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.

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Here are 10 storylines involving girls high school athletes to follow at one of the nation’s most prestigious track and field competitions:

What will they do for an encore?

The girls invitational mile field Friday at Mt. SAC features several California athletes who enjoyed significant success April 7-8 at the Arcadia Invitational and are looking to continue that momentum racing at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

La Costa Canyon junior Gioana Lopizzo was among nine athletes in the girls invitational 3,200 to eclipse the 10-minute barrier, clocking a lifetime-best 9:59.08.

Del Norte senior Hannah Riggins not only helped the Nighthawks win the invitational 4x800-meter relay, but also ran a personal-best 2:06.69 in the invitational 800.

Mira Costa senior Anna Chittenden anchored the Mustangs to victory in the open distance medley relay and ran a personal-best 10:31.23 in the seeded 3,200, a race won by Corona Santiago sophomore Rylee Blade in a lifetime-best 10:21.08.

La Jolla freshman Chiara Dailey contributed to a fourth-place finish in the 1,600 sprint medley relay and also ran a 4:57.46 mile at Arcadia. She has also produced a 4:51.82 effort March 4 in the 1,600 at Mt. Carmel.

All of those athletes, along with Buchanan’s Kynzlee Buckley and Caroline Mendyk, as well as Peninsula’s Aishling Callanan, Quartz Hill’s Brianne Smith, Clovis North’s Ashlyn Leath and Clovis West’s Cameron Macias are scheduled to compete, targeting the 2018 meet record of 4:45.24 achieved by Saugus’ Mariah Castillo.

Carson continues march toward relay records

Christina Gray, TaAhjah Fann, Kaitlyn Williams and Reign Redmond became the fastest quartet to represent Carson High in California since 2016 with their 45.51 performance in the invitational 4x100-meter relay April 8 at the Arcadia Invitational.

In their pursuit to potentially challenge the program-record 45.06 established by Kenyla Miles, Autumn Wright, Kennedi Atkins and Kaelin Roberts from the 2016 state final, Carson has an opportunity to take down the meet record of 45.22 achieved in 2006 by Long Beach Wilson.

Carson is scheduled to compete Saturday in the invitational 4x100 against Long Beach Poly, Martin Luther King, Oaks Christian and Serra.

The Colts finished fourth last year at Mt. SAC in 46.91, with Long Beach Poly placing second in 46.26.

Carson is seeking its first invitational 4x100 victory at Mt. SAC. The last L.A. City Section girls program to win the 4x100 crown at the meet was Dorsey in 1982.

Peters repeat or double dose of Del Norte?

The showdown involving Monte Vista senior Cate Peters and Del Norte senior Hannah Riggins in the girls invitational 800 meters Saturday became even more intriguing following the Arcadia Invitational.

Peters set the meet record last year by running 2:06.89, but Riggins achieved a personal-best 2:06.69 to finish fourth in the invitational 800 at Arcadia, creating the potential for an exceptional race, which also includes Poway’s Tessa Buswell and Westview’s Kaitlyn Arciaga among the San Diego Section athletes, as well as a quartet of Buchanan competitors in Grace Hutchison, Sierra Cornett, Elle Lomeli and Tayler Torosian.

Peters ran 2:10.25 in the invitational 800, with Arciaga clocking 2:10.89 and Buswell producing a 2:14.73 effort.

Riggins also has the opportunity to help Del Norte compete for the win in the invitational distance medley relay Saturday, teaming with Emily Russo, Ella Echsner and Paige Echsner, the same quartet that won the invitational 4x800 at Arcadia in 9:00.77.

Campolindo, Long Beach Poly, La Costa Canyon and Poway are also top contenders in the DMR, pursuing the state-leading mark of 11:47.11 by Oaks Christian and the 2016 meet record of 11:41.54 achieved by Great Oak.

McRitchie aspires to reach new heights

Anaheim Canyon High graduate Rachel Baxter is not only the 2022 NCAA Division 1 indoor women’s pole vault champion at Virginia Tech, but also a winner of three consecutive invitational titles from 2015-17 at Mt. SAC, achieving the feat at three different venues, including Cerritos College and El Camino College.

