Sports

Jaidyn Sellers wins two titles as Panorama girls finish fourth at state

May 24, 2021

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pan gtrk state qualifiers — The Panorama girls finished fourth in the Class 2A standings at the state track meet May 20-22. In front are Ella Waddle, Jazmyn Sellers, Zoey Hambleton, and Payton Beckman. At rear are Leah Fett, Shey Storesund, Jaidyn Sellers, Olivia Steffen, and Gwen Steffen. Photo courtesy Greg Thompson.

DES MOINES — Lickety-split might be the best way to describe the efforts of Panorama’s Jaidyn Sellers after the Panther speedster claimed girls 2A state titles in both the 100 and 200 dashes at the recent state meet.

Sellers was first to the line in the 100 in 12.58 seconds and first to finish in the 200 in 25.91 ticks to seize both crowns. Those efforts helped lift the Panther team to fourth overall.

Mid-Prairie was team champion with 61 points, with Northeast (Goose Lake) second at 49 and Osage third at 45. Panorama was close behind with 42 points.

Also earning an individual medal was senior Gwen Steffen, who achieved a long-held personal goal by erasing the school record in the 800. Her 2 minute, 18.51 second clocking was swift enough for sixth place.

She ran with Zoey Hambleton, Shey Storesund and Sellers in finishing second in the distance medley in 4:10.95. Sellers, Storesund, and twins Gwen and Olivia Steffen teamed to place third in the 4×400 in 4:04.02.

The Steffen sisters were joined by Payton Beckman and Ella Waddle in finishing fourth, in 9:56.68, in the 4×800.

Olivia Steffen was 13th in the 400 in 1:02.21 with Waddle 15th in the 1500 in 5:08.03 while Storesund ran in the 100 hurdles, finishing 23rd in 17.52 seconds.

The 42 team points are the most scored by Panorama at a state meet. The team posted season-best times in the 800, 1500, 4×400, 4×800, and distance medley, with the 4×400, distance medley and Gwen Steffen in the 800 setting new school records.

“This team ranks very high on my list of the groups that I will remember because they worked hard every day without complaint, they were supportive of each other, and they made this fun off, as well as on, the track and field,” head coach Greg Thompson said.

The team had seven seniors, with the Panther girls bidding farewell to the Steffen sisters, Storesund, Waddle, Kayleigh Beaudet, Jordan Brown, and Claire Woodworth.

Thompson noted the seniors had established two indoor and six outdoor school records, competed in three events at the Drake Relays (winning one), and had 22 entrants in the state meet. They earned 15 state meet medals (two were runner-up) and accounted for just over 50 percent of the team points in 2021.