By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines to keep an eye on Friday, Sept. 27 at the 13th annual Desert Twilight Festival at Grande Sports World Complex in Casa Grande, Ariz.:

Another record run for Sprout?

In his two appearances at Grande Sports Complex last season, Valor Christian CO senior standout Cole Sprout took down a pair of records held by former American Fork UT star and two-time Nike Cross Nationals champion Casey Clinger.

Sprout set the all-time 5-kilometer course record at Desert Twilight by clocking 14 minutes, 32.92 seconds, followed by the NXR Southwest Regional record with a 14:39.1 effort in November. Both marks were better than Clinger’s 14:42 performance to win NXR Southwest in 2015.

Following a 14:38.4 record-setting 5-kilometer performance Sept. 7 at the Liberty Bell Invitational in Littleton, Sprout has the potential Friday to become only the third reported male athlete in prep history to run under 14:20 in a 5-kilometer cross country race when he attempts to defend his sweepstakes title.

Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford High ran 14:10.4 at the 2000 Michigan State Championships, with Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict’s Prep clocking 14:18.7 at the 2012 Essex County Championships in New Jersey.

Sprout led a record six athletes under 15 minutes in last year’s sweepstakes race and there are several athletes again capable of producing high-quality performances under the lights Friday.

Niwot CO senior Cruz Culpepper took second last season in 14:43.63, El Paso Hanks TX senior Michael Abeyta finished fourth in 14:50.11 and Highland AZ senior Leo Daschbach placed fifth in 14:52.58.

Skyline UT senior Thomas Boyden is also scheduled to compete after winning the elite 5-kilometer race Saturday at the Bob Firman Invitational in Boise, Idaho, in 14:59.5.

Sprout is looking to become the first male athlete to repeat in the sweepstakes since Daniel Bernal of El Paso Eastwood TX in 2015-16.

Desert Vista trying to defend home turf

Not only is Desert Vista trying to win a record fifth girls sweepstakes team title, but also bring glory back to the host state after Boise Senior ID snapped an 11-year run of Arizona girls champions last season.

Desert Vista placed sixth Saturday in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race at the Woodbridge Classic in Norco, Calif., but did so without junior Grace Ping in the lineup to provide additional support for freshman sister Lauren Ping, who placed second.

Grace Ping, currently sidelined with an injury, isn’t expected to return to the Desert Vista lineup until October.

Desert Vista last won the girls sweepstakes title at Desert Twilight in 2016, but will face significant challenges from Downers Grove South IL, Niwot CO and Cherokee Trail CO.

Niwot took second last season and is led by senior Samrawit Dishon and junior Taylor James. The Cougars won’t be able to compete with junior Lucca Fulkerson, an Alexander Dawson CO transfer, in the varsity lineup until they return Nov. 23 to the Grande Sports Complex for NXR Southwest.

Cherokee Trail, led by sophomore Cameron McConnell and freshman McKenna Mazeski, placed fifth last year.

Downers Grove South, led by seniors Brenna Cohoon and Erin Reidy along with sophomore Sophia McNerney, is looking to secure a second straight invitational victory following a win Saturday at the Richard Spring Invitational at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

A victory over several quality Southwest programs could prove significant for Downers Grove South in November if the Mustangs aren’t able to secure one of the two automatic berths at the NXR Midwest Regional and would be forced to await selection as one of four national at-large berths to compete Dec. 7 at Nike Cross Nationals.

Texas powers to tangle

For the first time since last year’s NXR South Regional, two of the top programs in Texas will square off when defending Desert Twilight boys sweepstakes champion El Paso Eastwood competes against Conroe The Woodlands.

Eastwood, led by Elias Perez, Sergio Leon Cuartas and Juan Olmos, also won last year’s South Regional title, with The Woodlands placing fourth.

In the meet’s previous 12 years, no boys team has repeated as sweepstakes champion, with only Eastwood and Desert Vista AZ capturing multiple titles.

Since the meet moved to the Grande Sports Complex in 2014, Eastwood has placed in the top five all five years, including sweepstakes crowns in 2016 and 2018. The Troopers finished sixth Saturday in the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race at the 39th Woodbridge Classic in Norco, Calif.

Conroe The Woodlands, led by Ethan Hammer and Spencer Cardinal, is looking to become the second Texas boys program to secure a sweepstakes championship. Six different Arizona schools have won boys sweepstakes titles, but Texas would be the second state to produce multiple champions.

Also in contention for the sweepstakes crown are Highland AZ and Fort Collins CO.

No Colorado program, boys or girls, has captured a sweepstakes championship. Highland captured the first boys title at the meet in 2007.

Anticipated matchup of All-Americans

Desert Vista AZ freshman Lauren Ping, a two-time All-American at Nike Cross Nationals competing for Winona Cotter MN, is expected to compete in the girls sweepstakes race against Science Hill TN sophomore Jenna Hutchins, a Foot Locker All-American last season.

Hutchins clocked 17:14.1 to win the invitational girls 5-kilometer race Sept. 14 at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg, S.C.

Ping prevailed Sept. 6 in a 5-kilometer race in 17:46 at Desert Solstice, before placing second in a 3-mile race Saturday in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race in 16:09.8 at the Woodbridge Classic.

Hutchins is looking to become the first female athlete outside of Arizona and Colorado to prevail in the girls sweepstakes race.

Ping is attempting to become the second Desert Vista athlete, joining Dani Jones in 2013, and the eighth from Arizona to capture the individual crown. She would also become the first freshman in meet history to win the sweepstakes championship.

