By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines involving male athletes to follow at the 51st Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High.

You can watch the live Webcast of the meet Friday and Saturday.

Another power-packed distance duel under the lights

From Nike Cross Nationals winner Aidan Troutner of Timpview UT to Foot Locker champion Dylan Jacobs of Sandburg IL, along with several additional cross country All-Americans, the list of performers running under 9 minutes in the 3,200 meters should again be deep and impressive.

St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda CA graduate Cooper Teare, now a freshman at Oregon, set the meet record last season by clocking 8:41.46, leading 27 athletes with sub-9 performances, including 25 of 33 entries in the invitational field.

Jacob McLeod of Trinity Christian GA (8:52.70) and Michael Phillips of Lawton Chiles FL (8:54.62) are the only two athletes in the field who have already run under 9 minutes with their 3,200 performances March 24 at the Florida State Relays. Ryan Oosting of Arlington MA clocked 8:57.59 in an indoor 2-mile race March 3 at the New England Championships.

Lincoln WA senior James Mwaura is the top returnee from last year, running 8:54.53, with Canadian talent Marcus Kemp of St. Mary’s in Kitchener, Ontario also primed to make a big impact. California has several challengers, including Redwood Larkspur junior Liam Anderson, Liberty Ranch senior Collin Ullrich, Jesuit sophomore Matt Strangio and El Camino Real senior Justin Hazell.

Hampton seeks double gold for Golden State

Although Noah Lyles of T.C. Williams VA won the 100- and 200-meter titles in 2016, the last California sprinter to sweep the two events in the same year was former Taft star Jamere Holland in 2006.

Yucaipa CA senior Asani Hampton has the potential to produce the impressive double following his sweep March 24 of the 100 and 200 at the NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational.

Bullis MD senior Eric Allen Jr. and Dock Mennonite Academy PA senior Austin Kratz will both present challenges for Hampton, who placed second in the 100 and third in the 200 last year.

The next hurdling heavyweight

Chad Zallow of John F. Kennedy OH, now a standout at Youngstown State, was the last male athlete to sweep the 110- and 300-meter hurdles in the same year in 2015, a double being pursued by Westwood AZ senior James Smith, Westlake GA senior Cameron Murray, Clayton Valley CA senior Aidan Jackman and Chapel Hill GA junior Freddie Allen III.

Smith swept both hurdles March 24 at the NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational, with Jackman capturing the 110 and 400 hurdles victories March 30-31 at the Stanford Invitational.

Murray is one of only four individuals this season with a wind-legal 110 hurdles mark under 14 seconds. Smith is among five athletes who have run under 37 seconds in the 300 hurdles and Jackman is the national leader in the 400 hurdles at 52.85.

Stevenson pursues double play in triple jump

Not only is Great Oak CA senior CJ Stevenson looking to repeat as triple jump champion, but he is also attempting to produce the meet’s first 50-foot effort since Canadian standout Patrick Hanna of College Stanislas in 2015.

Stevenson has already leaped 50-5 (15.37m) in a dual meet March 14 and is ready to square off for the first time this season with Eastlake CA senior Jalyn Jackson, who produced a personal-best 49-3.5 (15.02m) on March 24 at the Mt. Carmel/ASICS Invitational.

Hesperia CA senior Myles Massie should also be a factor following a 49-6 (15.08m) effort March 17 at the Triton/ASICS Invitational.

The event will also feature some international flavor, with Argentina’s Luciano Mendez and New Zealand’s Sam Colyer scheduled to compete.

You and me and 7-3

Vista del Lago CA senior Jake Grimsman and Trabuco Hills CA senior Sean Lee were the last two athletes left standing last year in the high jump and they are both tied atop the national rankings this season at 7-3 (2.21m).

Grimsman prevailed last year by clearing 6-9 (2.05m) to Lee’s 6-8 (2.03m). With Lee deciding not to compete Saturday, Grimsman looks to produce a 7-foot clearance, which would be the first by a California athlete since Vista Murrieta’s Nick Ross in 2009. Kentridge WA senior Tyler Cronk has also cleared 7 feet this season, with an outdoor personal best of 7-2 (7.18m).

