By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here is a list of 10 women's storylines to keep an eye on Thursday-Sunday at the USATF Outdoor Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa:

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Orji seeks triple jump trifecta, Franklin wants first outdoor title

Keturah Orji is a two-time outdoor champion in the triple jump and until May 12 was the American record holder, before two-time indoor winner Tori Franklin produced a world-leading 48-8.25 (14.84m) to eclipse the record in Guadeloupe, France.

Franklin will take on the favorite role for the first time when they square off Thursday.

Orji is unbeaten in eight career meetings against Franklin, including this year at the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, Calif., along with the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March in Birmingham.

Orji has also prevailed against Franklin at the past two outdoor national finals, last year in Sacramento and in 2016 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.

Orji’s personal best remains 48-3.25 (14.71m) from the 2016 Olympics. She ranks No. 4 in the world this year with a 47-11.75 (14.62m) from the Southeastern Conference Championships in Tennessee.

Hammer stars trying to nail down another record

Twice in the span of a week earlier this month, DeAnna Price and Gwen Berry produced American records in the hammer throw.

The last time the USATF Outdoor Championships were held at Drake Stadium in 2013, Amanda Bingson set the American record in the hammer throw with a mark of 248-5 (75.73m), but Berry and Price have both surpassed the mark by more than six feet.

Price took the record from Berry with her 254-9 (77.65m) throw June 2 at the Iron Wood Classic in Idaho. Berry regained the standard June 8 in Poland with a throw of 255-2 (77.78m) to elevate to the No. 4 all-time performer, with Price ranking No. 6.

In addition to Berry, Price and Bingson, Jeneva Stevens, Brooke Andersen and Janeah Stewart are also scheduled to compete Saturday, making six of the top 10 American performers in history. Maggie Ewen decided not to compete in the hammer throw, choosing to focus on the discus throw and shot put instead.

Two from Iowa, only one 1,500 title

Jenny Simpson, born in Webster City, Iowa, is 11-1 in 12 career races at Drake’s Jim Duncan Track, including unbeaten in her past eight races at Drake Relays or USATF Outdoor Championships since 2010.

Shelby Houlihan, a Sioux City native, secured her first career 1,500-meter victory May 26 over Simpson at the Prefontaine Classic by a 3:59.06 to 3:59.37 margin.

But two of Iowa’s all-time favorite athletes are on a collision course to clash for the 1,500 title Saturday.

Simpson is seeking a fourth consecutive championship, with Houlihan looking to possibly double in the 1,500 and 5,000 after capturing the latter title in Sacramento last year.

Another athlete with Iowa ties will also be competing in the 5,000 final, with former Dowling Catholic and Missouri star Karissa Schweizer making her professional debut.

Eyeing encore performances following memorable collegiate finales

After leading USC to the 4x400-meter relay title and NCAA Division 1 team championships, Kendall Ellis returns to the track in the 400 in her first post-collegiate race.

Also making her pro debut, albeit after just one collegiate season at Kentucky, is Sydney McLaughlin.

Ellis and McLaughlin, the NCAA champion and collegiate record holder in the 400 hurdles, headline a 400-meter field that also includes former Division 1 winners Courtney Okolo and Shakima Wimbley.

Ellis is the collegiate record holder in the indoor 400, Okolo is the outdoor collegiate record holder during her career at Texas.

Ellis is one of four female athletes in the world this year to have run under 50 seconds. Georgia freshman Lynna Irby, the U.S. leader this year at 49.80, is not competing.

None of the favorites have captured a U.S. outdoor title, setting the stage for a thrilling championship Saturday.

Coburn looks to maintain strong grip on steeplechase

Reigning world champion Emma Coburn will pursue a seventh national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday, with world silver medalist Courtney Frerichs also competing.

Coburn has never lost a steeplechase final in which she has competed, with only an absence in 2013 – when Nicole Bush captured the title – interrupting her impressive run.

Coburn set the American record by clocking 9:02.58 to win the world title last year, but continues her pursuit of breaking the 9-minute barrier. Coburn ran 9:08.13 on May 31 in Rome, with Frerichs – whose personal-best 9:03.77 secured silver in August – clocking 9:20.84 in Oslo.

