cross country race to place 69th.

Just behind Cheatham was Nathan Varian, who placed 71st with a 20:22.8.

Two freshmen rounded out the varsity lineup, as Alex Warner placed 74th (20:26.7) and Channing Wenzel placed 90th (21:15.7).

Those placements put the Panther boys in sixth as a team with 194 points, as the Billings West boys were the only team in double-digits with 40 to claim the team title.

“Last year we didn’t even run a full team in the varsity race and to have these young men come out and run so well in their first meet of the season was very exciting,” Hildebrand said.

In the girls’ junior varsity race Salem Brown led the way, taking eighth place with a time of 24:29.1.

She was followed by Ashlee Jacobsen in 21st with a time of 26:11.7, while Caydee Eden placed 40th (28:11.3) and Paige Sanders placed 63rd (29:58.8) as the final two junior varsity girls.

On the boys’ junior varsity side Michael Stensing was the highest placer in 31st with a time of 21:15.6.

Thomas Shuman placed 65th with a time of 22:41.3 and Ben Smith placed 69th with a time of 22:47.7.

Powell heads back out on the road this weekend, making the trip over the Bighorns to take part in an invitational in Buffalo.

That race is set to begin at 3 p.m. Friday as the Panthers continue the early portion of their season.