By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Here is a list of 10 storylines to keep an eye on Friday-Sunday at the U.S. Junior Nationals at Buchanan High's Veterans Memorial Stadium:

The pros of professionals competing

With the recent decision of Donavan Brazier to forgo his final three years of eligibility at Texas A&M and turn professional, three pro athletes are scheduled to compete at the three-day meet with the goal of racing last this summer in Poland before they shift their collective focus to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Candace Hill, the reigning World Youth gold medalist in the 100 and 200, signed with ASICS following her sophomore year at Rockdale County, Ga., and Alexa Efraimson (Camas, Wash.) turned pro before her senior year, signing with Nike. Efraimson won the 1,500 at the 2014 U.S. Junior Nationals and placed sixth at the World Junior Championships at Hayward Field. Brazier was a favorite to capture the U.S. Junior title last year, but was disqualified in the 800 prelims because of a lane violation.

Looking to complete national trifecta

After setting national high school records and winning New Balance National Outdoor titles, Christopher Nilsen (Park Hill, Mo.) and Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic, N.J.) are now looking to add U.S. Junior National championships to their resumes. Nilsen broke the national prep pole vault record May 21 by clearing 18-4.75 (5.61m) and added an 18-3 clearance (5.56m) on June 4 at the Great Southwest Classic, giving him a legitimate opportunity to challenge the 2012 meet record of 18-2 (5.54m) set by Georgia Tech’s Nikita Kirilov. McLaughlin not only smashed a 32-year-old national high school record by clocking 54.46 in the 400 hurdles at New Balance National Outdoor, but also eclipsed the World Youth and American Junior standards, the latter a mark of 54.70 set in 2002 by Lashinda Demus. McLaughlin, the reigning World Youth gold medalist, elevated to No. 2 all-time on the World Junior performance list, trailing only the 2005 mark of 54.40 by China’s Xing Wang. McLaughlin finished second at the 2014 U.S. Juniors behind Texas A&M junior Shamier Little, but was too young to make the American roster.

Rematch a year in the making will have to wait

Perhaps no matchup at last year’s U.S. Junior Nationals was more anticipated than the 200-meter showdown involving Noah Lyles (T.C. Williams, Va.) and Michael Norman (Vista Murrieta, Calif.), with both athletes eclipsing the 1983 meet record of 20.29 set by Clinton Davis (Steel Valley, Pa.). Lyles clocked U.S. No. 3 all-time 20.18 to hand Norman, who ran 20.24, his only loss of the season. Lyles went on to run 20.27 to capture gold at the Pan American Junior Championships in Canada, with Norman deciding not to compete internationally. However, despite Lyles being entered in the 100 and 200 on the start lists, the Florida signee will only be competing in the 100, with the USC-bound Norman entered only in the 200. Both athletes have run U.S. No. 5 all-time 20.23 this season, with Norman's sights set on the American Junior 200 record of 20.13 set in 1985 by Roy Martin (Roosevelt, Texas). Lyles is pursuing the 100 meet record of 10.00 produced in 2014 by Trentavis Friday (Cherryville, N.C.) as well as the American Junior standard of 9.97 set the same year by former Baylor star Trayvon Bromell.

Dynamic distance depth

The past two U.S. Junior 1,500 champions in Alexa Efraimson (Camas, Wash.) and Kate Murphy (Lake Braddock, Va.) are scheduled to compete in a field that also includes Christina Aragon (Billings Senior, Mont.) and Katie Rainsberger (Air Academy, Colo.), looking to produce the most memorable final in the event in meet history. All four athletes have already run faster than the 2012 meet record 4:14.74 of Mary Cain (Bronxville, N.Y.), including Murphy producing U.S. No. 3 all-time 4:07.21 at adidas Boost Boston Games, a nine-second improvement from her victorious effort last year. Murphy’s performance came less than a week after Aragon clocked 4:09.27 at the Portland Track Festival, with both athletes producing U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying marks. Efraimson ran the American Junior record 4:03.39 last year, giving the U.S. hope it can secure its first World Junior 1,500 medal in Poland.

Freshmen of influence

Arkansas freshman Devin Clark lowered her own American Junior record in the 3,000 steeplechase to 9:49.25 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, leading a promising group of collegiate athletes looking to make the U.S. roster. Texas Tech freshman Kaylee Hinton, the defending U.S. Junior heptathlon champion who had a personal-best 5,348 points at the Kansas Relays, didn’t compete in the multi events in the postseason. Michigan’s Taylor McLaughlin led all collegiate freshmen with his fifth-place finish in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA final after clocking a personal-best 49.73 in the prelims. Missouri’s Kahmari Montgomery was the fastest collegiate freshman in the country with his 45.13 in the 400 at the SEC Championships, before tying for ninth at the NCAA final. Notre Dame freshman Anna Rohrer ran 15:32.03 in the indoor 5,000 after placing sixth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, but didn’t compete in the outdoor track season, so her potential to challenge for a roster spot is uncertain. Georgia Tech’s Bria Matthews had the best long jump mark of any collegiate freshman with her 21-2.75 (6.47m) at the ACC Championships, but didn’t advance past the NCAA East Regional preliminary round. USC freshman Margaux Jones, a former California state champion, placed ninth at the NCAA final and had a season-best 20-9.75.

