By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

The 13th Nike Cross Nationals are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore.

The girls championship race is scheduled for 10:05 a.m. PST and the boys seeded race will start at 11:35 a.m.

Six California teams and an additional 10 individuals from the state are scheduled to compete.

Here are 10 storylines to follow involving California athletes and teams in the NXN championship races:

Looking to repeat greatness

Great Oak became the second California boys team to win a national crown last year with a 114-163 victory over American Fork (Utah), following titles by Arcadia in 2010 and 2012. In order for Great Oak to become the first boys team from any state to repeat as champion in meet history, the Wolfpack will have to knock off American Fork again, along with Neuqua Valley (Illinois), Christian Brothers Academy (New Jersey), Brentwood (Tennessee) and Bozeman (Montana) to achieve the impressive feat. Only Solomon Fountain returns from last year’s championship lineup for Great Oak, which will rely on Jacob Korgan, Carlos Carvajal, Justin Eipp, Tyler Tickner, Gavin Korby and Anthony Ruiz in pursuit of another podium finish and possible back-to-back titles.

Another shot at history

In the past 12 years of Nike Team Nationals and Nike Cross Nationals competition, only New York and Minnesota have produced girls team champions. Great Oak will not only look to become the first California group to capture a girls title, but will attempt to deny Fayetteville-Manlius (New York) a potential 10^th crown in 11 seasons. Nicole Rice, Evelyn Mandel, Kiyena Beatty, Sydney Belus and Sandra Pflughoft return from last year’s third-place lineup for Great Oak, with Michelle McIntosh and Devin Ito completing the Wolfpack lineup. Great Oak, which also placed second to Fayetteville-Manlius in 2014, is looking to become the second California girls team to make the podium three times, joining Saugus in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Seeking one more memorable moment

Davis Senior produced one of the most remarkable performances at last year’s meet, edging Great Oak by a 144-171 margin for second place in the girls championship race after finishing runner-up to the Wolfpack by a two-point margin in the Division 1 state final. The Blue Devils again took second to Great Oak 47-67 at the state meet, but despite graduating Fiona O’Keeffe, Davis Senior has plenty of experience returning from last year’s lineup in Olivia O’Keeffe, Sofia Castiglioni, Abigail Fisk, Sophia Lodigiani and Sage Taylor, who are joined this season by sophomore twins Annie Mitchell and Ruthie Mitchell. The Blue Devils are looking to join Great Oak and Saugus as the only California girls teams to secure a podium finish in consecutive seasons.

Pursuing the elusive prize

Beginning with former El Toro star Brandon Bethke in the inaugural Nike Team Nationals in 2004, California boys runners have placed second three times in meet history, including Loyola graduate Elias Gedyon in 2009 and former Arcadia standout Estevan De La Rosa in 2012, when the Apaches captured their second team championship. But no male athlete from the Golden state has captured individual gold, with St. Joseph Notre Dame senior Cooper Teare looking to end that drought by defeating defending national champion Casey Clinger of American Fork (Utah). Teare is a two-time Division 5 state winner and has raced Clinger twice in track, including the Arcadia Invitational 3,200 meters and the 2-mile at the Brooks PR Invitational. At least one male runner from California has placed in the top 10 for seven consecutive years, a streak the Oregon-bound Teare is looking to extend.

Everybody’s All-American

Senior Michael Vernau of Davis Senior finished 10^th at Foot Locker Nationals last year to earn All-America honors. The Stanford commit will now look to become an All-American at NXN, recognition given to the top 21 finishers in each race. Vernau placed second to Luis Grijalva of Armijo in the Division 1 state final and has only lost this season to St. Joseph Notre Dame senior Cooper Teare at the Stanford Invitational, along with Grijalva. Vernau would join former Davis Senior star Fiona O’Keeffe as a potential NXN All-America honoree for the Blue Devils.

Plenty of Portland experience

Palos Verdes had its girls team qualify for the first time as one of four national at-large selections, but the Sea Kings and coach Brian Shapiro are no strangers to competing at NXN. Palos Verdes had its boys team finish 17^th in 2009, with Jonah Diaz qualifying as an individual in 2011, along with three-time finalist Rebecca Mehra (2009-11). The Sea Kings, whose lone loss this season came against Great Oak at the Mt. SAC Invitational, won the Division 3 state title for the second time in three years, making the podium in Fresno for an eighth consecutive season. Although a podium finish isn’t likely for Palos Verdes in Portland, Mazzy Genovese, Caitlin Stoner, Grace Catena, Camille Hines, Alex Regan, Olivia Polischeck and Savannah Scriven have the potential to place in the top 10.

A rare double for Redwood stars

For only the fourth time in meet history, California has male and female runners from the same school qualifying individually in the same year with Redwood Larkspur standouts Glennis Murphy and Liam Anderson. Murphy, who raced at Foot Locker Nationals last year, won the Division 3 state title and Anderson finished second to fellow qualifier Erik Gonzalez of Rubidoux. Edison produced the first pair in 2008 with Hillary Hayes and Matt McElroy, followed in 2010 by Buchanan’s Macy Bricks and C.J. Albertson, then the Palos Verdes tandem of Rebecca Mehra and Jonah Diaz in 2011. After five Northern California girls qualified individually last season, Murphy is the only athlete from outside the Southern Section in this year’s quintet.

Dana Hills does it again

After finishing third last season for its first podium finish in program history, Dana Hills enters this year’s meet in an underdog role after earning one of four national at-large berths to return to Oregon. The Dolphins placed second to Great Oak by a 66-102 margin in the Division 1 state final and despite being edged by Division 3 state champion Cathedral Catholic for the second automatic team berth, Dana Hills still earned its seventh selection to compete at NXN, most among California boys teams. In addition to its lone girls appearance in 2008, Dana Hills has eight total appearances at NXN, which is tied with Great Oak and Saugus for the most by any California program. Jack Landgraf, Brandon Hough and Thomas Wilfert return from last year’s lineup, which finished behind Great Oak and American Fork (Utah).

Surprise run continues

Cathedral Catholic delivered one of the most significant performances at the state meet by not only winning the Division 3 team title, but joining Great Oak as an automatic selection to compete at Glendoveer Golf Course. The Dons rebounded from a four-point loss to La Costa Canyon at the San Diego Section finals to produce an 82-125 victory over Southern Section champion West Torrance. Led by Joaquin Martinez de Pinillos, Hank Tadeusiak, Finn Walters, Michael Robinson and Daniel Robinson, Cathedral Catholic is only the second boys team from the San Diego Section to compete at NXN, following Carlsbad, which placed 20^th in 2012.

Programs with national prominence

All four Southern Section girls to represent California at NXN are first-time qualifiers, but their teams have plenty of history competing at a national level. Mira Costa senior Melia Chittenden, the Division 2 state winner, adds to the Mustangs’ legacy, which includes team appearances in Portland in 2009-10. Senior Erika Adler of Northwood, runner-up to Chittenden in Division 2, follows two-time NXN qualifier Bethan Knights (2012-13) in representing the Timberwolves. Sophomore Lauren Peurifoy is the first female runner for Martin Luther King to race at NXN, but Lane Werley qualified as an individual in the boys race for the Wolves in 2009-10. Sara Leonard is the first Anaheim Canyon runner to compete at Glendoveer Golf Course, one year after Nikki Zielinski and Dylan Scarsone represented the Comanches at Foot Locker Nationals as one of three sets of male and female teammates to qualify for the final in San Diego.