By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines involving elite athletes in invitational events to follow at the 109th Drake Relays Presented by Hyvee in Des Moines, Iowa.

Programming Note: You can watch the live Webcast here of the meet Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The USATF.TV broadcast and on-demand videos will only be available for USATF.TV +PLUS subscribers. Subscribe here.

Simpson seeks another record run

Jenny Simpson already boasts the American indoor 2-mile record, but she is looking to make more history outdoors Friday as part of an elite field that includes fellow U.S. standouts Brenda Martinez, Alexa Efraimson, Stephanie Garcia, Shannon Osika, Rachel Schneider and Sara Vaughn, as well as Kenya’s Violah Lagat and Canada’s Erin Teschuk.

Simpson, who ran 9 minutes, 18.35 seconds at the 2015 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, is now targeting the outdoor standard of 9:20.25 set by Shannon Rowbury at the 2014 Prefontaine Classic.

Simpson, born in Webster City, Iowa, prevailed in the 1,500 last year in 4:16.10, just ahead of Martinez in 4:16.40, and secured another 1,500 victory in 2016 in 4:06.44.

Simpson, a five-time Drake Relays champion, already boasts the 1,500 meet record of 4:03.35 in 2013.

In search of shot put supremacy

Ryan Crouser and Tom Walsh haven’t competed against one another in the shot put since August.

Walsh won gold at last year’s IAAF World Championships, with Crouser – the 2016 Olympic champion – producing the best mark all season.

But Walsh will be riding plenty of momentum Saturday when he and Crouser square off with sights set on the meet record of 72-6.25 (22.10m) held since 2006 by Christian Cantwell. Americans Ryan Whiting and Darrell Hill are also entered.

Walsh, the Commonwealth Games gold medalist, is the world leader with a personal-best 74-4.50 (22.67m). Crouser will be competing in his outdoor opener after skipping the indoor season to train in Chula Vista, Calif.

Walsh elevated to the No. 5 all-time performer with his March 25 effort in Auckland, New Zealand. Crouser’s personal-best of 74-3.75 (22.65m) from last year’s USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento makes him the No. 7 performer in history.

The golden age of hurdling

Keni Harrison is the reigning IAAF World Indoor champion in the 60-meter hurdles and Kori Carter captured the gold medal in the World Outdoor 400-meter hurdles in August.

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, the reigning NCAA Division 1 100-meter hurdles champion, won the Commonwealth Games gold medal April 13 in Gold Coast, Australia.

And none of them boast the 100 hurdles meet record, which was set by Jasmin Stowers when she clocked 12.40 in 2015.

All four of them are scheduled to compete Saturday, along with 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Kristi Castlin and Purdue fifth-year senior Devynne Charlton, who also competed against Harrison and Amusan in the World Indoor 60 hurdles final.

Harrison has produced identical 12.56 performances to win the past two years. She ran a wind-aided 12.40 on April 14 at the Tennessee Relays, with Carter clocking 12.82.

Carter then prevailed Saturday against Amusan by a 12.79 to 12.92 margin at the Grenada Invitational, with Stowers running 12.98 in her season opener at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.

The wait is over

Andre De Grasse missed the IAAF World Outdoor Championships with a hamstring injury and decided to skip the Commonwealth Games to focus on building fitness for the rest of the outdoor season.

The Canadian star is scheduled to compete in his outdoor opener Saturday in the 100-meter dash, his first race since July.

Following a combined nine wind-legal sub-10 efforts in 2015 and 2016, De Grasse only had two sub-10 performances last year and both were wind-aided, including a 9.69 in Stockholm in June.

De Grasse is scheduled to race against Americans Isiah Young, Mike Rodgers and Ameer Webb, along with Great Britain’s CJ Ujah, Turkey’s Jak Ali Harvey and Cayman Islands’ Kemar Hyman.

The meet record of 10.01 set by Auburn’s Harvey Glance has stood since 1976.

Entering a new stratosphere

Sandi Morris has won pole vault competitions the past two years at both Capital Square and Drake Relays.

But for the first time since winning the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March, Morris will compete as a global gold medalist this week in Iowa.

Morris will be doing so against a field that includes reigning USATF Indoor champion Katie Nageotte and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Alysha Newman of Canada.

They will all be targeting the 2013 meet record of 15-11 (4.85m) set by Cuba’s Yarisley Silva.

