By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines to follow Friday at the 35th Roy Griak Invitational at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minnesota

Early marquee men’s matchup

The last time Conner Mantz of Brigham Young and Iowa State’s Wesley Kiptoo squared off in a cross country race, it was the tale of a strong start for one athlete and an impressive finish for another at the NCAA Division 1 Championships in March in Stillwater, Okla.

Mantz and Florida State’s Adriaan Wildschutt eventually rallied past Kiptoo in the second half of the 10-kilometer cross country championship. They also met in the 10,000-meter final in June at the Division 1 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., with Mantz finishing second behind Tulsa’s Patrick Dever and Kiptoo taking 11th.

Mantz and Kiptoo will headline the opening Merrill Fischbein men’s 8-kilometer gold race, with BYU and Iowa State both ranked among the top 10 programs in the country. Michigan State, led by Morgan Beadlescomb, is also entered in the gold competition.

The 8-kilometer meet record of 23:15.5 was set by Lawi Lalang of Arizona in 2011. The fastest BYU performance produced at Roy Griak is 23:38.9 by Kip Kangogo in 2002, with the top Iowa State effort achieved by Bamaboa Korir, who clocked 24:04 in 1987.

Host Minnesota, along with Georgia Tech, Grand Canyon, Illinois-Chicago, Liberty, Milwaukee, Nevada, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Pepperdine, Portland State, Santa Clara, South Dakota, South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Tennessee, UC San Diego and Wyoming are also scheduled to participate in the top men’s race.

BYU, the 2019 Division 1 champions, last prevailed at Roy Griak in 2013. Iowa State’s last men’s title at Roy Griak came in 2009.

Tylor Thatcher was the last BYU men’s athlete to secure the individual victory, also in 2013, with Kiptoo looking to become the first Iowa State male competitor since Dmitry Drozdov in 1995 to capture the individual title in Minnesota.

Hasz seeks another home win

Bethany Hasz was the last Minnesota athlete in either gender to win at Roy Griak, clocking 20:47.9 in the Jack Johnson women’s 6-kilometer gold race to emerge victorious in 2018.

Hasz will look to become the first Minnesota female competitor to secure two career individual titles at Roy Griak, as the reigning Big Ten individual champion leads a field that also includes three-time Big 12 winner Cailie Logue of Iowa State, as well as Jenna Magness of Michigan State, which followed its Big Ten title with a fourth-place finish in March at the NCAA Division 1 Championships.

Shelby Houlihan is the last female athlete to win multiple individual titles in the gold race at Roy Griak, achieving the feat in 2013-14 during her career at Arizona State. Kim Smith of Providence also won twice in 2003-04 for Providence, along with Fran ten Bensel of Nebraska in 1991-92.

Logue is looking to become the first Iowa State female competitor to triumph since Betsy Saina in 2012. Michigan State hasn’t produced an individual women’s winner at Roy Griak since Michelle Carson in 2002.

Georgia Tech and Liberty are also part of the strong Division 1 women’s field, along with Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Illinois-Chicago, Milwaukee, Nevada, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Pepperdine, Portland State, Santa Clara, South Dakota, South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Tennessee, UC San Diego and Wyoming.

Minnesota last captured the team title at Roy Griak in 2018, with Michigan State seeking its first victory at Les Bolstad Golf Course in 2014.

Augustana absence creates new opportunities

The Jo Rider men’s maroon race, along with the Suzy Wilson women’s maroon race, will crown new champions in a showcase of NCAA Division 2 and 3 programs, with Augustana of South Dakota not participating in this year’s event.

Augustana swept both team titles in 2019, with the men extending a streak of four consecutive victories that began in 2016.

Black Hills State of South Dakota, the last men’s team to prevail in the race in 2015, is entered in this year’s event. UMary of North Dakota prevailed in the women’s maroon competition in 2018, the program’s third title along with 2011 and 2016.

UMary is among the favorites in the women’s race, along with Wayne State of Michigan, Minnesota Duluth and Michigan Tech, which is also among the top entries in the men’s competition.

Minnesota Duluth has won four Roy Griak women’s titles, producing back-to-back victories in 2009-10 and 2014-15. Wayne State and Michigan Tech are seeking their first titles at Les Bolstad Golf Course.

Naperville North looks to resume podium presence

With the cancellation of the event last year, the impressive streak of top-three finishes achieved by Naperville North High of Illinois in the Gary Wilson girls 5-kilometer gold race was paused at eight years.

The Huskies are not only returning to Minnesota, but doing so with a lineup capable of capturing the program’s first Roy Griak title since 2017.

Naperville North, led by senior Lucy Westlake, has won three championships, placed runner-up twice and finished third on three occasions during its streak. Both second-place finishes have come in its past two appearances at Les Bolstad Golf Course, with Cherry Creek High of Colorado winning in 2019 and Illinois rival Yorkville capturing the title in 2018.

Naperville North, which also features junior Logan Brennan, senior Sophie Golobitsh, freshman Emma Berres and sophomore Julie Piot, will face Edina High of Minnesota for the second time this season, following a convincing victory Sept. 4 against the Hornets at the Pleasant Valley Spartan Invitational in Iowa.

Wayzata finding a way back to title

With five championships, Wayzata High is the most successful boys team in meet history, but the Trojans haven’t captured a title since 2016, in addition to watching Minnesota rivals White Bear Lake and Edina secure victories in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Wayzata, which has also won in 2000, 2007, 2013 and 2014, has a good opportunity to earn a sixth title in the Larry Zirgibel 5-kilometer gold race, and will face a significant challenge from another state rival in Minneapolis Southwest.

