The Flathead Invitational may be a little leaner this year in terms of the number of cross country teams competing in the annual event when comparing it to previous years, but it sure will not lack for talent.

Three of the premier runners in Montana will be competing Saturday at Kidsports Complex.

“Absolutely,” Glacier coach Mike McLean said of the trio.

“If you like cross country, you might wanna show up and see this.”

Flathead’s Zach Perrin will be going for his fourth invitational title while Bigfork sophomore Makena Morley will be looking to make it two-in-a-row.

Glacier’s Troy Fraley will be one of Perrin’s main challengers.

Perrin set a new course record last year at this meet with his time of 15 minutes, 35 seconds. That shattered the old standard by 15 seconds, which was held by Flathead’s Elliott Welder.

Fraley was second to Perrin in 2011 with a time of 15:50.

“He’s always finished well at this meet,” McLean said of Fraley.

“He knows the course, he likes the competition. The more competition there is, the better it is for him.”

McLean said Fraley is “ahead of last year’s schedule.”

So is Perrin.

He has already posted a time of 15:22 on the course at the team’s Time Trials in August.

“He’s in very good shape,” Flathead coach Paul Jorgensen said of Perrin.

“I think he’s stronger than last year in overall strength.”

Morley came within four seconds of breaking the course record last year at the invitational. Flathead’s Zoe Nelson holds that mark, 17:58 set in 2004.

This will be Morley’s season debut.

“She’s been nursing a injury, but she’s doing much better,” Bigfork coach Sue Loeffler said.

“As of now, we’re going.”

The injury that has slowed Morley down, if that’s possible, is a hip flexor. She injured that prior to the start of fall practice.

“Right now, she’s pain free,” Loeffler said.

“So I don’t think that it would limit her at all. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let her run. I think she’s ready to go.”

Morley did not lose a race last fall.

Joining Flathead, Glacier and Bigfork at this year’s invitational will be: Arlee, Augusta, Belt, Browning, Columbia Falls, Cut Bank, Great Falls C.M. Russell, Hamilton, Missoula Hellgate, Missoula Loyola, Missoula Sentinel, Polson and Shelby.

One runner from Rocky Boy is also entered.

“Fifteen to 16 teams,” Jorgensen said of this year’s lineup.

“We’ve lost a few over the years.”

Gone are Eureka, Great Falls High, Libby, Ronan and Whitefish to name a few.

“Hard to tell,” Jorgensen said of why some schools have not returned.

“They just decided to go somewhere else.”

Saturday’s action starts with junior high girls at 10 a.m. followed by the junior high boys at 10:30.

They will run 1 1/2 miles.

Junior varsity girls hit the full-length course (three miles) at 11 a.m. followed by the JV boys at 11:45.

Varsity girls run at 12:15 p.m. with varsity boys at 12:45.

This will be the second outing of the season for many of the schools. The big events last week were the Libby Invitational and the Cut Bank Time Trials.

“We ran fairly well at Cut Bank,” Jorgensen said.

We had eight kids under 18 (minutes), which was better than last year. We’ll see how it goes (Saturday).

“Hellgate is the team to beat coming into this meet,” he added.

“Sentinel has a  real good shot at it.

“For girls, Hellgate is coming in as a favorite. Our girls are very young and inexperienced. The potential is there. It will take a few meets and some seasoning to figure out how we will do.”

Regarding Glacier, overall ...

“I think the boys race will show us where we are at this year, at least on this side of the state,” McLean said.

“For the girls, it’s too new to tell. Jessica Chery and Katie Whyte are leading the girls right now.”