By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines involving girls athletes and teams to follow at the 52nd Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High.

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

Bullis back for more

In its debut at last year’s event, Bullis School MD made history by joining Long Beach Poly CA (2004) and Roosevelt MD (2009) in sweeping the girls 4x100-, 4x200- and 4x400-meter relays at the same meet.

Masai Russell, now a University of Kentucky freshman, became the first athlete – male or female – since 2012 to capture four gold medals in the same year, including the first girls competitor since Long Beach Poly’s Shana Woods in 2006 to achieve the feat after she also won the 300-meter hurdles to go along with the three relay victories.

Despite the graduation of Russell and Ashley Seymour, a freshman at Houston, Bullis returns looking to improve upon its performances of 45.72 seconds in the 4x100, 1:36.18 in the 4x200 and 3:44.58 in the 4x400 in its outdoor opener.

Bullis coach Joe Lee will rely on three of the country’s most talented juniors in Leah Phillips, Nia Frederick and Shaniya Hall, along with freshman Ashley Thomas and seniors Lauryn Harris and Sarah Walbrook in the Bulldogs’ pursuit of becoming the first girls team in meet history to repeat in all three relays.

Bullis will be tested in the 4x100 by Calabasas CA and Long Beach Poly CA, along with Westlake GA and Parkland NC. The Bulldogs will also see Long Beach Poly and Parkland, along with South Lakes VA in the 4x200, with North Canyon AZ, Union Catholic NJ, Roosevelt CA and Long Beach Wilson CA as strong challengers in the 4x400.

DeSoto TX boasts the nation’s top performances in all three relays, including a 45.07 in the 4x100 and 3:39.81 in the 4x400 on March 30 at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. DeSoto ran 1:36.56 in the 4x200 on March 8 at the Lancaster Meet of Champions.

The throws are the show

The top five female shot put standouts and top four discus talents in the country are all scheduled to be assembled Saturday in one of the deepest collection of throwers in meet history.

The California trio of Fowler senior Jocelynn Budwig, West Ranch senior Natalie Ramirez and Bakersfield Liberty sophomore Faith Bender are among the top four nationally in both events, with Golden Valley CA senior Shyann Franklin and Kell GA senior Hannah Jackson rounding out the top five in the shot put.

Liberty NV senior Aaliyah Soa ranks third in the country in the discus behind Budwig and Bender.

Ramirez, a UCLA signee, is the national leader in the shot put at 47 feet, 5.25 inches (14.45m), followed by the Auburn-bound Budwig at 47-4.25 (14.43m). Budwig boasts the top mark in the country in the discus with a throw of 171-7 (52.29m).

Budwig has won 19 consecutive shot put competitions, including at last year’s meet. She has won both events in all eight meets this season.

There will be a new discus winner following the graduation of two-time champion Makayla Kelby of Lee’s Summit West MO.

The last female athlete to sweep the shot put and discus in the same year at the meet was San Jose Valley Christian CA standout Elena Bruckner, now a junior at Texas.

Hart looking to attack 3,200-meter record

Glenbard West IL junior Katelynne Hart produced one of the most impressive 3,200-meter performances in event history last season, clocking 10 minutes, 2.56 seconds to elevate to No. 4 on the meet’s all-time list.

Hart reached another level during the winter season, first running 10:02.46 for 3,200 meters Feb. 16 in Michigan, before clocking 9:58.42 in the 2-mile final March 10 at New Balance Nationals Indoor in New York to elevate to the No. 6 all-time indoor performer.

Just like last year, Hart will open her outdoor season Saturday in the 3,200 at Arcadia, looking to challenge the 2014 meet record of 9:55.92 set by former Camas WA star Alexa Efraimson.

Only three athletes in meet history have eclipsed the 10-minute mark, with the others Malibu CA talent Claudia Lane (9:57.52) and Grandview CO graduate Brie Oakley (9:57.59) in 2017.

Rawlins WY sophomore Sydney Thorvaldson, who competes for Laramie High, is also a threat to eclipse the 10-minute mark. Thorvaldson elevated to No. 8 all-time in the indoor 2-mile by clocking 10:01.52 at New Balance Nationals to place third.

