By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

The 36th Woodbridge Cross Country Classic is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17 at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the one of the largest high school meets in the country:

New venue, same speed

After two years at Great Park in Irvine, the event now calls SilverLakes Sports Park in Norco home, the first time in meet history it has been held outside Orange County after beginning at Woodbridge and Estancia high schools and growing into one of the biggest meets in the country. It will be difficult to compare records from Great Park to the times produced at SilverLakes, but expect the boys sweepstakes winner to challenge 14:30 and the girls sweepstakes champion to be under 16:45 on another flat, fast 3-mile course designed by meet directors George Varvas and Bryan Pacheco.

Great Oak pursues pair of three-peats

For the first time this season, Great Oak will race its most talented boys and girls lineups, looking to extend its streak of excellence with a third consecutive sweepstakes victory for both genders. The girls return Woodbridge veterans Kiyena Beatty, Sydney Belus, Evelyn Mandel, Sandra Plughoft and Nicole Rice, with the Wolfpack boys attempting to continue an impressive tradition after seven seniors won the sweepstakes title last season. Solomon Fountain leads a Great Oak group that has plenty of promise in its debut against Claremont, Roosevelt, Madera South, Ayala, Desert Vista (Arizona) and Southlake Carroll (Texas).

Rocky Mountain repeat?

Allie Chipman of Mountain Vista (Colorado) surprised Tesoro's Amanda Gehrich and the rest of the field by winning the girls sweepstakes last year, but the junior might not even be the most talented runner from her state competing Saturday. Brie Oakley of Grandview (Colorado), 26th last year at Nike Cross Nationals, ran 16:44 at the 5-kilometer Liberty Bell Invitational in her season opener Sept. 9 and is coming off a strong track season that included a third-place finish in the Brooks PR 2-mile race in 10:08.89.

Texas two-step

Southlake Carroll traveled to California last season to compete in the Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park, but this year the Dragons are looking to test themselves against the best programs on the West coast a few weeks earlier in their schedule. Reed Brown, who opened the season running 15:14.5 on the 5-kilometer course at the Marcus I Invitational, leads Southlake Carroll and gives Texas the potential to win both individual sweepstakes titles. Julia Heymach of Lamar, who has only raced a 3,200 in August, returns to California after competing last year at the Foot Locker Nationals and possesses the speed to excel on such a flat layout.

Northern California stars seek success down south

The eagerly anticipated debut for St. Joseph Notre Dame senior Cooper Teare finally arrives in Saturday's sweepstakes race. The Knights raced at the 2-mile Ed Sias Invitational last week, but Teare was taking the ACT test, pushing back his season opener under the lights in Norco. Sonoma Academy's Rylee Bowen is also competing at Woodbridge for the first time after winning the Lowell Invitational last week in 17:03 at Golden Gate Park. With Bowen, Teare and Ayala's Steven Khan competing Saturday, all three returning state individual champions will be showcased at the same meet.

Schadler could steal the show

Potentially the fastest girls time of the meet could come from the rated race, with Rio Rico (Arizona) senior star Allie Schadler deciding to compete with her team instead of pursuing individual sweepstakes success. Schadler competed her sophomore year at Woodbridge, also competing with her teammates in a varsity race. Following a 17:01.8 in her 5-kilometer season opener Sept. 9 at Desert Solstice, Schadler will use Woodbridge as another tuneup for the Desert Twilight Festival on Sept. 30 in Casa Grande.

Ready for primetime

Several athletes who enjoyed breakthrough performances in last year's boys sweepstakes and rated races return to the meet seeking another level of success. Armijo's Luis Grijalva was the rated winner last season and used the victory to propel him to a 14th-place finish in the Division 1 state final. Madera South's Miguel Villar, 11th at last year's Division 1 state meet, is the fastest boys returnee from last year's sweepstakes with a fifth-place finish at 14:30 and Jaiden Melendrez of Desert Hills (Utah) also returns after taking 12th in the sweepstakes 14:45.

Sophomore showcase

Several of the state's elite sophomores will have the potential to test themselves against a deep girls sweepstakes field. Cool Breeze winner Kelli Hines of Mission Viejo, Rosemead winner Chloe Arriaga of Walnut, Seaside champion Claudia Lane of Malibu, Lowell winner Lauren Peurifoy of Martin Luther King and Jim White Invitational champ DeDe Salcedo of McFarland are all scheduled to compete Saturday, looking for bragging rights in a 10th-grade class loaded with talent.

Can Plan 'B' keep pace with the A-listers?

Great Oak ran its 'B' teams at the Seaside Invitational and still won both the boys and girls combined titles. The Wolfpack will seek similar success in the rated races Saturday after the girls won at Woodbridge and the boys placed second last year behind California. But the challenges will be difficult for Great Oak, especially in the girls rated race with Esperanza, Flintridge Prep and Newbury Park all scheduled to compete. El Toro, Redondo Union and Harvard-Westlake are all formidable opponents for the Wolfpack in the boys rated race.

Best of the rest

In the past two years the runner-up to Great Oak in the girls sweepstakes race has come from outside California, with Desert Vista (Arizona) placing second two years ago and Sunset (Oregon) emerging from the pack last season. State rivals Arcadia and Buchanan both have the potential to challenge this year, but the trend could continue with Desert Vista and Southlake Carroll leading a group of out-of-state competitors that also includes Centennial (Nevada), Desert Hills (Utah) and Mountain Vista (Colorado).