By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

The 38th Foot Locker West Regionals are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3 at Mt. SAC in Walnut.

The girls seeded race is scheduled for 9:50 a.m. PST and the boys seeded race will start at 10:30 a.m.

The top 10 individuals in each seeded race advance to the Foot Locker National Championships on Dec. 10 at Balboa Park's Morley Field in San Diego.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the fourth and final regional meet:

Hello Again

Seven individuals who qualified for Foot Locker Nationals last year – five girls and two boys – have returned to Mt. SAC trying to secure consecutive trips to San Diego. Kate Hunter of Provo, second in the Utah Class 4A final, is the top female returnee after finishing second last season to Annie Hill of Glacier (Montana). Hill was also eligible to return along with last year’s sixth-place regional finisher Glennis Murphy of Redwood Larkspur, but both decided to race instead at Nike Cross Nationals. Kristen Garcia of Sedro Woolley (Washington), who competes unattached, placed fifth last year. Garcia was 14^th at the NXN Northwest Regional this season. Emily Virtue of Burroughs, eighth last season, is coming off a ninth-place finish in the Division 1 state final. McKenna Lee of Weber (Utah), who finished ninth last year, placed second in the Utah 5A state championship. Jordan Oakes of Holy Names Academy, the regional 10^th-place finisher last season, captured the Washington 3A title and followed that performance with a victory at Nike BorderClash. Talon Hull of Weber, the top boys returnee after taking third last season, also finished third in the Utah 5A championship. Tibebu Proctor of Northwest, fifth last year, captured the Washington 1A title and placed second at BorderClash. Michael Vernau of Davis Senior was also eligible to compete again in the regionals, but decided to race Saturday at NXN.

Unfinished Business

In addition to the five returning national qualifiers, nine additional girls who finished in the top 30 last year are back trying to improve their positions and secure spots in the top 10. Niki Iyer of The Harker School, Mari Friedman of Santa Cruz and Erin Ripple of Holy Names Academy (Washington) placed in the top 20, with Claire Graves of Citrus Valley, Jesselyn Bries of Sandra Day O’Connor (Arizona), Julie Sumsion of Springville (Utah), Kiera Marshall of St. Joseph Notre Dame, Haley Tanne of Pleasant Grove (Utah) and Katie Thronson of Lewis and Clark (Washington) all finishing in the top 30. Along with Hull and Proctor, there are 13 additional boys who placed in the top 40 last year who are scheduled to return. Miguel Villar of Madera South, Travis Feeny of Ogden (Utah), Benjamin Holland of Jesuit, Ryan Raff of Lehi (Utah) and Christian Ricketts of Arroyo Grande all finished in the top 25, with Colin Fitzgerald of Crescenta Valley, Raymon Ornelas of Roosevelt, Charlie Sherman of Loyola, Callum Bolger of San Luis Obispo, Hayden Dressel of Mt. Spokane (Washington), Shane Henderson of Star Valley (Wyoming), Luis Grijalva of Armijo and Amir Ado of Ferris (Washington) all placing in the top 40.

Ready For A Record Run

Malibu sophomore Claudia Lane, the Division 4 state champion, set the sophomore record by clocking 16:32 on the 2.93-mile course Oct. 22 at the Mt. SAC Invitational, now the Division 1 state champion will pursue another historic standard on the 5-kilometer layout. Ukiah’s Amber Trotter set the Foot Locker West record of 17:14 in 2001, the same year she not only won the national title but also ran 16:16 on the 2.93-mile course at the Mt. SAC Invitational, which ranks No. 3 all-time behind two performances from Simi Valley graduate Sarah Baxter. Former Mission Prep star Jordan Hasay equaled Trotter’s record by also running 17:14 in 2005. Lane’s effort made her the No. 6 performer on the regular Mt. SAC course, with four of the five athletes in front of her – Fiona O’Keeffe of Davis Senior, Marie Lawrence of Reno (Nevada), Trotter and Hasay – all competing at least once at Foot Locker Nationals. Baxter raced three times in her career at Nike Cross Nationals, but never competed at Foot Locker.

Second Chances

Along with Kate Hunter of Provo (Utah) just missing a trip to Nike Cross Nationals after placing seventh Nov. 19 at NXR Southwest, several other athletes who were in contention in Arizona are also looking to extend their seasons in California. Sara Musselman of American Fork (Utah) grabbed ninth, Arizona Division 1 state champion Jesselyn Bries of Sandra Day O’Connor finished 11^th, Julie Sumsion of Springville (Utah) was 13^th, Sadie Sargent of North Summit (Utah) took 17^th, Amanda Erickson of Lone Peak (Utah) secured 18th and Alliana Atencio of Rio Rancho (New Mexico) placed 25^th in the 5-kilometer race in Casa Grande. In the boys seeded race, entries include Aidan Troutner of Timpview (Utah) and Travis Feeny of Ogden (Utah) who placed ninth and 10th, teammates Jaiden Melendrez and Spencer Ford of Desert Hills (Utah), 12^th and 23^rd at NXR Southwest, in addition to Jiraa Riding of Orem (Utah), who was 16^th, and 18^th-place finisher Brandon Garnica of Springville. Santiago Hardy of Chinle, the Arizona Division 3 state champ, won the small school open race instead of competing in the championship race at NXR Southwest.