The Villages FL senior Rebecca Clark, the national outdoor 3,200 leader at 10:18.11, is also scheduled to compete, along with fellow Florida talent Tsion Yared of Pine Crest and Chaparral AZ senior Abi Archer, in addition to California standouts Kristin Fahy of La Costa Canyon, Ayala senior Mikaela Ramirez, Healdsburg senior Gabrielle Peterson, Oak Park senior Sarah Shulze, Canyon Crest Academy junior Carlie Dorostkar, Del Oro freshman Riley Chamberlain and the Buchanan pair of senior Meagen Lowe and junior Corie Smith.

Fahy, Smith, Lowe and Ramirez all placed in the top 10 last season.

Another stellar sprint showcase

Elite sprinters from Arizona, Colorado, Virginia and Washington are set to square off Saturday against the top trio in California in the 100 and 200 meters, all looking to become the first athlete to sweep both events since former Oaks Christian CA standout Lauren Rain Williams – now a sophomore at USC – in 2016.

Amador Valley CA senior Chinyere Okoro, an Oregon signee, is the defending 200 champion.

Okoro is scheduled to square off against Denver East CO senior Arria Minor, a Georgia commit, along with Calabasas CA senior De’Anna Nowling, a Miami (Florida) signee, as well as USC-bound Jazmyne Frost of Serra CA, Kentucky commit Aliya Wilson of Tahoma WA and North Carolina State signee Alexis Patterson of Parkland NC, in addition to juniors Jadyn Mays of North Canyon AZ, Hannah Waller of South Lakes VA and Harlowe Dunn of Seattle Academy WA.

In the 100, it will be Frost, Mays, Minor, Nowling, Okoro, Patterson and Wilson, along with a pair of San Diego standouts in Alysah Hickey of Coronado and Aysha Shaheed of Madison.

Nowling boasts the fastest 100 time among the entries with a wind-aided mark of 11.40 seconds, in addition to a wind-legal effort of 11.43. Mays has the top 200 performance among the entries this season at 23.99.

Pole vault could reach rarefied air

The event’s all-time girls pole vault performance list has received massive makeover in the past three years, with eight clearances of 13 feet or higher.

The meet record could be in jeopardy Saturday, especially with the presence of West Seattle WA senior Chloe Cunliffe, who achieved the all-time best indoor prep clearance March 17 with an effort of 14-9 (4.50m) at Pacific Lutheran University.

Anaheim Canyon CA graduate Rachel Baxter, a Virginia Tech sophomore, cleared a meet-record 14-2 (4.31m) in 2016.

Although Cunliffe only produced a 13-6 (4.11m) clearance March 30 at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, she boasts an outdoor best of 14 feet (4.27m), giving the Washington State signee a legitimate opportunity to eclipse Baxter’s record.

Only four female prep athletes in history have vaulted higher than the meet record, including the national outdoor all-time best of 14-7.50 (4.45m) by Cabot AR graduate Lexi Jacobus, then Lexi Weeks.

West Forsyth NC senior Lindsay Absher, a Purdue signee, is also scheduled to compete after placing second March 10 at New Balance Nationals Indoor by clearing 13-6.25 (4.12m).

Cunliffe and Absher will compete against several California talents, including defending state champion Laurel Wong of Santa Catalina, a Stanford signee, as well as Westlake sophomore Paige Sommers, Clovis West senior Elizabeth Funk, Rancho Bernardo sophomore Ashley Callahan and Poway senior Camryn Thomson.

High hopes for low hurdles

Four of the top six 300-meter hurdles performances in meet history have been produced in the past two years, including the national high school record of 38.90 seconds in 2017 by former Union Catholic NJ star and New Balance professional Sydney McLaughlin.

Another strong field is ready to produce a memorable race Saturday, led by Valor Christian CO senior Anna Hall, a Georgia signee, the fastest returning athlete in the country at 40.76.

Wausau West WI senior Brooke Jaworski boasts a personal-best 41.40 in the 300 hurdles, but is also the reigning USATF U-20 champion in the 400-meter hurdles.

Long Beach Wilson CA junior Rachel Glenn is the national outdoor leader this season at 41.21, with Calabasas CA senior Kyla Robinson-Hubbard also entered boasting a personal-best 41.82 from last season.

Bullis School MD junior Leah Phillips is the top returning finisher from last season, placing fourth in 42.78. Long Beach Poly CA senior Kenya Payne, who finished eighth last year, also returns.

Only Norco CA graduate Shae Anderson, former Long Beach Wilson CA star Lashinda Demus and McLaughlin have run under 41 seconds in meet history.

Glenn and Hall are also scheduled to compete Saturday in the high jump, both seeking a 6-foot clearance.

