By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

The NXR Southwest Regional is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at Grande Sports Complex in Casa Grande, Arizona. The boys championship race is at 10:47 a.m. MST and the girls championship race is scheduled for 11:27 a.m., followed by awards at 12:10 p.m.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the strongest regional meet in the country:

A decade of dominance for Colorado women

With Katie Rainsberger of Air Academy repeating as regional champion last season, which followed back-to-back victories in 2012-13 from Elise Cranny of Niwot, Colorado has accounted for the past five girls individual winners and seven overall in the previous nine years of Southwest competition. That consistency is in addition to the team success achieved by Fort Collins, which has won six girls regional championships. Brie Oakley of Grandview, who broke Rainsberger’s state meet record Oct. 29 by clocking 17:07 at Norris Penrose Events Center, is expected to extend that streak and add to the legacy of Colorado leading ladies as the girls individual favorite. Oakley placed fourth at last year’s regionals in 17:31 on her way to finishing 26^th at Nike Cross Nationals, but enters the girls championship race in Casa Grande undefeated this season. Fort Collins senior Lauren Gregory is the top returnee in the field after placing second to Rainsberger last season in 17:27, but finished more than a minute behind Oakley at the state final.

American Fork looks to reclaim throne

Although American Fork qualified for Nike Cross Nationals last season as an at-large boys selection, the fourth-place result for the Cavemen was the program’s lowest finish in regional competition since taking second in 2009. American Fork had won five consecutive boys team titles in Southwest competition, before finishing behind Mountain Vista (Colorado) and Utah rivals Timpanogos and Lone Peak last year. The Cavemen rebounded to place second at Nike Cross Nationals and have been the nation’s top-ranked team throughout this season entering the boys championship race. American Fork rose to the occasion to handle rivals Lone Peak and Davis in convincing fashion in the Class 5A final at the Utah state meet and will need to do so again, along with defeating fellow Utah rivals Olympus and Timpanogos, as well as Colorado heavyweights Palmer Ridge and Mountain Vista.

Desert Vista determined to end drought

Although Arizona has celebrated boys and girls individual winners in the nine previous years of Southwest regional competition, the host state has never crowned a team champion and the Desert Vista girls are highly motivated to halt that winless streak, especially after a sixth-place finish last season. Desert Vista set a large division state record Nov. 5 by placing five girls in the top six in the Division 1 final to defeat rival Chandler by a 20-105 margin one year after the Wolves captured their first state championship by defeating Xavier College Prep and the favored Thunder. Seniors Emily Crall, Amanda Davis, Baylee Jones and Madeline Bucci, juniors Haley Wolf and Kelly Harris, along with freshman Brooklyn Christofis helped Desert Vista roll to a 56-118 victory over Air Academy (Colorado) on the same course Sept. 30 at the Desert Twilight Festival.

Clinger seeks first of two defining doubles

American Fork senior Casey Clinger is the reigning Nike Cross Nationals champion, but the Class 5A winner in Utah is first looking to repeat as regional winner, something no male runner has accomplished in Southwest competition. Clinger clocked 14:42 to edge Ogden’s Alek Parsons by one second at last year’s regionals, but is a significant favorite against the field this season, with the biggest challenge likely coming from teammate McKay Johns, who placed 19^th last year. If Clinger can capture back-to-back regional championships, it would give Utah three consecutive boys winners and four overall, along with Josh Collins of Wasatch in 2014 and Luke Puskedra of Judge Memorial in 2007.

Will Schadler play spoiler?

In the final high school cross country race in her home state, Rio Rico senior Allie Schadler will not only look to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals for the second time, but add another victory at Casa Grande after prevailing at Desert Twilight. Schadler finished third in the 2014 regionals on her way to placing 17^th at NXN, but was unable to compete beyond the state meet last year because of a foot injury. Schadler and Grandview's Brie Oakley both attended the Woodbridge Classic in September in California, but didn’t compete head to head. Oakley clocked 15:53 and prevailed by 23 seconds over Malibu sophomore Claudia Lane in the sweepstakes race, with Schadler running 16:26 and defeating El Toro senior Hannah Tobin by 36 seconds in the rated race. Both Schadler and the Cal-bound Oakley are undefeated this season and are expected to advance to Oregon, but a win for the Washington signee would be the first by an Arizona high school female since 2007. Rio Rico sophomore Samantha Schadler, Allie's sister, is also entered in the girls championship race.

