Powell High School track and field began its 2021 season Saturday, and if the first meet is any indication, the Panthers will be a force this year. 

At the Yellowstone Sports Medicine Invitational in Cody, the girls’ team finished first with 138.5 points. The boys also excelled, placing second as a team with 103.5 points.

“It was a great job from both teams against great teams,” PHS head coach Scott Smith said. 

Jenna Hillman was the Panthers’ lone individual first-place finisher, winning the girls’ 400-yard dash with a time of 1:01.63. She also placed third in the 100-yard dash. 

In addition to Hillman, strong individual performances on the girls’ side that impressed Smith came from Waycee Harvey and Emma Karhu. Harvey, a freshman, finished seventh in the 100-yard dash, while Karhu, a senior, finished second in pole vault. 

Other top-five individual finishers were Megan Jacobsen (800), Kami Jensen (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Hailee Hyde (high jump), Kenzie Ratcliff (high jump), Sydney Spomer (triple jump), Elsie Spomer (triple jump), Cassidy Miner (shot put) and Grace Coombs (discus).

Two relay teams also finished first on the girls’ side: the 4x400 team of Anna Bartholomew, Megan Jacobsen, Abby Wambeke and Jenna Hillman; and the 4x800 team of Hailee Hyde, Brynn Hillman, Anna Bartholomew and Megan Jacobsen. 

Though none of the boys finished first individually, Powell’s 4x100 relay team of Kadden Abraham, Sam Whitlock, Riley Bennett and Reed Smith won their event with a time of 45.82. 

Coach Smith also singled out several impressive showings. Senior Riley Bennett finished second in pole vault, and in throwing, Toran Graham earned third in shot put, while Zeke Frankenberry placed fourth in discus.

Four other Panther boys finished in the top five of their events: Kadden Abraham (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Daniel Merritt (3200), Cole Frank (high jump), Isaiah Woyak (high jump) and Eli Weimer (high jump).

After a strong opening meet, Smith plans to up the team’s conditioning. The initial performances from both teams make him believe they can both compete for the Class 3A state title if they continue working and improving.

“I feel we have a lot of potential, but we need to keep everyone healthy and improving to be in the trophy hunt at the end of the year,” Smith said. “But we took a great start along that path.”

Girls’ results:

100 dash

3. Jenna Hillman 13.14, 7. Waycee Harvey 13.38, 21. Addy Thorington 14.48, 38. Amiya Love 14.98, 39. Mickayla McFarland 15.04, 44. Blake Nissen 15.27, 47. Kenna Czirr 15.45

200 dash

9. Waycee Harvey 28.24, 19. Sydney Spomer 30.04, 22. Kenzie Ratcliff 30.38, 23. Kylie Kahl 30.65, 38. Amiya Love 32.65

400 dash

1. Jenna Hillman 1:01.63, 6. Anna Bartholomew 1:06.03, 11. Rita Lee 1:09.97

800 run

2. Megan Jacobsen 2:32.53, 8. Abby Wambeke 2:48.17, 9. Hailee Hyde 2:48.73, 14. Gracie Wolff 3:07.54

1600 run

7. Brynn Hillman 6:20.40, 17. Gracie Wolff 6:56.13, 19. Madelyn Horton 7:05.65

3200 run

6. Brynn Hillman 13:40.51

100 hurdles

4. Kami Jensen 17.68, 7. Abigail Urbach 18.38, 8. Emma Karhu 18.39, 12. Lauryn Bennett 18.83, 20. Aramonie Brinkerhoff 22.38, 24. Mickayla McFarland 24.66

300 hurdles

2. Kami Jensen 51.32, 5. Emma Karhu 52.18, 9. Abigail Urbach 56.04, 10. Lauryn Bennett 56.06, 12. Aramonie Brinkerhoff 57.77, 16. Kenna Czirr 1:02.25

4x100 relay

2. Amiya Love, Wacey Harvey, Kenzie Ratcliff, Emma Karhu 54.3

4x400 relay

1. Jenna Hillman, Abby Wambecke, Megan Jacobsen, Anna Bartholemew 4:17.03

4x800 relay

1. Anna Bartholemew, Hailee Hyde, Brynn Hillman, Megan Jacobsen 10:38.76

High jump

3. Hailee Hyde 4’-10”, 4. Kenzie Ratcliff 4’-6”, 9. Addy Thorington 4’-4”, 9. Megan Jacobsen 4’-4”, 15. Kylie Kahl 4’-2”

Pole vault

2. Emma Karhu 10’, 6. Lauryn Bennett 8’

Long jump

4. Waycee Harvey 15’-8”, 9. Kenzie Ratcliff 14’-6”, 15. Maddie Campbell 13’-3.5”, 27. Mickayla McFarland 12’

Triple jump

3. Sydney Spomer 32’-9.5”, 4. Elsie Spomer 31’-4.25”, 9. Aramonie Brinkerhoff 28-10.25

Shot put

3. Cassidy Miner 34’-3.5”, 6. Reagan Thompson 32’-8”, 7. Katie O’Brien 32’-7.5”, 19. Grace Coombs 27’-5.5”, 25. Megan McDaniel 25’-11.5”, 28. Victoria Beaudry 25’-2.5”, 31. Dazi Simpson 24’-3”, 37. Regan Sapp 22’-6.5”, 42. Dakota Hernandez 21’-7.5”, 47. Whitney Hull 19’-8”

