By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 31st annual CIF State Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 25 at Woodward Park in Fresno. The schedule is as follows: 8:30 a.m. Division 5 girls, 9:05 a.m. Division 1 girls, 9:35 a.m. Division 5 boys, 10:05 a.m. Division 1 boys, 10:35 a.m. Division 2 girls, 11:05 a.m. Division 3 boys, 11:35 a.m. Division 4 girls, 12:05 p.m. Division 2 boys, 12:35 p.m. Division 3 girls, 1:05 p.m. Division 4 boys.

WOODWARD PARK ALL-TIME TEAM PERFORMANCES

Here are 10 storylines to follow at one of the strongest state finals in the country, which also serves as a selection meet for Nike Cross Nationals:

Lane looks to be part of record cycle

Ten years ago, Riverbank’s German Fernandez set the all-time boys record on the 5-kilometer Woodward Park course, clocking 14 minutes, 24 seconds to win the Division 4 state title.

Five years ago, Simi Valley’s Sarah Baxter produced the fastest girls time at Woodward Park, winning the Division 1 championship in 16:39.7.

So the timing only appears to be right for Malibu junior Claudia Lane to add her name to that impressive cycle by attempting to eclipse Baxter’s all-time mark Saturday in the Division 4 final.

Lane has already broken Baxter’s records on the 3-mile course at Lake Casitas and the 2.93-mile layout at Mt. San Antonio College, but to run the fastest female time ever at Woodward Park would be one of the most respected performances, not only in California but throughout the country.

Lane ran 16:45 last season, setting the sophomore record and elevating her to the third-fastest performer at Woodward Park, trailing only Baxter and former three-time state champ at Santa Rosa, Julia Stamps, who ran 16:43 in 1996.

Lane clocked 15:49.4 at the CIF Southern Section Division 4 prelims Nov. 11 to set the all-time 3-mile record at the Riverside Cross Country Course. She backed off Nov. 18 at the section final to repeat as champion in 16:32.5, setting the stage for what could be a remarkable effort in pursuit of becoming the first back-to-back champion in Division 4 since former Scotts Valley standout and Stanford fifth-year senior Vanessa Fraser won in 2011-12.

Great Oak eyes another grand slam

Already with five consecutive Division 1 girls state titles, Great Oak is looking for a fourth straight boys championship, which would make the Wolfpack the only program in state history to achieve the feat of at least four in a row in both genders.

Great Oak would also join Woodcrest Christian (2005-09), Barstow (2005-08) and McFarland (1992-95) as the only boys teams in state history to win at least four consecutive championships.

Nordhoff has six boys titles and five girls crowns overall, but the Rangers never won more than three in a row in either gender in the 1990s.

If Great Oak can sweep both championships again, the Wolfpack would tie Nordhoff with 11 combined titles, the most in state history. It would also help Great Oak coach Doug Soles equal Ken Reeves for the most state championships at one school. Reeves guided Nordhoff to all 11 titles from 1990-98, before adding two more last year by sweeping the Division 4 crowns at Foothill Technology.

Saugus is also in the conversation to make history as well, with nine girls crowns and one boys title under coach Rene Paragas, but the Centurions could add to that list after placing second to Claremont in both CIF Southern Section Division 2 finals. Saugus holds the all-time state record with 11 consecutive podium finishes, a streak the Centurions should add to this year in pursuit of San Francisco University’s girls overall record of 14 top-three finishes.

Great Oak is also chasing both of its all-time Woodward Park records. The Wolfpack ran 76:10 for the boys mark and 89:13 for the girls standard in 2015.

Another Wolfpack approaching history

Claremont became the first Division 2 program since San Pasqual in 1990 to sweep boys and girls championships in the same year by winning its first title in each gender last season.

The Wolfpack now has an opportunity to join Great Oak and Nordhoff as the only programs in state history to capture both crowns in the same year multiple times.

Great Oak has swept both genders the past three years in Division 1 and is favored to do so again this season. Nordhoff achieved the feat in Division 3 in 1995 and again in Division 4 in 1998.

Claremont repeated as CIF Southern Section Division 2 girls champion Nov. 18 and captured its first boys section title since 1962.

Sydney Hwang, Azalea Segura Mora and Tess Rounds return for Claremont from last year’s girls championship lineup. Ryan Cowgill is the lone returning member of last year’s boys title-winning squad.

Flintridge Prep looks to join fantastic four

Not only is Flintridge Prep looking to equal the Division 5 girls record of four consecutive championships established by San Francisco University from 2009-12, the Rebels are also looking to become just the fourth girls program in state history to win at least four in a row.

