By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 38th Woodbridge Cross Country Classic is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15 at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco, Calif.

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

Seeking another 15 minutes of fame

Buchanan CA junior Corie Smith and senior Meagen Lowe made history last year by becoming the first teammates to eclipse the 16-minute barrier, taking the top two spots in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race.

Smith (15:58.4) and Lowe (15:59.3) became the first teammates since Murrieta Valley’s Liza Pasciuto and Liana Boucher in 2003 to secure the top two spots in the sweepstakes race. The only other time in meet history where female teammates produced the fastest overall times in the same year was Amy Skieresz Wilson and Kay Nekota of Agoura CA in 1993.

The Buchanan standouts also joined 2016 Nike Cross Nationals winner Brie Oakley of Grandview CO, the all-time meet record holder at 15:53.6, along with two-time NXN winner Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley CA – who ran 15:57 at Estancia High in 2013 – as the only female athletes in event history to produce sub-16 efforts.

Baxter was the last repeat sweepstakes winner in 2012-13, joining Sarah Andrews of The Woodlands TX in 2008-09, Christine Babcock of Woodbridge in 2006-07 and Pasciuto from 2001-03 as repeat winners in the past two decades.

Smith opened with a 10:38.71 in the girls junior race at the Kingsburg 2-Mile and Lowe ran 10:43.79 in the senior race.

Knocking on the door

In addition to Smith and Lowe last year, Haley Herberg of Capistrano Valley CA ran 16:00.6 and Quinn McConnell of Peak to Peak CO clocked 16:01.7, also teasing sub-16 efforts.

Walnut CA senior Chloe Arriaga is one of several athletes who has the potential to challenge the 16-minute mark Saturday after placing sixth in last year’s sweepstakes in 16:07.9, along with the Great Oak CA trio of Tori Gaitan, Fatima Cortes and Arianna Griffiths.

Ayala CA senior Mikaela Ramirez and Rio Rico AZ senior Samantha Schadler have experience competing at Woodbridge in 2016 and understand the challenging pace better than most.

Montgomery TX is also scheduled to compete, with Nike Cross Nationals finalist Allison Wilson and Foot Locker national finalist Halena Rahmaan also capable of excelling against elite competition.

Oak Park CA standout Sarah Shulze, Desert Hills UT seniors Samantha Nelson and Bailey Brinkerhoff, Mission Viejo CA senior Kelli Hines and junior Ashley Johnson, Serrano CA freshman Tiani Goeson, JW North CA sophomore Makayla Browne, Chino Hills CA sophomore Jacqueline Duarte and Palmer Ridge CO sophomores Maren Busath and Isabella Prosceno also have aspirations of pursuing the 16-minute barrier.

Fast and the curious

Justin Hazell of El Camino Real CA became the fifth athlete in meet history last year to run under 14 minutes, winning the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race in 13:59.5.

There are a few potential challengers Saturday who could join an outstanding group of sub-14 performers, highlighted by the 2013 showdown at Estancia High that featured Blake Haney of Stockdale CA edging Estevan De La Rosa of Arcadia CA by a 13:55 to 13:56 margin.

Luis Grijalva of Armijo CA prevailed in an exceptional 2016 showdown with Cooper Teare of St. Joseph Notre Dame CA by a 13:58 to 13:59.6 margin, both finishing ahead of eventual Foot Locker national champion Reed Brown of Southlake Carroll TX.

Rubidoux CA senior Kevin Ramos finished third last year in 14:03.5 and has already excelled this season in victories at the Fastback Shootout at Laguna Hills Invitational.

Ivan Mendez of Monache CA won the rated race last year in 14:20.3 and should benefit from a faster pace Saturday in the sweepstakes.

Campo Verde AZ senior Rylan Stubbs placed seventh last year in 14:24.3, Long Beach Poly CA senior William Frankenfeld took eighth in 14:27.3 and Bakersfield Stockdale CA senior Marcus Mota finished 14th in 14:29.7, all with the potential to pursue the 14-minute mark.

In addition to Stubbs, several additional athletes will be traveling from out of state in an effort to compete against some of California’s top talents.

Joey Nokes and Ty Davis of Riverton UT, Ryan Kline of Central Valley WA, Sammy Van Alstine of Desert Vista AZ, Will Dart of Airline LA, David Vannucchi of Luther WI and Caleb Easton of Middleton WI all have aspirations of running faster than the 14:11.7 produced by Brown in 2016, the fastest by an athlete outside of California in meet history.

Ayala CA senior Andrew Martinez and Newport Harbor CA senior Alexis Garcia, along with the Great Oak CA duo of Gabe Abbes and Tyler Tickner, Newbury Park CA teammates Nico Young and Jace Aschbrenner as well as Dublin CA teammates Chris Middleton-Pearson and Loic Scomparin will also be challenging for sweepstakes supremacy.

Wolfpack on the hunt for all-time records

In addition to being the favorites to win both team sweepstakes titles for the first time since 2015, Great Oak CA could challenge the best team performances in meet history, including the girls mark of 83 minutes, 37 seconds established last year by Buchanan CA.

With Buchanan only running Corie Smith and Meagen Lowe in the sweepstakes race Saturday, the Bears will wait and see if their record lasts longer than a year, especially with Great Oak relying on the talented trio of Tori Gaitan, Fatima Cortes and Arianna Griffiths.

Great Oak has run 84:38 at both Great Park in Irvine, along with SilverLakes Sports Complex.

Arcadia still holds the boys team time record of 72:46 from 2013 at Estancia High.

Great Oak produced its best performance of 73:07 last year at SilverLakes, the second-fastest mark in meet history, and has the talented quartet of Gabe Abbes, Ryan Shields, Tyler Tickner and Chris Verdugo ready to deliver a significant showcase Saturday.

