Division I Class AA/A Girls
The Team Race
As with the individual race running close to projections, so did the team race. A two-point margin separated Central Magnet from Signal Mountain in the preview and a three-point margin separated them after. At no point in the race did I feel like I knew what the outcome would be and nor did anyone after as they scrolled through finish live cell phone videos trying to figure out which individuals counted and which ones didn't.
Close is an understatement. There really isn't any one singular good performance by a Tiger that made the difference nor is there a singular bad performance by any of the Eagles that did either. The only thing that might've made the difference is the maturity and experience Central brought with them to this year's competition after three years of racing in the larger division.\
| Class | Central Magnet | Signal Mountain |
| Seniors | 3 | 1 |
| Juniors | 3 | 1 |
| Sophomores | 1 | 0 |
| Freshman/Under | 0 | 5 |
In 2020, Signal graduated their 2nd and 3rd scoring runners while CMS graduated one who placed 7th for the team. While Signal was able to replace one of these scoring threats with Richards, it wasn't enough to make up for both graduates. Looking ahead to next season though, it's a mirror image situation. The Tigers will have a hard time replacing Ouellette and Hamby while Signal will have the luxury to return everyone in scoring position.
Needless to say, after just one year into this cycle, I already love this new division.