Saugus holds the overall record at seven straight from 2006-12, with Great Oak having won the past five Division 1 championships.

Sophie Gitlin, Sasha Codiga, Jenna Mijares and Gabi Bennett return for Flintridge Prep from last year’s championship lineup that set the Division 5 record at Woodward Park by clocking 95:19, in addition to producing the largest margin of victory in division history.

The Rebels could also make history by sweeping Division 5 titles for the second time, along with 2015. Flintridge Prep’s boys placed third in the CIF Southern Section final Nov. 18, but hold the overall state record with 16 podium finishes, including five championships.

Pursuing Portland

Great Oak is again favored to secure one of two automatic berths in both genders to compete Dec. 2 at Nike Cross Nationals at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore., but the battles for the second guaranteed spot and potential at-large berths could come down to teams in different races.

Buchanan, which is seeking its first state title since 1994, will have the opportunity to compete head to head against Great Oak in what is expected to be one of the fastest Division 1 girls finals in history.

Claremont, Saugus, Granada and Capistrano Valley will race 90 minutes later in the Division 2 girls final, with the results from all five divisions merged into one hypothetical championship to determine the NXN qualifiers.

Although Division 3 Cathedral Catholic secured the second automatic boys berth last season, it appears this year’s challengers are expected to come from the top two divisions.

Great Oak held off a deep field at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals, including Roosevelt, Dana Hills and Loyola. Although Claremont prevailed against Saugus and West Ranch in the Division 2 championship, they will all have to contend with North Coast Section winner Dublin and Central Coast Section all-time record holder St. Francis Mountain View.

Depending on the merged results of the five boys finals and how narrow the separation is among the top four teams, California could have a strong case to secure not just one of the four available boys at-large bids, but possibly two.

Next in line

While Malibu junior Claudia Lane and senior Olivia O’Keeffe at Davis Senior have the opportunity to repeat as state champions, St. Joseph Notre Dame junior Emily Perez could make history in Division 5, along with Larkspur Redwood senior Gillian Wagner and Rubidoux junior Kevin Ramos in Division 3.

After teammate Kiera Marshall won the Division 5 girls championship last year, Perez is looking to make St. Joseph Notre Dame the first program in division history to produce different state champions in consecutive years. That would be in addition to the Pilots’ back-to-back boys titles won in 2015-16 by Cooper Teare.

Wagner was second in Division 3 last year behind teammate Glennis Murphy. Wagner and Murphy would be the first teammates in Division 3 since Corona del Mar’s Annie St. Geme and Sarah Cummings in 2005-06 to win back-to-back girls titles. Wagner and Larkspur Redwood junior Liam Anderson could also become the first teammates to sweep girls and boys Division 3 titles in state history.

Ramos, who placed 10th in Division 3 last season, is looking to follow teammate Erik Gonzalez as champion. The last school to produce different Division 3 boys winners in consecutive years was Livermore in 1994-95 with Micheil Jones and Joe Smith.

Is the wait finally over?

Cathedral Catholic (Division 3) and Lancaster Desert Christian (Division 5) captured the first boys state titles in program history last year.

This year, La Costa Canyon might finally end its girls drought in Division 3 after so many impressive performances in the past decade have resulted in second-, third- and fourth-place finishes at Woodward Park.

The Mavericks have placed second in each of the top three divisions, taking runner-up to Great Oak in Division 1 in 2010, finishing behind Saugus in Division 2 in 2011-12 and falling just short against Aptos in Division 3 in 2015, before placing fourth last year.

La Costa Canyon will face significant competition in Division 3 from Aptos, Campolindo and Vista del Lago. Campolindo has captured three titles and Aptos two, with Vista del Lago seeking its first championship.

Cathedral could also make history with a Division 4 boys championship. The Phantoms, seventh last year in Division 3, have never placed in the top five in a state final, but are among the favorites to win following the program’s first CIF Southern Section title Nov. 18.

Cathedral will receive strong challenges from Placer, Sage Creek and Sir Francis Drake, also seeking their first championships.

Dublin is pursuing its first Division 2 boys crown following a fourth-place finish last year. The Gaels will be tested by St. Francis Mountain View, Claremont, Saugus and West Ranch.

St. Francis Mountain View has won two titles, with Claremont and Saugus each securing one. West Ranch is still searching for its first crown after a third-place finish last season.

Mayfield and Santa Cruz are both battling for their first Division 4 girls title, looking to knock off defending-champion Foothill Technology.

Battle royale for boys supremacy

In addition to the quest to win division titles, the chase for the top five individual boys berths to Nike Cross Nationals is going to be highly competitive, especially in Division 1.

