By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 63rd Mt. SAC Relays are scheduled for Wednesday, April 12 through Saturday, April 15 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calif.

63RD MT. SAC RELAYS LIVE WEBCAST INFO

Here are 10 storylines involving male college and professional athletes to follow at one of the nation’s most prestigious track and field competitions:

Decorated field set to race for 100-meter dash crown

Michael Norman set the high school 100-meter record by clocking 10.27 seconds in 2016 competing for Vista Murrieta High in California when the meet was held at Cerritos College while Mt. SAC’s Hilmer Lodge Stadium was under construction.

Following a gold medal in the 400 meters at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in July at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., Norman has shifted focus this season to a return to the 100 and he’ll face several quality challengers in the men’s invitational elite competition Saturday.

Norman boasts a lifetime-best 9.86 from 2020, but is scheduled to square off against fellow professional athletes Christian Coleman, Kyree King, Cravont Charleston and Ilias Garcia, in addition to collegiate stars Micah Williams from Oregon, Georgia’s Matthew Boling and USC’s Davonte Burnett.

Williams won the invitational elite section last year in a wind-aided 9.83.

Burnett prevailed in the collegiate section last season in a wind-legal 9.99.

Coleman, who competed only in an elite invitational 4x100-meter relay last year at Mt. SAC, boasts a personal-best 9.76 from 2019.

Norman, who ran his last 100-meter race Sept. 5, 2021, in Italy, also holds the men’s elite 400 meet record of 43.45 from 2019 at El Camino College. He placed second in the 200 last year in a wind-legal 19.83 at Mt. SAC.

Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago has held the men’s 100 meet record of 9.86 since 1998.

Charleston, Garcia and King are also scheduled to team with Brandon Carnes on an American all-star 4x100-meter relay against Houston, USC, Oregon, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Arkansas.

Coleman was part of the victorious 4x100 last year in 38.72, with Oregon the top collegiate program at 39.08.

The 4x100 meet and stadium records of 37.79 achieved by Santa Monica Track Club’s Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard and Carl Lewis has stood since 1994.

Following three decades, sub-3 could finally be on display

Andrew Valmon, Stanley Redwine, Raymond Pierre and Michael Johnson, representing Mazda Track Club, have held the men’s invitational elite 4x400-relay meet record since their 3:00.48 performance in 1992.

But there are several teams who are motivated to become the first quartet in meet and stadium history to produce a sub-3 effort, led by Georgia, which had Elija Godwin, Matthew Boling, Caleb Cavanaugh and Will Sumner clock 2:58.82 on April 1 at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays for the No. 2 all-time collegiate mark.

Georgia led three teams under the 3-minute mark in Texas, with Alabama clocking 2:59.15 and UCLA running 2:59.25, but there could be more programs joining that group Saturday.

Arizona State, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas A&M and USC are all capable of achieving a sub-3 performance.

Georgia, USC and Texas A&M are three of the 10 schools in collegiate history to eclipse the barrier.

Iowa ran 3:00.14 in 2019, Arizona State clocked 3:00.57 in 2005 and Arkansas produced a 3:01.84 effort in 2017. The Razorbacks achieved the second-fastest indoor 4x400 in global history with their 3:01.09 performance Feb. 4 in New Mexico.

Florida set the collegiate record of 2:58.53 last season.

Alekna ready to attack discus record

Cal sophomore Mykolas Alekna, 20, opened his season April 8 in Berkeley in impressive fashion at the Brutus Hamilton meet with a discus throw performance of 224-4 (68.39m). There was also a reported foul in his series that surpassed the 70-meter mark.

Alekna, who placed second in the invitational elite discus at Mt. SAC last year behind Swedish star Daniel Stahl, has the potential to challenge not only the meet record, but perhaps the all-time stadium mark Saturday.

Alekna, representing Lithuania, boasts a lifetime-best 229 feet (69.81m) from June at the Bauhaus-Galan Diamond League Meeting in Sweden. He achieved three marks beyond 69 meters during the summer, including at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Oregon and at the European Athletics Championships in Germany.

The meet record of 227-7 (69.36m) has been held by American Ben Plucknett of the Southern California Striders since 1983.

The all-time stadium mark of 231-10 (70.66m) was established by American Mac Wilkins, representing Athletics West, in 1979.