Ready for the next level

Although 200-meter silver medalist Lauren Rain Williams (Oaks Christian, Calif.) is injured and unable to race, several members of last year’s World Youth roster are looking to qualify to compete internationally again this summer. All six U.S. individual gold medalists from Colombia – Candace Hill (Rockdale County, Ga.), Sammy Watson (Rush-Henrietta, N.Y.), Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic, N.J.), Tara Davis (Agoura, Calif.), Adrian Piperi (Conroe The Woodlands, Texas) and Norman Grimes (Canyon, Texas) – are scheduled to compete. Silver medalists Josephus Lyles (T.C .Williams, Va.) and Lynna Irby (Pike, Ind.) are entered, along with bronze medalists Brandee’ Johnson (Nansemond River, Va.), Darius Carbin (Mt. Pleasant, Calif.) and Lyles.

Will the clock strike 12 for hurdlers?

Chanel Brissett (Cheltenham, Pa.) nearly became the third high school female to eclipse the 13-second barrier in the 100-meter hurdles with her wind-legal 13.01 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, but the junior could lead a parade of athletes in pursuit of joining American Junior record holder Dior Hall (George Washington, Colo.) and Candy Young (Beaver Falls, Pa.) in the 12-second sorority. Tonea Marshall (Seguin, Texas), Brandee’ Johnson (Nansemond River, Va.), Tia Jones (George Walton Comprehensive, Ga.) and Alexis Duncan (DeSoto, Texas) are high school standouts prepared to battle USC’s Jasmyne Graham – who ran 13.17 to win the 2015 California state title – and Texas’ Ashley Miller. Hall boasts the World Junior record of 12.74, with Georgia’s Kendell Williams posting the meet record 12.87 in 2014.

Spectacular shot put showcases

After four female athletes surpassed 50 feet in the shot put in 2014 and three last year, the competition this year features four prep standouts who have exceeded the standard, along with Utah State’s Brenn Flint and Ohio State’s Olatoye Sade during their freshman seasons in college. Alyssa Wilson (Monsignor Donovan, N.J.) is the U.S. No. 2 all-time high school performer at 55-9.25 (17.00m), with U.S. No. 5 Elena Bruckner (San Jose Valley Christian, Calif.) at 54-7. Nickolette Dunbar (Whippany Park, N.J.) is U.S. No. 4 all-time indoors at 54-7.5 and Kathleen Young (Warrensburg-Latham, Ill.) has surpassed 50 feet indoors and outdoors. The men’s shot put will also be highly competitive with Adrian Piperi (Conroe The Woodlands, Texas), Jordan Geist (Knoch, Pa.) and Bronson Osborn (Esperanza, Calif.) squaring off again after all three athletes exceeded 71 feet at New Balance Nationals Outdoor with the 12-pound implement. They will have to step up to the 6-kilogram implement, which is used at the junior level, in order to make the American roster.

Three-peat would be sweet

Wisconsin freshman Haley Showalter is seeking a third consecutive title in the hammer throw, looking to equal the feat of Shelby Ashe (2010-12). Showalter, who captured the past two competing for Valor Christian, Colo., had the best mark of any collegiate freshman at 207-3 (63.18m) and placed 21^st at the NCAA final. She is looking to become only the second athlete to surpass 200 feet at the U.S. Junior Nationals after winning with marks of 185-9 (56.61m) last year and 188-8 (57.51m). Showalter and Alexa Efraimson (Camas, Wash.) could make the U.S. roster again like they did in 2014.

Hometown heroes

After setting the meet record with a 53.18 in the 400 at the Brooks PR Invitational, 2015 California state champion and Buchanan graduate Hannah Waller will compete in the final career meet on her home track at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Waller, who took runner-up to Carson’s Kaelin Roberts at this year’s state final in a personal-best 53.01, is seeking a potential rematch in the final. Clovis North’s Rhesa Foster, the reigning California state long jump champion, is also scheduled to compete after leaping 20-7.5 (6.29m) to win the title in the same arena. USC freshman Mikaela Smith, a former two-time California state 800 champion at Clovis North, is entered in a field loaded with collegiate talent and fellow Trojan freshman Lyndsey Lopes – an Edison graduate – is scheduled to compete in the heptathlon. Another Buchanan graduate, Paramveer Chohan, is entered in the 400 hurdles after placing fourth in the state final in the 300 hurdles, along with junior teammate Jacob Wilson, who finished third in the state in the discus throw and fourth in the shot put.