CLINTON, Miss. --- Samantha Edwards, Hendrix Eldridge, Leah Collipp, Alex Lee... The might of the MAIS 5A and Jackson Metro area went head-to-head at the 2022 Clinton Arrow Invitational. 

Edwards of Saint Aloysius, the 2021 MAIS 5A Cross Country Champion, and East Rankin's Collipp, one of the top-ranked 8th-graders in the country coming off of a 19:45 5K PR the week prior, were considered the two pre-race favorites. 

And just like we predicted, an East Rankin Academy runner made the push in the home stretch and crossed the finish line first in a 5K time of 20:16.9. 

What we didn't predict, however, was that ERA athlete was Audrey Mayatte, snagging her first-ever win on grass in one of the deepest high school girl's fields so far this season. 

Not only was this Mayatte's first-ever win in Cross Country, but this was also the first Cross Country race where she was the No. 1 Lady Patriot. 

This breakout performance was a 21-second PR for the East Rankin sophomore.

Collipp was less than two seconds behind her training partner in 20:18.8, securing the top two spots for East Rankin, the No. 2 Ranked High School Girls Cross Country team in Mississippi. 

READ NEXT: Mississippi High School Girls XC Team Rankings: Edition No. 2

Madison Central's Alex Lee was the first Lady Jaguar in third overall in 20:24.8, and middle school sensation Hendrix Eldridge of Saint Aloysius was fourth overall in 20:29.2. 

Pearl's Katherine Neal took the final top five spot at 20:38.8. 

As for the team scores, East Rankin proved why they are one of the top High School Girls Cross Country teams in the state after another dominant win after placing four in the top nine, good for a 40-point victory and a 20:57 5K average. 

The other two Lady Patriots inside the top nine were the seventh-grader Emma Raines, who broke 21 minutes in the 5K for the first time in her young career, and middle-distance ace Emily Williams. 

*Emma Raines at the 2022 Early Bird 2-miler

READ NEXT: MileSplit Mississippi Future Stars - Emma Raines

With that performance, Raines has the fastest 5K time in Mississippi for seventh-grader girls this season. 

RANKINGS: Mississippi 7th-grade Girls 5K List

All in all, the best of the best from central Mississippi toed the line at the 2022 Clinton Arrow Cross Country Invitational, and it certainly did not disappoint.