Panthers capture state title, girls finish second

For the fourth time in six years, the Powell High School boys' track and field team will be returning home as the state champion in Class 3A. The Panthers scored an 11-point win over Douglas to raise the trophy.

The Panthers carried an 11-point lead into the day and never saw that gap sink below nine points. By the time Douglas had fought back from a gap that at times soared above 20 points on Saturday, there was only the 4x400 relay remaining. The Panthers simply had to hold onto the baton for four laps of the track to guarantee victory.

But the Panthers did far more than just hold the baton. The team punctuated its 2011 state title with an exclamation point, winning the final relay by a margin of more than eight seconds. Afterward, not even a late-arriving rain could douse the spirits of the squad.

On the girls' side, the Panthers used a pair of top-three finishes from Desiree Murray to fight into second place, but it was the team's performance in the 1600 meters that provided the margin of comfort for the Panthers' runner-up trophy. Powell placed all four of its runners -- Kassey MacDonald, Tess Mitchell, Sierrra Morrow and Tally Wells -- in the top eight, earning 11 points as the team finished second behind Cody.

After three rainy, windy and, at times, snowy days, here's hoping the community will stay up late to provide a warm welcome home for the teams tonight.

For full details from this championship weekend, be sure to check out Tuesday's edition of the Powell Tribune.