Alekna achieved the collegiate record of 225-6 (68.73m) in May in Oregon, in addition to boasting the top four regular-season throws in NCAA history.

Alekna will have an opportunity to compete against Arkansas teammates and Jamaican athletes Roje Stona and Ralford Mullings, in addition to throwing against British professionals Lawrence Okoye and Nicholas Percy.

Benjamin tries to take aim at own 400-meter hurdles mark

Rai Benjamin never raced the 400-meter hurdles at the Mt. SAC Relays during his collegiate career, which included stints at USC and UCLA, which is why the meet record of 48.49 seconds established by British athlete Chris Rawlinson has managed to remain since 2002.

But Benjamin does boast the stadium record of 47.13, set in 2021, and the reigning Olympic and World Championships silver medalist will have an opportunity to challenge both marks Saturday.

Benjamin, the second-fastest 400 hurdles competitor in global history at 46.17, produced a personal-best 44.21 in the 400 meters April 8 at the Trojan Invitational at USC.

Although the field of challengers includes Georgia’s Caleb Cavanaugh and Washington’s Cass Elliott, the race should be a showcase for Benjamin, who will be competing in the 400 hurdles in April for the first time since 2018.

The fastest 400 hurdles time in April in global history was achieved in 2019 by Abderrahman Samba of Qatar, who clocked 47.51. South Africa’s Louis van Zyl is the only other athlete to run sub-48 in April, clocking 47.73 in 2011.

Godwin looks to remain on a roll

Georgia senior Elija Godwin, the reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor 400-meter champion and a World Championships gold medalist in the 4x400-meter relay, hopes to continue his momentum against a strong field Saturday in the invitational elite 400.

Godwin, who is also entered in the invitational elite 200, ran 20.33 on April 7 at the Spec Towns and Torrin Lawrence Invitational in Athens.

Godwin, who won the indoor 400 crown March 11 in 44.75 in New Mexico, boasts a personal-best 44.50, making him the No. 23 outdoor competitor in collegiate history.

Arizona State’s Justin Robinson, Arkansas’ Christopher Bailey, USC’s Johnnie Blockburger and UCLA teammates Cameron Reynolds and Ismail Turner are scheduled to compete against Godwin.

Although the meet record of 43.45 set in 2019 by Michael Norman at El Camino College isn’t expected to be challenged, the stadium all-time mark of 44.28 produced last year by another Nike professional athlete Michael Cherry could be under threat.

Fritsch fired up for another opportunity at gold

Clayton Fritsch, a Sam Houston State graduate, won the men’s invitational elite pole vault competition last year with a 19-0.25 (5.80m) clearance, coming up just short of the meet record of 19-1 (5.82m) established in 2007 by Mexican athlete and current Mt. SAC coach Giovanni Lanaro.

Fritsch will encounter familiar faces Saturday in Cole Walsh, Zach McWhorter, Matt Ludwig, Austin Miller and Carson Waters, all of whom are returning from last year’s competition.

Caleb Witsken, a Brigham Young senior, is also entered in the field, along with fellow All-Americans Kyle Rademeyer of South Alabama, Trevor Stephenson from Michigan State and Stanford’s Garrett Brown, in addition to Mexican athletes Jorge Luna and Antonio Ruiz.

Chris Nilsen, the reigning U.S. champion and World Athletics Championships silver medalist, achieved the stadium record of 19-4.75 (5.91m) in 2021.

Lanaro is the last male athlete to win back-to-back invitational elite pole vault titles at Mt. SAC in 2007-08.

BYU motivated to showcase distance depth

Brigham Young had six athletes compete in the men’s 10,000-meter final the last time the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships were held in Austin, Texas, in 2019, including the national champion in Clayton Young.

The Cougars are looking to take the first step toward matching that feat Thursday in the men’s invitational elite 10,000, with Casey Clinger leading seven BYU entries in an attempt to secure qualifying marks for the NCAA West Regionals in May in Sacramento.

Christian Allen, Brandon Garnica, Luke Grundvig, Justin Hartshorn, Joey Nokes and Creed Thompson are also scheduled to race for BYU.

Butler’s Barry Keane, Gonzaga’s James Mwaura, Adams State’s Awet Beraki and Montana State teammates Ben Perrin and Matthew Richtman are also scheduled to compete, along with Spanish athlete Said Mechaal.

