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Several Panorama athletes are getting ready to compete at the Drake Relays later this week.

Gracen Welberg was the lone qualifier from the boys team and will be competing in the high jump on Thursday. Members of the girls squad will get a chance to perform all three days. On Thursday Bailey Beckman will compete in the long jump and Lydia Knapp will throw the discus just a week after breaking the school discus record. Morgan Johnk will be in two events Friday after qualifying in both the high jump and the 100 meter hurdles.

The Lady Panthers will close things out by running two relays on Saturday. The shuttle hurdle will include a team of Shey Storesund, Abbi Brown, Payton Douglass and Johnk. The 4×100 relay team will be Beckman, Johnk, Hope Arganbright and Kassidy Bremer.

Coach Greg Thompson says his squad wants to meet or improve on the marks that got them into the relays, but adds that it’s important to remember that the state meet is the one that counts.

“It’s really hard knowing that state is just three weeks away,” Thompson said. “You don’t want to set your mind on peaking at Drake. I always tell my kids and coaches and parents Drake is a bonus. If we happen to get there, we get there. It’s not something we’re going to focus on all year long because it’s going to mess up our training plan for the state meet.”

Raccoon Valley Radio will have coverage of area athletes competing at Drake on-air and online Thursday evening and throughout the day Friday and Saturday.