Another Utah utopia?

American Fork’s girls are seeking a third consecutive regional title and the Cavemen are pursuing a sixth Southwest boys championship in seven years, but that might not be the extent of Utah’s presence this season. Lone Peak, Davis, Olympus and Timpanogos are all in contention to secure automatic or at-large team bids to compete at Nike Cross Nationals, with the Davis girls also expected to battle for a qualifying berth. In addition to American Fork’s impressive boys trio of Casey Clinger, McKay Johns and Patrick Parker, Timpanogos’ Joe Benson, Springville’s Grant Gardner and Desert Hills’ Jaiden Melendrez are also entered in the boys championship race. Bingham’s Whitney Rich, American Fork’s Sara Musselman, Springville’s Julie Sumsion and Desert Hills’ Bailey Brinkerhoff are all expected to be in the girls championship race.

Soaring high with Wings of America

The USA Cross Country Championships will be held Feb. 4, 2017 in Bend, Ore., and Wings of America will again be represented by a group of Native American student-athletes to compete in the junior men’s and women’s races. Two of the biggest presences on last year’s junior men’s team were Jordan Lesansee of Albuquerque Academy (New Mexico) and Santiago Hardy of Chinle (Arizona). Lesansee is entered in the boys championship race, with Hardy scheduled to compete in the boys small school open race. Chamique DuBoise of Window Rock (Arizona) and Mariah Yazzie of Page (Arizona) are also back from the women’s junior team. DuBoise is scheduled to compete in the girls championship race, with Yazzie entered in the small school open race, along with Page teammate Kloe Littleman, who was an alternate last year.

Back for more

In addition to Grandview’s Brie Oakley, two-time New Mexico 6A state champion Amanda Mayoral of Cleveland is also looking to return to Nike Cross Nationals after finishing third at last year’s regionals and 70^th at the finals in Oregon. Isaac Green of Monarch (Colorado), fourth at last year’s Southwest regional showdown and 191^st in the national championship race, is the lone individual male qualifier returning from last season. The Southwest had two individual girls, including Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger as the national champion, and four boys individual qualifiers place in the top 30 at NXN last year after three girls and four boys achieved the feat in 2014, with four girls and three boys doing so in 2013. All five Southwest boys individual qualifiers finished in the top 30 in 2012.

Geisler going for grand finale

Davis (Utah) senior Ally Geisler is seeking a fourth consecutive opportunity to race at Nike Cross Nationals, but the Darts face a significant challenge to advance with Desert Vista, American Fork and Colorado 5A state champion Broomfield and runner-up Mountain Vista scheduled to compete. Aubrey Argyle is also a four-year veteran for Davis, but didn’t race at NXN last season. Fort Collins senior Lauren Gregory has also earned the right to compete in Oregon the past three years based on her Southwest regional results, but didn’t race at NXN last season and decided to compete at Foot Locker Nationals in 2014.

Can Ping produce again?

Grace Ping, an eighth-grader in Utah, prevailed in a 3-kilometer event Sept. 24 at the Bob Firman Invitational before winning a 5-kilometer race Nov. 5 against several top prep athletes at the the Utah High School Track Coaches Association Pre-Foot Locker Invitational. Ping, who excelled as a seventh-grader in Minnesota before moving to Park City, will now look to secure an individual berth to compete at Nike Cross Nationals for a second straight year by placing among the top five female runners on non-qualifying teams. Ping, 14^th at NXN last season, clocked 17:56 in the 5-kilometer competition hosted by American Fork to defeat former Class 4A state champion Kate Hunter of Provo by 25 seconds.