DES MOINES — The 2021-2022 girls basketball season will go down in Panorama school history as the most successful yet among many strong campaigns, as the Panthers finished with a school-best 25-2 record.
Panorama was defeated Friday in the Class 2A semifinals. They fell to defending champion Dike-New Hartford, who won their second consecutive crown with a win over Central Lyon Saturday.
The Panthers had advanced with a quarterfinal win over Iowa City Regina Tuesday.
Four seniors — Payton Beckman, Laci Rishel, Angel Poldberg and Gabby Wellburg — played their final prep contests on the hardwood Friday.
The foursome produced the most successful four-year run for a Panther girls team. They reached three consecutive regional finals before finally breaching the barrier and reaching the state tourney in their last campaign. The team was a combined 86-15 (.851) overall and were an equally powerful 56-4 (.933) in WCAC play.
Beckman was chosen Saturday for the Class 2A All-Tournament team, capping a career that includes numerous school records.
The Panthers were coached by Kylee Boettcher, who is now 64-13 overall and 42-3 in conference games after three years at the helm.
