Storjohann completed the course in 20:42, one of six area runners finishing in the top 10 overall. Grinnell’s Kyliee Zylstra was the individual champion in 20:12.

Evelyn Geerdes was ninth overall and scored fifth-place points for the Spartans in 22:34; Karlee Lynch scored eighth in 23:28, Maddy Hendershot earned ninth-place points in 23:36 and Makenna Steinmeyer scored 10th in 24:26.

“We’ve got a great team this year,” Storjohann said. “We’ve had some freshmen stepping up and the girls practice really hard every day.”

Storjohann was 30 seconds faster than her time last year.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER – West Marshall freshman Dalaney Eldridge leads the girls’ race during the early stages of Monday’s South Tama Invitational in Tama. Pictured running alongside Eldridge include, from left, Grace Storjohann of Grundy Center, Kalia Stover of BCLUW, and Colo-NESCO’s Elizabeth Erickson.

“It’s always a difficult course,” Storjohann said. “You’re never gonna have your best time here but it really shows your strengths and weaknesses and there’s a lot of great competition here this year.

“I’m not pushing myself too hard yet — I tried to save myself tor that last mile but I definitely had a little too much energy left, but that just means I’ll give that to the next race.”

West Marshall freshman Dalaney Eldridge was third overall, crossing the line in 21:04 and scoring second-place team points for the Trojans’ runner-up team finish with 46 points compared to 33 for the Spartans.

“Those hills aren’t fun, but I’d say it was a pretty good race,” Eldridge said. “This year’s been pretty good so far, I’ve had pretty high expectations for myself, and I’ve met those goals this year.”

Addie Thompson added a fifth-place run in 21:56. Mia Christianson scored 11th in 24:31.

“We’re all pushing each other to be better teammates and better runners in general,” Eldridge said.

BCLUW was third as a team with 52 points; Kalia Stover finished sixth individually in 22:08 and Abby Kemp was 10th in 22:52.

North Tama was the last of the four full teams on Monday with 100 points, led by Rachael Murty in 12th and Gabby Seda in 19th in 24:42 and 26:32, respectively.

Aubrey Lambi led a quartet of East Marshall runners with a 20th-place time of 25:38.

Jayva Gomez was the top finisher for South Tama County, placing 38th in 27:27.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Katelyn Monaghan was 67th in 35:49 and Meskwaki’s Kaelonna Kahler was 69th in 36:56.

South Tama Invitational

Team Standings — 1. Grundy Center 33, 2. West Marshall 46, 3. BCLUW 52, 4. North Tama 100.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Kyliee Zylstra, GRN, 20:12; 2. Grace Storjohann, GC, 20:42; 3. Dalaney Eldridge, WM, 21:04; 4. Elizabeth Erickson, C-N, 21:44; 5. Addie Thompson, WM, 21:56; 6. Kalia Stover, BCLUW, 22:08; 7. Makayla True, BAX, 22:15; 8. Mya Wilaby, SH, 22:19; 9. Evelyn Geerdes, GC, 22:34; 10. Abby Kemp, BCLUW, 22:52.

GRUNDY CENTER (33) — 1. Storjohann, 20:42; 5. Geerdes 22:34; 8. Karlee Lynch 23:28; 9. Maddy Hendershot 23:36; 10. Makenna Steinmeyer 24:26; 14. Avery Miller 25:40; 16. Keria Day 26:01.

WEST MARSHALL (46) — 2. Eldridge, 21:04; 3. Thompson 21:56; 11. Mia Christianson 24:31; 13. Summer Kurth 25:02; 17. Kaylie Andrews 26:21; 18. Olivia Randall 26:26; 21. McKenna Clark 27:17.

BCLUW (52) — 4. Stover 22:08; 6. Kemp 22:52; 7. Chloe Switzer 23:19; 15. Ceanna White 25:57; 20. Izzy Morris 26:56; 25. Devin Peterson 31:48; 26. Elle Schipper 35:39.

NORTH TAMA (100) — 12. Rachael Murty 24:42; 19. Gabby Seda 26:32; 22. Isla Breakenridge 27:18; 23. Ava Breakenridge 28:52; 24. Brynley Seda 30:28.

EAST MARSHALL — 20. Aubrey Lambi 25:38; 22. Sydney Hull 25:47; 23. Mallory Ostroski 25:50; 27. Delaney Ryan 26:11.

GLADBROOK-REINBECK — 67. Katelyn Monaghan 35:49.

MESKWAKI — 69. Kaelonna Kahler 36:56.

SOUTH TAMA COUNTY — 38. Jayva Gomez 27:27; 42. Jenny Manzo 28:14; 52. Livia Smith 30:23; 58. Nazaret Carrillo 31:53.