Although the meet and stadium records of 27:36.20 established in 1982 by Kenyan athlete Gabriel Kamau of UTEP likely won’t be challenged, Clinger is capable of eclipsing the 28-minute barrier for the first time in his career, joining a quartet of competitors from March 31 at the Stanford Invitational, led by Cardinal standout and reigning NCAA Division 1 cross country champion Charles Hicks at 27:57.47.

Hamilton hopes for more hammer heroics

Rowan Hamilton of NAIA program British Columbia won the collegiate hammer throw section last year at Mt. SAC with a 241-8 (73.66m) performance and will look to secure back-to-back victories Saturday in the invitational elite section, where he will square off against fellow Canadian Adam Keenan, in addition to Joe Ellis of Great Britain and Mexico’s Diego Alan del Real Galindo.

Hamilton, who led all collegiate hammer throw competitors last year, boasts a personal-best 249-3 (75.98m) achieved in May at the Oregon Twilight at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Keenan achieved a lifetime-best 253 feet (77.54m) in June, before finishing fifth at the Commonwealth Games in England and fourth at the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas in August.

Hamilton placed ninth at the Commonwealth Games, before rebounding to earn a bronze medal at the NACAC Championships.

Decio Andrade of Miami (Florida), representing Portugal, and Georgia’s Alencar Pereira, competing for Brazil, are also scheduled to compete, along with former UCLA athlete Justin Stafford, Washington State graduate Brock Eager and Kieran McKeag, an NCAA Division 1 finalist at Alabama and Minnesota.

The meet and stadium records of 265-4 (80.88m) achieved by American athlete Judd Logan of New York Athletic Club have held strong since 1986.

Establishing a hurdling hierarchy

Cordell Tinch of Pittsburg State and Omotade Ojora of USC were the top two collegiate 60-meter hurdlers in the country during the indoor season, but the athletes never squared off since they competed in different divisions.

They will get the opportunity to match up Saturday in the invitational elite 110-meter hurdles in a race that also features Pittsburg State assistant coach Louis Rollins and Michigan’s Joshua Zeller, along with Houston teammates DJ Akindele and De’Vion Wilson.

Tinch, the NCAA Division 2 indoor 60 hurdles champion, ran a wind-aided 13.33 in the 110 hurdles March 31 at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Ojora, who reached the Division 1 indoor 60 hurdles final, clocked a wind-aided 13.35 on April 1 at the Pepsi Florida Relays.

Ojora boasts a wind-legal mark of 13.48 and Tinch has a top wind-legal effort of 13.63.

But Zeller, a British athlete, took third at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships last year and has achieved a lifetime-best 13.19.

Rollins, a five-time All-American at Pittsburg State now competing professionally, has a best wind-legal effort of 13.43.

Rollins was second, Zeller took third and Ojora placed fourth in last year’s collegiate section at Mt. SAC.

Tinch is also entered in the invitational elite high jump, creating a matchup Saturday with South Florida’s Romaine Beckford in a showdown of the NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 indoor national champions.

A shot put battle of Jordans for brand supremacy

Jordan Geist, the reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor shot put champion, is scheduled to compete Saturday against Arkansas All-American Jordan West in the invitational elite section in a field that also includes Mexican professional athlete Uziel Aaron Munoz Galarza.

Geist is also scheduled to participate in the collegiate section of the hammer throw, demonstrating his versatility April 6-7 at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson by winning both events.

West prevailed in the shot put April 1 at the Stanford Invitational, with both athletes surpassing the 20-meter mark.

Geist boasts a personal-best 70-10 (21.59m) in the outdoor shot put, with West’s top career mark coming March 11 with his 67-2 (20.47m) performance at the Division 1 indoor final in New Mexico, where Geist prevailed with a mark of 69-4.75 (21.15m).

Munoz Galarza produced a national record 69-1.25 (21.06m) in June.

A pair of top Division 2 athletes from CSU-Pueblo, Nathaniel Miller and Justin Jenks, are entered, along with Cal’s Jeff Duensing, Arizona’s Zach Landa, Illinois’ Tyler Sudduth and Bryce Foster of Texas A&M.

The meet and stadium records of 73-10.75 (22.52m) produced by American John Brenner have stood since 1987.