Discus

3. Grace Coombs 101’-2”, 6. Cassidy Miner 98’-7”, 14. Katie O’Brien 81’-3”, 18. Megan McDaniel 73’-4”, 21. Regan Thompson 70’-5”, 24. Victoria Beaudry 67’-5”, 28. Whitney Hull 65’-4”, 35. Dazi Simpson 57’-4”, 50. Regan Sapp 50’-2”, 51. Dakota Hernandez 49’-2”

Boys’ results:

100 dash

10. Reed Smith 11.95, 29. Sam Whitlock 12.52, 36. Kaden Salas 12.71, 51. Kalen Sapp 13.18, 62. Kaden Clark 13.84, 63. Geordan Weimer 13.87

200 dash

9. Cole Frank 24.47, 21. Kaden Salas 25.84, 34. Caiden Gehrts 26.68, 48. Isaiah Woyak 27.60, 58. Tevon Schultz 29.32, 59. Evan Staidle 29.53

400 dash

6. Caiden Gehrts 58.54, 13. Kyler Warren 1:00.12, 14. Ben Whitlock 1:00.24

800 run

20. Isaac Summers 2:32.50, 21. Riley McKeen 2:32.78

1600 run

6. Daniel Merritt 5:00.32, 16. Joey Hernandez 5:15.56, 25. Jace Hyde 5:30.66, 30. Riley McKeen 5:39.82, 31. Riley Schiller 5:40.22, 42. Isaac Summers 6:00.61, 47. Jace Bohlman 6:21.38

3200 run

3. Daniel Merritt 10:56.95, 8. Joey Hernandez 11:33.80, 13. Riley Schiller 12:35.04, 14. Tyler Pfeifer 12:41.83, 15. Jace Bohlman 13:55.04

110 hurdles

3. Kadden Abraham 17.29, 6. Jaxton Braten 17.80, 7. Eli Weimer 18.31, 12. Stuart Shoopman, 14. Jimmy Dees, 18. Jeremy Harms 21.57, 20. Wyatt Heffington 23.52

300 hurdles

2. Kadden Abraham 43.71, 13. Jimmy Dees 48.94, 14. Stuart Shoopman 49.10, 22. Eli Weimer 52.30, 23. Wyatt Heffington 53.03

4x100 relay

1. Kadden Abraham, Sam Whitlock, Riley Bennett, Reed Smith 45.82

4x400 relay

7. Caiden Gehrts, Sam Whitlock, Stuart Shoopman, Cole Frank 3:57.89

4x800 relay

3. Joey Hernandez, Tyler Pfeifer, Jace Hyde, Daniel Merritt 9:07.25

1600 sprint medley relay

3. Kadden Abraham, Reed Smith, Ben Whitlock, Tyler Pfeifer 4:09.80

High jump

2. Cole Frank 5’-10”, 3. Isaiah Woyak 5’-8”, 5. Eli Weimer 5’-6”, 9. Jace Hyde 5’, 4”

Pole vault

2. Riley Bennett 13’

Long jump

8. Reed Smith 18’-7”, 10. Dylan Escalante 17’-8.5”, 11. Sam Whitlock 17’-8”, 15. Isaiah Woyak 17’-5.5”, 19. Tristan Gillett 16’-11.5”, 27. Marshall Lewis 15’-9.5”, 29. Kaden Clark 15’-6”, 32. Kalen Sapp 15’-2”, 36. Armando Hernandez 14’-4.5”

Triple jump

7. Dylan Escalante 37’-9”, 9. Isaiah Woyak 37’-7.5”, 16. Kyler Warren 35’-7.25”, 18. Tristan Gillett 35’-5”, 21. Colton Decker 33’-1.5”, 23. Tevon Schultz 31’-8”, 25. Evan Staidle 30’-11”, 27. Armando Hernandez 28’-11”

Shot put

3. Toran Graham 50’-2.50”, 6. Sheldon Shoopman 45’-6”, 11. Zeke Frankenberry 40’-4”, 14. Geordan Weimer 38’-8”, 15. Lane Shramek 38’, 18. Jonathan Harms 36’-11”, 21. Jimmy Dees 35’-9”, 23. Sam Belmont 35’-5”, 25. Seston Shoopman 34’-4.5”, 27. Clayton Emmett 33’-7.5”, 40. Wyatt Blackmore 29’-10.5”

Discus

4. Zeke Frankenberry 138’-1”, 6. Sheldon Shoopman 124’, 7. Geordan Weimer 123’-3”, 10. Toran Graham 110’-3”, 14. Lane Shramek 103’-2”, 23. Wyatt Blackmore 92’-6”, 26. Jonathan Harms 91’-3”, 38. Sam Belmont 77’-7”, 42. Seston Shoopman 72’, 58. Clayton Emmett 51’-1”