Last week marked the end of the winter sports season at Panorama Community Schools, and the athletic focus now shifts to the districts spring offerings. Success gained during the recent cross country season has Panorama head track coach Greg Thompson optimistic about the upcoming girls track season. “Those of us that followed the fall cross country season for our running programs here, you know our freshman class is pretty strong on the female side,” Thompson said, “We are also gaining a few throwers from the class along with a sprint hurdler. A well-balanced class with eight or nine girls competing for us.”

Panorama placed second overall in the Class 1A Iowa Cross Country State Championship this past November with a team score of 115. The Panthers were 11 points shy of Hudson for the team title. Three freshmen Ella Waddle (second), Gwen Steffen (24th) and Olivia Steffen (27th) placed in the top 30 individually at the state meet. They’ll join a group of returners who scored 16 points at the Iowa State Track and Field meet last May. Thompson tells Raccoon Valley Radio he’s given the members of his team out for girls basketball the whole week off to allow them time to transition seasons. He adds the first full practice with all the members of the Panorama girls team will be this coming Monday.