Since then, Justice Summerset of Mountain View Marana AZ, Randall Cunningham Jr. of Bishop Gorman NV and Steven Dunbar of Tallwood VA are the only individuals with 7-foot clearances at the event.

Mike Morrison of Willingboro NJ set the meet record of 7-3 in 2003.

Middle-distance masterpiece

Although they squared off at 1,600 meters at the Stanford Invitational, Heritage senior Jett Charvet and Bellarmine Prep senior Alex Scales haven’t competed against each other in an 800 race since taking the top two spots at last year’s California state championship.

Charvet added a New Balance Nationals Indoor 800 title March 11 in New York, with Scales winning his 800 opener March 17 at the Dublin Distance Fiesta.

Scales prevailed in the 1,600 matchup, but both individuals will have to contend with Roosevelt CA senior Jackson Taylor, Palo Alto CA senior Reed Foster and Tesoro CA senior Ryan Bush.

Scales won last season in 1:50.64 and is the only returning athlete from the invitational field.

Pole vault potential

After recovering from a right ankle injury, senior Sondre Guttormsen of Davis Senior CA secured an impressive victory in the pole vault at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, clearing 17-11 (5.46m) to give him a legitimate opportunity to not only break the meet record Saturday, but also become just the second California athlete to clear 18 feet outdoors.

Guttormsen already produced an 18-foot indoor clearance Jan. 13 in Reno at the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit, but his energy and charisma could captivate the crowd as he first challenges the 2008 meet record of 17-4 (5.28m) set by Nico Weiler of Los Gatos CA and then sets his sights on the California state record of 18-2 (5.53m) produced in 1985 by Brandon Richards of San Marcos.

Andrew Ference of Salpointe Catholic AZ had a 16-8 (5.08m) clearance March 24 at the NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational and could become the sixth prep athlete this season to clear 17 feet outdoors.

New faces look to emerge in distance relay races

After Great Oak CA and American Fork UT produced national 4x1,600 relay records in consecutive years, don’t expect any of the country’s top all-time marks to be challenged in the 4x800, 4x1,600 or distance medley relays this year.

Even Bellarmine Prep CA, which won the 4x800 and DMR titles last year, is only entered in the 4x1,600 this season.

Talented lineups from Chandler AZ, Crater OR, Lone Peak UT, Manhasset NY, Neuqua Valley IL, Pearl River NY, Pinnacle AZ, Ridgewood NJ, South Lakes VA, Timpanogos UT and Timpview UT will all be looking to steal the spotlight from California powers Carlmont, Claremont, Dana Hills, De La Salle, Dublin, Loyola, Roosevelt, St. Francis Mountain View, West Ranch and West Torrance.

Great Oak is entered in all three distance relays, seeking its first victories in the 4x800 and DMR after winning the 4x1,600 twice.

A tough act to follow

One of the most impressive high school discus competitions was showcased at last year’s meet, with four individuals surpassing 200 feet and another three throwing beyond 190 feet.

No prep athlete has produced a 200-foot throw so far this season, but Buchanan CA junior Christian Johnson, Ventura CA junior Carlos Aviles, Great Oak CA senior Jaime Navarro, Liberty NV junior Corey Moore and Newbury Park CA junior Gino Cruz have all been closing in on the elusive mark, each surpassing 180 feet.

Aviles, Moore and Navarro return from last year’s competition, with the top 11 performers all graduating. Johnson opened his season Feb. 23 with a 191-9 (58.44m) throw, the only California athlete to surpass 190 feet this year.

Ready to go that extra mile

Volcano Vista NM senior Jericho Cleveland and Silver Creek CO senior James Lee were involved in an impressive battle March 24 at the NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational, resulting in the top two mile times in the country this season, as Cleveland completed an outstanding triple that included the 800 and 3,200 in a two-day span.

In addition to Cleveland and Lee squaring off in a rematch, last year’s third-place finisher Moises Medrano of Bakersfield Highland CA returns, along with 13th-place finisher Justin Hartshorn of Lone Peak UT. Lee, who finished seventh last season, is looking to make it two in a row for Colorado athletes after Isaac Green of Monarch prevailed last year.

Sophomore Cruz Culpepper of Niwot CO and senior Brett Hickman of Mission Viejo CA are stepping up in distance after strong 1,600 performances this year.