Also scheduled to compete are Kristen Hixson, who secured victory Saturday with a clearance of 15-1 (4.60m) at the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, Calif., along with Canadian star Anicka Newell and former South Dakota standout Emily Grove, last year’s collegiate pole vault winner at Drake Relays with a 14-3.25 (4.35m) clearance.

Morris, Newman and Hixson all cleared 15 feet during last year’s elite competition.

Another memorable mile

Eric Avila, Graham Crawford and Daniel Herrera helped make history April 13 by joining Kyle Merber in becoming the first athletes to break 4 minutes in the mile on the track at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Now, they’ll look to duplicate the feat Saturday in the first invitational mile run on the track at Drake Relays since 2015.

Fellow American sub-4 performers Drew Hunter, Mike Brannigan, Brannon Kidder and Leo Manzano are also entered, along with Kenya’s Lawi Lalang. Manzano was the 2015 winner in 4:00.05.

Ethiopia’s Aman Wote was the last sub-4 performer at Drake Relays, clocking 3:53.39 in 2014. American Alan Webb still holds the meet record of 3:51.71 from 2007.

High stakes

Levern Spencer has already celebrated a Drake Relays high jump victory over reigning USATF Indoor and Outdoor champion Vashti Cunningham in 2016.

Now, the Saint Lucia star is hoping to continue her success after capturing the Commonwealth Games gold medal April 14 by seeking a third straight victory in Des Moines.

Spencer cleared a world-leading 6-4.75 (1.95m) in Gold Coast, Australia. Cunningham, the IAAF World Indoor silver medalist, had a 6-3.25 (1.91m) clearance in her outdoor debut to capture her fifth consecutive title Saturday at Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, Calif.

Spencer also prevailed with a 6-3.25 clearance last season.

Canadian standout Alyx Treasure, who placed fourth at the Commonwealth Games by clearing 6-3.25, is also entered, along with Americans Inika McPherson and Liz Patterson.

The meet record is 6-6 (1.98m), set in 2012 by American Chaunte Lowe.

Raising the bar

Sam Kendricks nearly soared past a 2007 meet record last season, clearing 19-0.25 (5.80m), just missing the 19-0.75 (5.81m) clearance set at Drake Relays by Jeff Hartwig.

Kendricks swept the competition at Capital Square, as well as in the stadium last season, after Canadian standout Shawn Barber won both events in 2016.

Both individuals are entered this week, along with reigning USATF Indoor champion Scott Houston and South Dakota sophomore Chris Nilsen, who took runner-up to Kendricks last season, as well as Mike Arnold and Andrew Irwin.

Argentina’s German Chiaraviglio, who won Saturday the Mt. SAC Relays, is also scheduled to compete.

More leading ladies

One of the strongest women’s 400-meter hurdles fields in Drake Relays history has been assembled Saturday, including defending-champion Georganne Moline and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Dalilah Muhammad.

Jamaica’s Leah Nugent, third last year, is also scheduled to compete, along with Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Spencer and 2015 meet winner Cassandra Tate. Canadian professional Sage Watson, last year’s NCAA Division 1 champion, is also entered.

Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic set the meet record by clocking 54.41 in 2013, with Moline challenging the record last season by winning in 54.66.

Muhammad, Spencer and Moline were all part of the fastest 400 hurdles race in history at last year’s USATF Championships in Sacramento, all placing in the top five and running 53.14 or faster.

Hurdling heroes

The top three finishers from the men’s 400-meter hurdles last year are all scheduled to return, led by Michael Stigler, who secured victory in 49.07.

Fellow Americans Bershawn Jackson and TJ Holmes, along with Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson, Jamaica’s Annsert Whyte and Jeffery Gibson of the Bahamas are also entered, chasing the meet record of 48.28 set in 1986 by Iowa State’s Danny Harris.

With two-time 110-meter hurdles champion Omar McLeod of Jamaica not competing Saturday, several talented Americans are ready to capture the spotlight, including 2015 winner Aleec Harris.

Reigning USATF Indoor 60-meter hurdles champion and IAAF World Indoor silver medalist Jarret Eaton is entered, along with Devon Allen, Aries Merritt and former Iowa star Aaron Mallett, who won the collegiate section last year. Canada’s Johnathon Cabral and Serbia’s Milan Ristic are also expected to compete, looking to challenge McLeod’s meet record of 13.04 from last year.