With Colleen Quigley deciding to scratch and Stephanie Garcia also not competing, the race for the title should really come down to Coburn and Frerichs.

Return of Raven

After deciding to leave Ole Miss for personal reasons and pass on her remaining collegiate eligibility, Raven Saunders has resumed throwing as a professional, and the results have been impressive.

The reigning national outdoor shot put champion will seek a repeat Sunday, but will have to contend with NCAA Division 1 indoor and outdoor winner Maggie Ewen, along with seven-time national champ Michelle Carter and last year’s runner-up Daniella Hill.

The last time the USATF Outdoor Championships were held at Drake Stadium, Carter set the American record at 66-5 (20.24m). She increased the mark to 67-8.25 (20.63m) to capture the gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Saunders is ranked No. 2 in the world this year at 64-2.25 (19.56m), with Ewen at No. 4 with a mark of 63-10.25 (19.46m).

Suhr hopes to soar to history, Morris wants another memorable moment

Although Jenn Suhr has referred to herself as semi-retired, she enters Sunday’s pole vault final as the world leader at 16-2 (4.93m).

Suhr has won 10 titles in the past 12 years, with only Sandi Morris’ victory last year and a Kylie Hutson championship in 2011 interrupting the streak. Morris’ win was the first time Suhr had not prevailed in a national final since she first competed at the championship meet in 2006.

Morris is looking to become the third female since the event was first added to the national finals schedule in 1997 to capture back-to-back championships. She cleared 16 feet (4.88m), No. 2 in the world this year, competing April 28 in the same stadium at the Drake Relays.

Katie Nageotte, the reigning national indoor champion, has cleared 15-5.50 (4.71m) this season and is equal to the No. 6 performer in the world.

If Suhr prevails, she would become the fifth female athlete in meet history to win at least 11 national titles in the same event.

Next in line

With Tianna Bartoletta deciding to scratch the event, along with Tori Bowie and English Gardner not competing, there are no past 100-meter champions entered, setting the stage for an exciting young talent to grab the spotlight in Friday’s final.

Aleia Hobbs, the reigning NCAA Division 1 champion from LSU, will make her professional debut after finishing seventh in last year’s 100 final in Sacramento.

Hobbs has run equal to the No. 2 wind-legal performance in the world with her 10.90 from the NCAA East Regional in Florida. Her wind-legal personal best remains 10.85 from her junior season, which is equal to No. 14 among American all-time performers.

Former San Diego State and Tennessee standouts Ashley Henderson and Shania Collins have wind-legal performances under 11 seconds, along with Barbara Pierre.

Brown ready for another breakthrough

Ce’Aira Brown became the first American female athlete to run under 2 minutes in the 800 meters this season, clocking a personal-best 1:59.70 in Pennsylvania on May 4.

Brown is one of four U.S. competitors this season to eclipse the 2-minute barrier, the other three – Ajee’ Wilson, Charlene Lipsey and Raevyn Rogers – part of the training group under coach Derek Thompson.

Brown, who finished 11th in last year’s final, looks for another big improvement in her pursuit to break up Thompson’s talented trio in Sunday’s final.

Olympian Chrishuna Williams, along with former NCAA champions Laura Roesler, Sabrina Southerland and Emily Richards, and adidas professional Kaela Edwards could also factor into the final outcome.

Wilson captured her second title last year and boasts the second-fastest time in the world this year at 1:56.86 from May 26 at the Prefontaine Classic.

Hoping to earn an elite eighth championship

Maria Michta-Coffey captured a ninth consecutive race walk crown in February at the USATF Indoor Championships and will attempt to secure an eighth outdoor title in nine years the 20-kilometer race walk in Friday’s final.

Michta-Coffey suffered her lone setback in to Miranda Melville in the 2015 final, but has been a dominant presence otherwise since placing third in the 2009 championship.

Michta-Coffey, who set the American record at 1:30:49 in 2014, is looking match the success of Debbi Lawrence, who captured eight titles from 1984-97.

Michta-Coffey has already won race walk titles the past two times the USATF Outdoor Championships were held in Des Moines in 2010 and 2013. The last time the race walk final was held on the track was in 2005.