Pursuing a middle-distance masterpiece

Despite the absence of national outdoor leader Morgan Foster of Chandler AZ, there is still no shortage of talent scheduled to compete Saturday in the 800 meters, led by North Canyon AZ junior Dominique Mustin.

Although Mustin was anticipating her first showdown of the season with Foster, she still ranks No. 2 nationally at 2 minutes, 6.99 seconds and possesses a strong chance of challenging the meet record of 2:06.34 held since 2002 by Heidi (Magill) Dahl of Mountain View UT.

In addition to the California trio of Menlo junior Charlotte Tomkinson, Concord senior Rayna Stanziano and Westlake junior Hailey Golmon, there will be several other strong challengers for Mustin, who looks to become only the third female athlete in meet history to run under 2:07.

Niwot CO junior Taylor James, Valley Stream South NY senior DeAnna Martin, Union Catholic NJ junior Leena Morant, Eastside Catholic WA junior Kate Jendrezak and Marietta GA senior Ani Henderson are all looking to eclipse the 2:10 barrier.

Three-peat has proved to be a tough feat

Since the 4x1,600 or 4xMile relay was first introduced to the meet schedule in 2002, three programs have won the race in consecutive years – Red Bank Regional NJ, Saugus CA and Great Oak CA – but no team has been capable of achieving a three-peat.

Great Oak won back-to-back seasons in 2014-15, but had its run interrupted in 2016 by Davis Senior CA, when the Wolfpack placed second.

Great Oak has again won the past two years, but without junior Tori Gaitan scheduled to compete Friday, the Wolfpack will be challenged to make history with a third straight 4x1,600 victory.

Fatima Cortes and Arianna Griffiths return from last year’s lineup that ran 20:09.46, giving the Wolfpack four of the top six performances in meet history, including the record 19:58.71 in 2015.

After Pine Crest FL placed second last year, the best challenges from outside California could come this season from Hellgate MT and Lee’s Summit West MO.

But Great Oak expects the biggest tests to come from state rivals Buchanan, Claremont, Saugus, Vista Murrieta and Maria Carrillo, all of which placed in the top seven last season. St. Francis Sacramento CA and Walnut CA should also have a strong presence as well.

Great Oak is also scheduled to compete against several of the same teams Saturday in the distance medley relay, along with Niwot CO, Mission Viejo CA, Harvard-Westlake CA, West Ranch CA and Gregori CA.

Rematches with an even bigger reward

Greater Atlanta Christian GA junior Jasmine Jones edged Silver Creek CA senior Jazlynn Shearer by a 13.49 to 13.52 margin in the girls 100-meter hurdles March 30 at the 44th Stanford Invitational.

Queen Creek AZ senior Myreanna Bebe prevailed March 23 at the 79th NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational by a 13.81 to 14.01 margin over Calabasas CA sophomore Bella Witt.

All four athletes are scheduled to renew acquaintances Saturday, looking to produce even more impressive performances, after four of the top six efforts in meet history have been achieved the past two seasons.

In addition, Valor Christian CO senior Anna Hall, Bullis School MD senior Lauryn Harris and Parkland NC senior Alexis Patterson are also entered, looking to challenge Jones and Shearer, who both rank among the top four in the country this season.

Hall is also entered Friday in the 4x100 shuttle hurdles relay, with Valor Christian squaring off against Centennial NV, Union Catholic NJ and defending champion Upland CA.

Familiar faces could make for memorable mile

Athletes from California and Colorado have accounted for the top seven mile performances in meet history, with each state producing a winner the past two seasons.

Both states will be well represented Saturday, with California’s entries highlighted by Mayfield sophomore Audrey Suarez, Village Christian sophomore Mia Barnett, La Costa Canyon senior Jessica Riedman, McClatchy sophomore Julia Heckey and Granada Hills freshman Sofia Abrego.

Peak to Peak senior teammates Quinn McConnell and Anna Shults, along with Battle Mountain senior Naomi Harding are representing Colorado.

Several impressive challengers from other states are also scheduled to compete, highlighted by Woods Cross UT sophomore Carlee Hansen, Rio Rico AZ senior Samantha Schadler, Boise ID senior Maggie Liebich and Bellarmine Prep WA freshman Ella Borsheim.

Athletes from Arizona, Utah and Washington have also secured victories in the Arcadia girls mile in the past decade.

Oak Ridge CA graduate Alex Kosinski still boasts the meet record of 4:43.34 (4:41.70 for 1,600) from 2007.