By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines involving Iowa high school athletes to follow at the 109th Drake Relays Presented by Hyvee in Des Moines, Iowa.

Programming Note: You can watch the live Webcast here of the meet Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The USATF.TV broadcast and on-demand videos will only be available for USATF.TV +PLUS subscribers. Subscribe here.

Historic hurdling

Ankeny Centennial senior Riley Moss set the Kansas Relays record Saturday by clocking 13.91 seconds in the boys 110-meter hurdles, which ranks No. 9 in the country this year.

Moss, an Iowa football commit, is looking to make more history Friday when he not only hopes to challenge the meet record, but perhaps the all-time best Iowa performance.

Joah Banks of Cedar Rapids Prairie ran 14.01 to lower the meet record last season, with Moss placing third in 14.38.

Randy Elliott of Charles City ran 13.6 in the 120-yard hurdles in 1977, which converts to 13.84. Bill Betterton of Carlisle clocked 13.8 in the 110 hurdles in 1992.

Sister act back for encore

After taking the top two spots in the girls 3,000 last year, Mid-Prairie sisters Anna Hostetler and Marie Hostetler will look to repeat their success Thursday during the Distance Carnival.

Anna, a senior, won last season in 9:51.08, with Marie, a sophomore, clocking 9:56.78. Anna went on to win the Iowa 2A state title in 9:47.52 and Marie was runner-up in 9:52.50, both faster than previous classification record.

Both athletes are also entered in the 1,500, with Anna finishing second and Marie placing fourth last year. Anna is also scheduled to compete in the 800, following a fifth-place finish last season.

A trip down memory Lane

Doug Lane of Cedar Rapids Jefferson still holds the boys shot put meet record of 67-2.25 (20.48m), which is one of Drake Relays’ two oldest high school records, set in 1968.

Tristan Wirfs of Mt. Vernon came close to that mark last season, winning with an effort of 66-3.50 (20.20m), but Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central senior Nick Phelps has the potential to challenge Lane’s effort Friday following a fourth-place finish last year.

Phelps produced an indoor performance March 17 of 65-11.50 (20.10m) and has an outdoor best of 66-0.25 (20.12m). He is also scheduled to compete Thursday in the discus throw, with a personal-best 196-2 (59.81m).

Roberts rehabilitating

Waterloo East junior Kerris Roberts set the girls 100-meter dash meet record last season by clocking a wind-legal 11.82 seconds in the prelims, before running a wind-aided 11.87 in the final.

She went on to run the fastest time under all conditions in state history with a wind-aided 11.69 in the 4A state prelims. Roberts’ wind-legal best remains 11.80.

After suffering a hamstring injury during the indoor season, Roberts is entered Friday in the 100 prelims, but it remains to see if she will compete.

If Roberts is unable to compete, Darby Thomas of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln could also challenge the meet record, placing third last season. Thomas has run a personal-best 11.83.

Thomas is also scheduled to compete in the 100 hurdles and long jump, looking to defend her title in the latter after a leap of 18-4 (5.58m) last season.

Sprint supremacy

Ankeny Centennial senior Ryan Vanbaale was edged by West Burlington’s Isaiah Trousil in the boys 100-meter dash final last year.

In addition to the title, Vanbaale is also seeking a bigger prize Friday by challenging the wind-legal meet record of 10.61 set in 2012 by Cedar Falls’ James Harrington. Trousil ran a wind-aided 10.53 last season, with Vanbaale clocking 10.67.

Vanbaale, the 4A state runner-up last season, has a personal-best 10.56.

Gage Clay of AvoHa-Shelby-Tennant-Walnut is also a strong challenger, having run 10.69 at a home meet April 5.

Back for more

Linn-Mar won a great battle last year with Assumption in the girls 800-meter sprint medley relay, prevailing by a 1:46.16 to 1:46.63 margin.

Linn-Mar returns seniors Ariana Rolle, Olivia Hubler, Payton Wensel and junior Jill Bennett from that lineup, giving the Lions the potential to challenge the 1985 meet record of 1:44.98 set by Des Moines Roosevelt.

Rolle and Wensel have run on the 800 sprint medley relay for Linn-Mar all four years at Drake Relays.
Des Moines Roosevelt was the last team to win back-to-back sprint medley titles in 2012-13.

Stepping into the spotlight

After the top three finishers in last year’s boys 3,200 meters graduated, there are four promising talents looking to step forward and challenge for the title Thursday in the Distance Carnival.

Gable Sieperda of Central Lyon, Camden Cox of Ankeny Centennial, Myles Bach of Marion and Kolby Greiner of Iowa City West are all capable contenders. Greiner boasts the fastest time in the group with a personal-best 9:13.35.

The 2014 meet record of 8:58.46 set by Boone’s Albert Meier isn’t expected to be threatened, but a winning performance under 9:10 for the second year in a row is a strong possibility.

More distance dominance from Dowling Catholic

Dowling Catholic had four sophomores on its lineup last year when the Maroons won the girls 4x800 relay in 9:25.81.

Sydnee Miller, Katie Timboe, Janey Meilander and Kelsey Schweizer lowered their mark to 9:24.85 at the 4A state final, but this year the quartet is aspiring to even bigger goals in Saturday’s final.

Dowling Catholic holds the meet record of 9:11.01 from 2001, a group that was anchored by Katie Flood. The state record of 9:09.09 belongs to Iowa City West, also from 2001.

Showcasing her strength

Linn-Mar senior Payton Wensel will be a valuable asset in the Lions’ relays, but she also has an opportunity to not only defend her title in the 400 hurdles Saturday, but challenge the meet record.

Wensel, who is also entered in the 800, prevailed in the 400 hurdles last year in 1:02.17. North Davenport’s A.G. Bradford set the mark of 1:01.01 in 2008.

Wensel boasts a personal-best 1:01.45 in the 400 hurdles, along with 2:13.22 in the 800.

A potential finish with flair

Southeast Polk won the girls 4x400 relay last year in 3:51.24.

With Tarryn Hill and Sydney Milani returning from that lineup for the Rams, a possible run at the 2009 meet record of 3:50.21 set by Waukee could provide a thrilling finish to the meet Saturday.

Southeast Polk, the reigning 4A state 4x400 champion, is the only team in the state to run under 4:00 so far this season, clocking 3:59.42 on April 12 at the Ames Invitational.