MADISON TOWNSHIP — Shelby senior Kayla Gonzales three-peated on Monday afternoon.
Gonzales won her third Richland County B-Dry Cross Country Invitational championship on an overcast afternoon at Madison. It was her second title in a row Gonzales after winning her first as a freshman in 2019.
Gonzales broke the tape in 19:37.3, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Lexington from taking home the girls crown with a team score of 20.
The meet was run under partly cloudy skies and intermittent showers. The cloud cover kept the temperature down, much to Gonzales’ liking.
“This is the first year we’ve raced when it’s not 90 and sunny and super-humid,” Gonzales said. “We’ll take it for sure.”
Gonzales sped to the front of the pack at the crack of the starter’s gun and methodically pulled away from the field. She finished almost a full minute in front of runner-up Emma Wise of Lexington (20:31.5). Lex’s Elyana Weaver (21:17.1) was third.
“I was actually really excited for the competition,” Gonzales said. “I was kind of looking back every now and then just to make sure that my placement was good. It’s great competition.
“I kind of wanted to just start off fast (and) not have to worry about getting boxed in or anything. That’s how I like to race anyways.”
Lady Lex packed up behind Gonzales. After Wise and Weaver came Brailey Slone (21:48.7), Kenley Miller (21:49.7) and Maddie Haring (22:02.4).
Shelby finished second in the team standings with a score of 58. Crestview (59) was third, followed by Madison (118) and Clear Fork (130).
Audrey Wolford paced Crestview, finishing in 22:33.9. Callie Cyrus (23:24.7) led Madison, while Claire Blubaugh (25:44.5) led the way for Clear Fork.