Return To Regional Glory

Former La Costa Canyon standout Darren Fahy was the last California boys runner to capture the West Regional title in 2011, a drought that Division 1 state champion Luis Grijalva of Armijo and Division 4 state winner Callum Bolger of San Luis Obispo, along with 2015 Division 2 state champ and Nike Cross Nationals qualifier Steven Khan of Ayala will look to end. Marin Academy graduate Trevor Reinhart and former Arcadia star Phillip Rocha took regional runner-up in each of the past two years on their way to All-America honors at the national finals. Since California’s last boys regional crown, Utah has won twice, with Idaho and Oregon each capturing one title. Palisades graduate Marissa Williams was the last female runner from the host state to secure the regional championship in 2012, with Montana sweeping the past three titles, as Makena Morley of Bigfork won twice and Annie Hill of Glacier prevailed last year.

Dynamic Duos Could Be Double Tough

In the past 15 years, there have been three sets of sisters at the West Regionals to qualify for nationals in the same year, with Marie Lawrence and Collier Lawrence of Reno (Nevada) achieving the feat in 2003, Nadya Bishton and Nastia Bishton of Mountain Ridge (Arizona) both advancing in 2007, followed by Makena Morley and Bryn Morley of Bigfork (Montana) in 2014. The last set of girls teammates to represent the West in the same season was Corona del Mar’s talented tandem of Sarah Cummings and Shelby Buckley in 2006, although they did so after competing at Nike Team Nationals. In addition to Walnut sisters Chloe Arriaga and Emma Arriaga, Jordan Oakes and Erin Ripple of Holy Names Academy (Washington), La Costa Canyon’s Kristin Fahy and McKenna Brown, Buchanan’s Corie Smith and Meagen Lowe, Saugus’ Mariah Castillo and Kaylee Thompson, along with Campolindo’s Isabella Chao and Hannah Ruane all have the potential to qualify together.

Seeking More Morley Magic

Bryn Morley of Bigfork (Montana) placed sixth in the 2014 regionals on her way to finishing 26^th at the national final. Morley didn’t return to Mt. SAC last season, but is entered in this year’s seeded race after winning another Class B state title Oct. 22. Morley finished 43^rd at the NXR Northwest Regional on Nov. 12, but is capable of adding to the family legacy after older sister and Colorado University standout Makena Morley advanced to the national championship race all four years from 2011-14. Senior Claire Graves of Citrus Valley finished seventh behind Morley in the 2014 regional, then didn’t qualify for nationals last year, but is also back seeking a final career trip to San Diego.

Talented Tandems: Part Two

Talon Hull and McKenna Lee of Weber (Utah) were among three pairs of athletes from the same school to qualify for nationals last season, along with Ben Veatch and Sarah Leinheiser of Carmel (Indiana), in addition to Dylan Scarsone and Nikki Zielinski of Anaheim Canyon. Hull and Lee both have the potential to advance again, but another tandem has an opportunity to represent the West as well. Anthony Ocegueda and Samantha King-Shaw, both Nevada 4A state champions from Edward C. Reed, could be the first male and female qualifiers from the same school to represent their state at the national championships. California, Utah and Washington are the only states in the region to have athletes from the same school advance to nationals in the same year.

Back In The Picture

Not since Andrew Jones of Campbell County finished third in the boys seeded race in the 2002 regionals has Wyoming had a representative in the national finals. Junior Shane Henderson of Star Valley, the Wyoming 3A champion and 19^th-place finisher at NXR Northwest, has the potential to end that drought. Henderson finished 38^th last season and was his state’s top regional finisher. Arizona also has an opportunity to produce its first boys national finalist since Tuba City’s Billy Orman won the regional in 2010, with Division 1 state champion Abdihamid Nur of Phoenix North, Division 3 winner Santiago Hardy of Chinle and Division 4 champ Wesley Cook of Pinon all scheduled to compete in the seeded race.

Freshmen Seeking Fantastic Debuts

Following a Central Section title and fourth-place finish in the Division 1 state final, Corie Smith of Buchanan looks to continue her memorable freshman season in the girls seeded race along with teammate Meagen Lowe, who won the regional girls ninth-grade race last year at Mt. SAC. Twins Erinn Hill and Mia Hill of Northwest, who placed fifth and 11^th in the Washington 3A state final and finished 34^th and 88^th at NXR Northwest, are also talented freshmen scheduled to compete in the seeded race. Jessica Hill of Pine View, the sixth-place finisher in the Utah 3A state championship and 61^st at NXR Southwest, is another promising ninth-grader expected to be in the seeded field, along with Ali Upshaw of St. Michael Indian, the runner-up in the Arizona Division 4 final. After a freshman advanced from the West every year from 2008-12, only two ninth-grade girls have qualified for nationals in the past three years, Montana standouts Annie Hill of Glacier and Bryn Morley of Bigfork in 2014.