Baxter is also the only prep female athlete in meet history to produce a 14-foot clearance (4.27m) in 2017, but junior Ella McRitchie of Bainbridge High in Washington has the potential to reach that level Saturday.

McRitchie, who trains at Northwest Pole Vault Club under the guidance of coach Tim Reilly, cleared 13-11 (4.24m) and 13-11.25 (4.25m) during the indoor season and added a 13-9.25 (4.20m) performance March 31 at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Tatum Richards from Emmett High in Idaho and Iliana Downing of La Costa Canyon in California, who have both surpassed 13 feet, are also looking to produce personal-best clearances and climb closer to a 14-foot opportunity.

Kaylee Daniel of Coronado High in Nevada, who won March 25 at the Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona, is also scheduled to compete.

Baker ready to take on California challengers

Braelyn Baker, a junior at Bear Creek High in Washington, won the seeded 100-meter dash in 11.79 seconds and took fourth in the invitational 200 meters in 24.17 on April 8 at the Arcadia Invitational.

Baker, who only finished behind athletes from Oregon, Virginia and Utah, is looking to once again hold off a strong group of California competitors Saturday in the invitational 200.

Adonijah Currie of Quartz Hill won the invitational 200 last year in a wind-aided 23.65 representing Golden Valley. Currie is attempting to become the first repeat 200 winner at Mt. SAC since Oaks Christian’s Lauren Rain Williams-James in 2015-16.

La Jolla’s Payton Smith, Castaic’s Meagan Humphries, Gardena Serra’s Brazil Neal, San Diego Madison’s Amirah Shaheed and Clovis East’s Haley Duvall are also scheduled to compete.

Smith secured sixth in the invitational 200 at Arcadia in 24.59, with Shaheed prevailing in the seeded 200 in 24.30 and Duvall taking third in 24.63.

Notre Dame duo looks to double up

April Fontenette, a senior at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High in California, concluded her experience April 8 at the Arcadia Invitational on a high note by winning the invitational discus competition.

But Fontenette was still left with unfinished business after a pair of marks in her series went beyond 160 feet, but were fouls, in addition to not recording a fair mark in her three attempts in the invitational shot put.

Fontenette and sophomore teammate Aja Johnson have the potential to produce the first invitational victories by a Notre Dame female thrower in meet history, with either athlete capable of following last year’s winner Kennedy Clarke of Cathedral Catholic or 2017-19 champion Jocelynn Budwig of Fowler in sweeping both events.

Fontenette and Johnson finished third and fourth in the invitational discus last year at Mt. SAC, and will square off Saturday with Clovis North’s Loie Madsen, Canyon Crest Academy’s Elisabeth Driscoll and Homestead’s Ningning O’Brien.

Golden Valley’s Kiera Donovan, Hart’s Laura Brennan, South Torrance’s Mackenzie Monson and Etiwanda’s Sinaiah Pointer are expected to be the top challengers for Fontenette and Johnson in the invitational shot put.

Redmond motivated to run it back

Carson’s Reign Redmond held off Amirah Shaheed of San Diego Madison to win the invitational 100-meter dash last year by an 11.74 to 11.91 margin.

Redmond is not only attempting to become the first female sprinter to repeat in the invitational 100 since Rio Mesa’s Zaria Francis in 2015-16, but also challenge the 1997 meet record of 11.40 achieved by Chino’s Angela Williams.

Allyson Felix clocked a wind-aided 11.24 competing for L.A. Baptist High in 2003 for the fastest all-conditions performance by a prep athlete in meet history, but Williams still boasts the top wind-legal effort.

Redmond and Shaheed will not only square off again at Mt. SAC, but the field is also expected to include Gardena Serra’s Brazil Neal, Jordan Washington and Mia Flowers, along with Carson athletes TaAhjah Fann and Christina Gray. Oaks Christian’s Niya Clayton and Harvard-Westlake’s Gisele Thompson are also in the field.