Hutchins would become the first sophomore to achieve victory at the event since Xavier Prep AZ star Sarah Fakler won her first of three straight titles in 2010.

Lone Star State’s leading men on display

Several of Texas’ top male athletes will have an opportunity to test themselves against the elite competitors from Colorado and Arizona, led by San Elizario junior Edwin Gomez, who placed fifth at last year’s NXR South Regional meet.

El Paso Hanks senior Michael Abeyta finished fourth in last year’s sweepstakes race and senior teammate Rodger Rivera placed ninth.

El Paso Eastwood returns three athletes – Sergio Leon Cuartas, Elias Perez and Juan Olmos – who placed in the top 30 in last year’s sweepstakes to secure the Troopers’ second team title in three years. All three athletes finished in the top 50 in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race Saturday at the 39th Woodbridge Classic.

Seniors Spencer Cardinal and Ethan Hammer of Conroe The Woodlands both placed in the top 15 last season at NXR South.

State champions staying home

For the first time since 2012, Flagstaff will be competing at Desert Twilight, showcasing the reigning Arizona Division 2 state champions in both the boys and girls sweepstakes races after several years of traveling to meets in California and Oregon instead of competing at Grande Sports Complex or Toka Sticks Golf Course.

Hana Hall, who won the Division 2 individual title and placed second at last year’s NXR Southwest Regional in 17:14.8, returns to the Grande Sports Complex for her biggest regular-season challenge after winning her first two races of the season Sept. 7 at The Peaks Invite and Saturday at the Four Corners Invitational.

Flagstaff has won four consecutive Division 2 girls state titles and seven of the past eight crowns.

The Eagles, led by junior Max Davis and seniors Gabrial Harju and Riley Human, have also won four straight Division 2 boys championships.

Flagstaff placed second in the girls championship race and fourth in the boys championship race in 2012. The Eagles also took second in the girls championship race in 2011 and hasn’t competed in the top race since 2008, placing fourth.

Martin Luther King hopes for royal debut

California programs have placed in the top 10 in the boys sweepstakes in each of the past three seasons, with Martin Luther King looking to extend the streak in its Desert Twilight debut.

The Wolves opened the season Sept. 7 by winning the Great Cow Run and placed seventh in the combined results of all grade levels Saturday at the Mount Carmel Invitational in San Diego.

Mitchell Machuca, Francisco Zavaleta, Gray Mavhera, Austin Fortenberry and Brian Green lead a balanced lineup for Martin Luther King, which hopes to join Great Oak, Murrieta Mesa, Mira Costa, Arroyo Grande and Redondo Union among California teams to place in the top 10 in the past decade.

Martin Luther King is also competing in the girls championship race, as no California programs are entered this year in the girls sweepstakes.

Colorado female competitors seek rarefied air

Quinn McConnell of Peak to Peak became the second female athlete from Colorado to win the individual sweepstakes crown last season, joining former Air Academy star Katie Rainsberger in 2014-15.

Cherokee Trail sophomore Cameron McConnell, who placed third last year, is scheduled to return, along with Air Academy senior Tatum Miller, as well as Eagle Valley senior Joslin Blair and sophomore Samantha Blair, in addition to Niwot senior Samrawit Dishon and junior Taylor James, Durango senior Madeleine Burns, Evergreen sophomore Lanie Szuch and Peak to Peak junior Allison Beasley.

Miller is looking to become the first Air Academy female athlete to achieve a fourth career top-10 sweepstakes finish at Desert Twilight, after placing 10th last season, fourth as a sophomore and ninth as a freshman.

Although Rainsberger won twice, Air Academy didn’t attend the meet her freshman and sophomore seasons.

Big showcase for small-school standouts

Both reigning Arizona Division 4 state champions are scheduled to compete again in the sweepstakes races, inspired to challenge themselves in their toughest regular-season competitions.

St. Michael Indian senior Ali Upshaw, who finished 29th last season in 18:13.6, is looking to return to her sophomore year form, when she placed 14th in 18:13.2.

North Phoenix Prep senior Jordan Black finished 32nd in the boys sweepstakes last season in 15:50.1 after competing in varsity races his first two years. Black has improved on the 5-kilometer course each year at Desert Twilight.

Joining Black in the sweepstakes will be Arete Prep senior Adam Whitehead, who finished third in last year’s Division 4 state final. Whitehead placed 42nd in 15:56.8 in last year’s sweepstakes.

North Phoenix Prep junior Grace Tipton, who finished second in a varsity race in 18:42.9 at last year’s meet competing for Division 2 Cactus Shadows, is scheduled to compete in the sweepstakes this season. Tipton is a legitimate contender for the Division 4 state title after finishing fourth in Division 2 last year.

Schilb seeks championship repeat

Cienega junior Ayden Schilb, last year’s Arizona Division 2 state winner, is looking for a repeat in the boys championship race after clocking 15:43.8 last season.

No male athlete in meet history has repeated in the championship race.

Senior Laila Wright of Etiwanda CA, sophomore Olivia Roberts of Queen Creek American Leadership AZ, sophomore Ava Potts of Chandler AZ and sophomore Aisha Ramone of Kirtland Central NM are expected to be among the contenders for the individual title in the girls championship race.

There will also be new team winners crowned in the boys and girls championship races after Santa Monica CA prevailed in both last season, but isn’t returning to compete Friday, traveling to Minnesota for the Roy Griak Invitational instead.