Junior Hamza Mohamed, who prevailed Sept. 18 at the Metro Invite, looks to lead Wayzata, which also features strong support throughout the lineup from Alex Foss, Zak Hussein, Daniel McCollor, Nick Cichoski and Parker Dietrick.

Wayzata has never captured an individual title at Roy Griak in either gender.

Minneapolis Southwest is seeking its first boys victory since 2010.

Edina hopes to enjoy comforts of home

With Minnetonka not scheduled to compete in the girls gold race, Edina will lead a strong contingent of Minnesota programs, including St. Paul Highland Park and Wayzata, but the Hornets are looking to demonstrate their improvement and growth in a rematch with Naperville North of Illinois.

Edina endured a 43-86 setback Sept. 4 at the Pleasant Valley Spartan Invitational in Iowa, but is hoping the opportunity to compete in its home state will provide extra motivation to capture its first girls title at Roy Griak since 2016.

Macy Iyer, Maggie Wagner and Ella Hinkie lead Edina, which is looking for significant support from Mary Velner and Lauren Cossack in order to become the only Minnesota girls program to win multiple titles at Roy Griak in the past decade.

Since its last victory five years ago, Edina has only placed in the top five one other year, finishing fourth in 2019. The Hornets captured the large school title last season at the Twin Cities Running Company Showcase, which took the place of the Minnesota State High School League state championship meet.

Dowling Catholic driven to return to the top

Starting with its last Roy Griak title in 2015, no boys high school team has been more consistent at the meet than Dowling Catholic High of Iowa, which has placed in the top five in the past five editions of the event.

Dowling Catholic has finished fourth three times, along with a third-place effort in 2017, during its streak, but junior Jackson Heidesch is hoping to lead the Maroons to their third Roy Griak title overall, including 2012.

Des Moines Roosevelt also won a pair of boys titles in 2002-03, but a third victory would make Dowling Catholic the most successful boys team in meet history. Dowling Catholic has also won two girls championships in 2010-11.

Familiar faces on display in deep field

Eight athletes who placed in the top 20 in the girls gold race in 2019 are scheduled to return to Les Bolstad Golf Course, led by third-place finisher Lianna Surtz of Rosary High in Illinois, who clocked 18:08.9 on the 5-kilometer layout.

Ashlyn Keeney of Iowa City Liberty was fifth in 18:15.4, Lauren Pansegrau of Middleton High in Wisconsin took ninth in 18:24.2 and Katrina Schlenker of Batavia High in Illinois finished 12th in 18:40.4.

Minnesota prep standouts Ali Weimer of St. Michael-Albertville secured 14th in 18:43.9, Molly Moening of St. Paul Highland Park placed 16th in 18:55.1 and Claire Vukovics of Lakeville South took 18th in 19:00.4.

Marina Gross of Carman Collegiate in Manitoba, Canada is also expected to return after earning 17th in 18:56.2 two years ago.

Ava Parekh of Latin School in Chicago looks to follow her victory Sept. 18 at the Richard Spring Invitational in Illinois with another strong effort at Roy Griak.

Parekh, Schlenker, Surtz, Lucy Westlake of Naperville North and Anna Hunter of Yorkville are all attempting to become the first Illinois female competitors to win the gold race in meet history.

Pansegrau is pursuing the first individual title for a Wisconsin female competitor since 2011. During the past decade, Minnesota has produced four individual winners, Colorado a pair of champions, with California and Idaho achieving a victory apiece.

In addition to Keeney, Iowa athletes Paityn Noe of Ballard Community and Olivia Verde of Johnston are also entered. South Dakota will be represented by Alea Hardie of Sioux Falls O’Gorman and Ali Bainbridge of Sioux Falls Lincoln.

Anjali Hocker Singh of Olathe North in Kansas and Kyra Hayes of Siegel High in Tennessee are also entered.

New Minnesota stars search for spotlight

Six underclassmen produced sub-17 performances in the boys gold race in 2019, with Daniel Vanacker of Forest Lake High in Minnesota the top returning competitor following a 15th-place performance in 16:24.6.

But in order for Minnesota to produce its third straight high school boys champion, following Oliver Paleen of St. Paul Highland Park in 2019 and Maxwell Manley of Edina in 2018, it will need to hold off strong athletes from Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota and Tennessee.

Sam Scott of Minneapolis Southwest, Aidan Jones of Minneapolis Washburn and Hamza Mohamed of Wayzata join Vanacker in looking to elevate Minnesota in its home state, along with Jakob McCleary of Perham and Alden Keller of Breck School.

Griffin Ward of Middleton is looking to become the first Wisconsin male competitor to triumph at Roy Griak since 2014.

Micah Blomker of Shawnee Mission North and Aidan Reyna of Olathe West are the top entries from Kansas, with Kadin Groen of Sioux Falls Lincoln representing South Dakota, Will Lohr of Sioux City North looking to produce a victory for Iowa and Caleb Jarrett of Siegel High in Tennessee also entered.

Notre Dame Academy tries to extend Maroon mastery

The longest streak in any of the four high school races entering this season is the three-year championship streak of the Notre Dame Academy boys team in the Lefty Wright 5-kilometer maroon race from 2017-19.

Conner Hawley, Federrico Auricchio, Beckett Chambers, Isaac Nowak and Joseph Stumpf all return from the winning lineup two years ago, looking to extend the impressive run for Notre Dame Academy, which also prevailed in the maroon race in 2015.

With Shorewood High of Wisconsin, the maroon girls champion in 2019, elevating to the gold race this season, St. Louis Park of Minnesota has an opportunity to capture another title.

St. Louis Park won the maroon title in 2018, then placed runner-up to Shorewood in 2019, and returns Jersey Miller, Fredonia Zeigle, Ruby Massie, Anna Healey, Katie Nelson and Kate Holden from that lineup two years ago.