The Panther Cross Country team joined many teams around the state as they stepped up to the line at the Little America Golf Course in Cheyenne, Wyoming, all anxiously awaiting the loud bang of the gun. 

At 11:30 a.m. on October 26, the Lady Panthers set off fast, chasing after the little ATV, the runners full of hope of winning another state championship. Though the Lady Panthers came up short earning second at state, they did what they came to do.

“We all did the best we could do on that day,” senior Kenna Jacobsen said. “I’m really proud of every person… we deserved to do as well as we did.”

Nonetheless, the Lady Panthers still had a huge victory, with senior Kinley Cooley taking the individual state title.

“It was and still is such an incredible feeling to have won at state,” Cooley said. “I always think it is so gratifying to see all your hard work pay off.”

After celebrating an amazing feat by the Lady Panthers, the boy’s team stepped up to the line at 1:00 for the day’s last race. 

“It was definitely not the best course; going up that hill a second time was pretty bad,” senior Liam Taylor said. “We did good, not as good as I wanted, but we did good for our situation.” 

The Panthers delivered a strong performance, securing 5th place overall as a team. 

“We got second to last last year at state,” Head Coach Mrs. Ashley Hildebrand said. “This year we got fifth. They placed really well in all of our meets and we saw improvement across the board with all the boys.”

Overall, the Panther Cross Country team had an outstanding showing at the state meet, highlighted by the girls’ second-place finish, led by individual state champion Kinley Cooley, and a solid fifth-place finish from the boys. 

“[The team] ran for each other,” Assistant Coach Mrs. Tracy McArthur said. “They did what they knew they could do.”