The Golden State looks to go the distance again

Since sweepstakes races were added to the meet schedule in 2003, a California athlete has won all 15 boys sweepstakes individual titles.

The top 20 overall boys performers in meet history at any of the event’s four venues are all from California, with the highest sweepstakes finish by an athlete outside of the Golden State being third-place efforts by Reed Brown of Southlake Carroll TX in 2016 and Kenny Klotz of Central Catholic OR in 2005.

But that winning streak could be in jeopardy this year, especially with the presence of Joey Nokes of Riverton UT, Rylan Stubbs of Campo Verde AZ, Ryan Kline of Central Valley WA, David Vannucchi of Luther WI, Caleb Easton of Middleton WI and Will Dart of Airline LA.

There have been three female athletes outside of California to secure an individual sweepstakes victory in the past 15 years, with Sarah Andrews of The Woodlands TX winning in 2008-09, Allie Chipman of Mountain Vista CO in 2015 and Brie Oakley of Grandview CO in 2016.

How good is Granada?

Granada CA, the reigning CIF North Coast Section Division 2 girls champion and third-place finisher at the state meet, will make its Woodbridge debut and will showcase one of the strongest senior classes in the country.

The Matadors produced impressive season-opening victories at the Lowell Invitational in San Francisco, but will face their first of two significant September challenges, followed by the Stanford Invitational at the end of the month.

Seniors Colleen McCandless, Savannah Maselli, Gracie Dupuis, Kinga Bihari, Kalea Bartolotto and Isabella Romero lead the way for the Granada girls, who will clash with Division 2 rivals Serrano, Mission Viejo, St. Francis Sacramento, Anaheim Canyon and Capistrano Valley, along with reigning Division 1 champion Great Oak.

Juniors Seth Jeppson and Anthony Guerra will help Granada battle fellow Division 2 powers Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks in the boys sweepstakes race, in addition to Division 1 programs Great Oak, Long Beach Poly, Dublin and West Ranch.

Ready for dazzling debuts

Each season, several promising freshmen deliver impressive performances in their first Woodbridge races and this year should be no different.

Tiani Goeson of Serrano CA, Daniela Quintero of Harvard-Westlake CA, Emma Hadley of Anaheim Canyon CA, Emmi von Scherr of La Quinta CA and Alexis Fernandez of West Ranch CA are all capable of running under 17 minutes, a feat achieved by 10 ninth-graders in meet history, including seven since the meet moved to SilverLakes Sports Complex.

Ember Stratton of Hellgate MT, who competed for Sunset OR in 2015, ran the fastest freshman time in meet history at Great Park in Irvine when she clocked 16:38. Makayla Browne of JW North CA led all freshmen last year by running 16:40.8.

Only two ninth-grade boys have eclipsed the 15-minute barrier, including none the past two seasons at SilverLakes. Miguel Villar of Madera South CA ran 14:54 at Estancia High in 2013, with former Arcadia CA standout Phillip Rocha clocking 14:56 at Estancia in 2012.

Josh Stern of Thousand Oaks CA led all freshmen last year in 15:09.

Anthony Hernandez of Serrano CA, Mike Lucas of Central Valley WA, Lance Anderson of Palmer Ridge CO, Alexander Miller of Redlands East Valley CA and Carson Smith of Great Oak CA are all capable of producing the fastest ninth-grade performance during the two-day meet.

A great opening act

Before the sweepstakes races grab headlines Saturday, a pair of rated races will be held, with a strong lineup in the girls competition that includes Vista Murrieta CA and Redondo Union CA.

For the first time since rated races were added to the meet schedule in 2006, a team from outside California won the girls rated competition last year, with Southlake Carroll TX ending a three-year run by the ‘B’ team from Great Oak CA.

El Paso Eastwood TX and Mountain Ridge AZ are the only teams outside of California entered in this year’s girls rated race, looking to follow Southlake Carroll’s success.

Burbank CA, Homestead CA, Westlake CA, Moorpark CA, Maria Carrillo CA and University CA are also entered and capable of challenging for the team title.

Battle for early bragging rights

Centaurus CO also made history last year by becoming the first program outside the host state to win the boys rated race, but this season, the focus will be on several California Division 3 teams looking to gain momentum in pursuit of chasing Palos Verdes and West Torrance for the state title.

Agoura, Brea-Olinda, Indio, Maria Carrillo, Moorpark, Oak Park and Whittier all have the opportunity to secure an early edge on their Division 3 counterparts.

Flintridge Prep CA, the Division 5 favorite, along with Division 4 power Sage Creek CA, are also entered, in addition to rising Division 2 program Murrieta Mesa CA.

Desert Hills UT, Orem UT and Centennial NV have the potential to follow Centaurus as teams outside California seeking a rated race victory.

Potential for Friday fireworks

Eight varsity races are scheduled for Friday, with several talented athletes and improved teams looking to grab the early spotlight before rated and sweepstakes races take center stage Saturday.

Among the notable boys teams competing are reigning California Division 3 state champion West Torrance, along with Ocean View CA and Casteel AZ.

Flintridge Prep CA, Trabuco Hills CA, Bishop Amat CA and El Camino CA are among the impressive girls programs scheduled to race on the meet’s opening night.

South Torrance CA senior Hayden Johnson, Enumclaw WA senior Sam Lingwall, Big Bear CA senior Raul Rodriguez, Dinuba CA senior Jonathan Padilla are all looking to eclipse the 15-minute barrier.

Menlo CA junior Charlotte Tomkinson, Colony CA sophomore Keryn Casteel, Notre Dame Academy CA senior Alex Lomeli and Bishop Gorman NV sophomore Emilia Puskas are all capable of breaking 17 minutes.