Bellarmine College Prep senior Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau, the top returning performer after placing third last year, will square off against El Camino Real senior Justin Hazell, fourth last season. Hazell is looking to become the first L.A. City Section athlete to capture a state cross country title.

In addition to Hazell and Beaudoin-Rousseau, Loyola senior Shane Bissell, Crescenta Valley senior Colin FitzGerald, Great Oak senior Carlos Carvajal and Roosevelt senior Tyler Spencer are all contenders, with Jesuit sophomore Matt Strangio, Dana Hills senior Jack Landgraf and Mira Costa senior Xavier Court as potential darkhorses.

Although there is no clear favorite in Division 2, perhaps the course familiarity of Bakersfield Highland senior Moises Medrano could make a difference against Canyon junior Ethan Danforth, Redlands East Valley senior Elias Opsahl, Newport Harbor junior Alexis Garcia, West Ranch senior Preston Pope, Andrew P. Hill senior Jorge Estrella, St. Francis Mountain View senior Shyam Kumar, Del Norte senior Jaron Farnham, Mt. Carmel senior Samuel Boone, De La Salle senior Connor Livingston and the Dublin trio of Loic Scomparin, Gaurav Phanse and Adrian Schroeder.

In Division 3, a trio of top athletes should contend for the championship, with Larkspur Redwood junior Liam Anderson, Rubidoux junior Kevin Ramos and Cathedral Catholic senior Joaquin Martinez de Pinillos all capable of winning, as well as challenging the 15-minute barrier.

Perhaps the most underrated boys race is in Division 4, with Menlo senior Robert Miranda, JSerra sophomore Anthony Grover, Liberty Ranch senior Collin Ullrich and San Rafael senior Munir Kabbara all in contention after the top four finishers from last year’s final graduated.

Flintridge Prep senior Evan Pattinelli, runner-up last year to two-time champion Cooper Teare of St. Joseph Notre Dame, is the Division 5 boys favorite.

Guaranteed girl power

Although Malibu junior Claudia Lane is a strong favorite in Division 4, the top three divisions all have plenty of depth and several challengers capable of capturing individual titles.

One of the most anticipated battles in years will unfold in Division 1, with defending-champion Olivia O’Keeffe of Davis Senior looking to hold off a stacked field in an attempt to join older sister and Stanford sophomore Fiona O'Keeffe (2013-14) as back-to-back champion.

Senior twins Elena Denner and Maddy Denner of Oak Ridge, Buchanan junior Meagen Lowe and sophomore Corie Smith, Great Oak junior Fatima Cortes and sophomore Tori Gaitan, Martin Luther King junior Lauren Peurifoy and Walnut junior Chloe Arriaga not only have the potential to win the championship, but potentially challenge the 17-minute barrier at Woodward Park.

Capistrano Valley senior Haley Herberg and Saugus senior Mariah Castillo will square off again in the Division 2 final after a great battle at the CIF Southern Section championship meet, with Anaheim Canyon senior Sara Leonard, Claremont junior Sydney Hwang, Capistrano Valley senior Alyssa Bautista and Oakmont senior Alize Hartke also in contention.

One of the most competitive matchups could develop in Division 3, with Larkspur Redwood senior Gillian Wagner, La Costa Canyon junior Kristin Fahy, Aptos senior Marea Zlatunich and Oak Park junior Sylvia Cruz-Albrecht – the top four returning performers from last year – reuniting, along with Live Oak senior Kaylah Grant and Campolindo standouts Isabella Chao, Jenna Miles and Emma Overell.

Ready to deliver dazzling debuts

Buchanan’s Corie Smith and JSerra’s Anthony Grover were the fastest freshmen at last season’s state finals and a year later, both are in contention for individual championships.

This season, the fastest ninth-grade male runner could be Brea-Olinda’s Jonathan Manara, Campolindo’s Dylan Gunn, Buchanan’s Bo Olsen, Bakersfield Ridgeview’s Gerardo Moreno or West Campus’ Godebo Chapman, although breaking 16 minutes will be a challenge.

On the girls side, Mayfield’s Audrey Suarez, Chino Hills’ Jacqueline Duarte, Colony’s Amber Rios, Simi Valley’s Jill Walker, McFarland’s Hilda Gonzalez, Cosumnes Oaks’ Natalie Harper, Vista del Lago’s Anna Vogtmann and La Canada's Kayley Bond all have the potential to earn a spot on the all-time Woodward Park freshman list. Suarez ran the No. 25 freshman time in course history Oct. 7 with her 17:50.3 at the Clovis Invitational.