TCA Wins The Battle And The War
The Polson Ranch Invitational is never going to be mistaken for Liberty Bell, but it consistently draws some solid programs even so. Ranked 5A teams Grandview, Monarch, and Rock Canyon were in attendance, all three at or very nearly at full strength for the meet.
4A powers Palmer Ridge and Discovery Canyon were also on the meet roster, but Palmer Ridge ran an entirely B team and Discovery Canyon was missing top runner Liberty Ricca.
From 3A, ranked teams were represented in the form of Elizabeth and The Classical Academy.
That set the stage well for a spirited contest.
TCA, however, set up shop at the front of the race early and never let go.
For a while, Elizabeth's Ashten Loeks held on with TCA's duo of Kaylee Thompson and Katie Flaherty, but the lead had dwindled to the TCA two by late on the second circuit. Thompson eventually broke free from Flaherty, but the result was immaterial in the team scoring. TCA started off with a 1-2.
Rock Canyon joined the fray with Shannon Osoba and Hope James in 4 and 5. TCA responded with Becca Thompson and Kennedy McDonald in 7 and 9. Rock Canyon ran out of answers.
As it turned out, Monarch would be the team that would challenge TCA most stiffly. The Coyotes pushed Julia Mainland across in 8, then a trio of Madelyn MacLaughlin, Anna Wexler, and Arianna Le in 10-11-12.
The score settled quickly, however, when TCA's Sarah Burroughs crossed in 16th. That was one spot ahead of Monarch's Ginger Harrington in 17th, but the overall team score was more substantial at 35 to 58.
Nobody else would be even close.