Keeping the 3,200 streak alive

The past four winners of the girls invitational 3,200 meters Friday have all run sub-10:25, including back-to-back performances under 10:10 from Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins High in Colorado in 2017 and Maddy Denner from Oak Ridge High in California in 2018, the latter still the meet record at 10:08.01.

Etiwanda’s Janelle Avilez, Shadow Hills’ Marjourie Lopez, Claremont’s Denise Chen, Bakersfield Highland’s Mia Torrecillas, Peninsula’s Aishling Callanan and Beverly Hills’ Danielle Hollander are all capable of extending that streak of sub-10:25 performances.

Callanan was second last year in 10:39.37 behind winner Mackenzie Rogers of Poway in 10:24.89, with Torrecillas taking third in 10:51.60.

Lopez, one of the most improved athletes in California, was sixth last year in 11:02.81. She lowered her personal best by running 10:30.04 in the seeded 3,200 on April 7 at the Arcadia Invitational.

Avilez clocked 10:32.85 on March 25 at the Meet of Champions Distance Classic at Azusa Pacific. Torrecillas ran 10:35.45 last year at the Central Section Masters meet.

Many hurdling highlights

One of the deepest girls invitational fields Saturday is the showcase in the 100-meter hurdles, with JaiCieonna Gero-Holt of Emerald Ridge High in Washington taking on California competitors Yvette Harris of Stockton Lincoln High, Anisa Bowen-Fontenot of San Diego High, Cathedral Catholic’s Kapiolani Coleman, Campolindo’s Mari Testa and St. Bernard’s London Davis.

Davis and Testa are the only athletes returning from last year’s invitational race, placing seventh and eighth, respectively.

Harris was the fastest California athlete in the invitational 100 hurdles April 8 at the Arcadia Invitational, taking third overall in a wind-legal 13.83 seconds. Davis secured seventh in 14.32 and Coleman earned eighth in 14.53. Bowen-Fontenot won the seeded 100 hurdles in 14.29 at Arcadia.

Gero-Holt, who was fifth in the seeded 100 hurdles in 14.64, is also scheduled to compete in the invitational high jump and long jump. Gero-Holt, the top returning heptathlete in the country, won the invitational high jump for the second year in a row at Arcadia with a 5-10 (1.77m) clearance.

Las Vegas Centennial is looking to extend its record streak to five years in a row Saturday in the 4x100-meter shuttle hurdles relay. Centennial prevailed from 2017-19 at El Camino College, then returned to Hilmer Lodge Stadium to win again last year.

Chino Hills, Mira Costa and South Pasadena will look to prevent Saniyah Miles, Kennedy Hunter, Hannah Sanchez and Michael-Michelle Williamson from capturing another invitational title for the Bulldogs.

A fitting conclusion

There are few more appropriate ways to highlight the final girls invitational event of the meet than to have Long Beach Wilson and Long Beach Poly square off in the 4x400-meter relay Saturday.

The Moore League rivals are entered, along with Clovis North, Serra and St. Mary’s Academy in what could produce an impressive finale to the two-day high school schedule.

Long Beach Wilson secured its first invitational 4x400 victory at Mt. SAC last year in 3:43.87, with Clovis North placing second in 3:46.56.

Long Beach Wilson’s Brooke Blue, Ma’Nia Tidwell, Aujane Luckey and Kaylin Edwards achieved a state-leading mark of 3:46.02 on April 1 at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Long Beach Poly hasn’t won the invitational 4x400 at Mt. SAC since 2014, the Jackrabbits’ sixth victory in the event in meet history, tying Rancho Cucamonga for the most by a girls program.

Long Beach Poly was seventh and Clovis North earned eighth April 8 in the invitational 4x400 at the Arcadia Invitational.

St. Mary’s Academy, Serra and Quartz Hill are scheduled to join Long Beach Poly and Long Beach Wilson in the invitational 4x200 relay Saturday.

St. Mary’s Academy ran a state-leading 1:38.41 at the Arcadia Invitational, with several programs capable of challenging the 1994 meet record of 1:36.77 established by Long Beach Poly.