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Nothing says outdoor season like a massive track meet hosted by Stanford!

Slated for April 1-2, the Stanford Invitational is known as one of the premier track-and-field events of the season. California’s top preps, the NCAA’s best student-athletes and a slew of professionals will test their fitness at Cobb Track and Angell Field this weekend, and FloTrack will be there to provide 20-plus hours of coverage!

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The Women of the Stanford Invite

5000m

Dominique Scott of Arkansas and New Zealand's three-time Olympian Kim Smith will both make their highly anticipated 5000m debuts in Palo Alto this weekend.

After crushing a 1500m in 4:15 on her home track last weekend, Scott, the returning NCAA 10,000m/5000m runner-up and South African Olympic hopeful, is looking to run fast.

After surgery and giving birth to her daughter in 2015, it’s been quite some time since Smith, a three-time Olympian for New Zealand, has run on the track —three seasons, to be exact. Though her 14:39 PB puts her in a class above the rest, she hasn't run a 5k on the track since 2013. But she does train with Molly Huddle and Emily Sisson in Providence, so we should still expect to see her toward the front of the pack.

In addition, the B.A.A. crew of Elaina Balouris, Emma Bates (15:32 in this race last year) and Sarah Pagano should be in the mix. Bates was close to the Olympic Trials qualifier of 15:25 last year, and this would be a great place to grab it. Canadian Sasha Gollish has 2:02 wheels and a half marathon PB of 1:12:36 from this past December. Though her 5000m PB of 16:02 is a far cry from Olympic standards, Gollish’s range points in the direction of a deadly 3.1 miles.

This race will also mark the return of New Mexico’s Alice Wright. The 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship's fifth-place finisher did not compete indoor after the Lobos' historical fall campaign. Wright has 15:45 speed, but is more of a 10k specialist, having earned bronze at the 2015 European U23 Championships in 32:46. If healthy, Wright could be a force in this race.

NCAA studs Kaitlyn Benner of Colorado, Erika Kemp of North Carolina State and Bethan Knights of Cal are coming off successful indoor campaigns and good breakout marks.

Check out the 2015 Stanford Invite 5000m match between Gabe Grunewald and Nicole SIfuentes:

3000m Steeplechase

The women’s steeplechase competition features veterans, newcomers and a lot of questions.

Pac-12 champion Erin Clark was good last year, but after a monster fall campaign (Pre-Nats champion, 11th at the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship) she should be much, much better. Clark will make her outdoor debut along with her new teammate, Lucy Cheadle. Cheadle comes from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was a three-time NCAA Division III champion. Her steeplechase PB of 10:20 is sure to come down under the leadership of Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs, who coached the two fastest American steeplers of all time: Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn.

New Mexico Lobo Molly Renfer, competing unattached, is also entered. Renfer finished 24th in the NCAA Cross Country Championship and has no prior steeplechase experience. What sparked this change? She improved by minutes in cross country and was a valuable part of the Lobos' historic victory, but what the heck is she going to do in the steeplechase? You'll have to tune in to find out! Renfer's former Harvard teammate Paige Kouba should find herself in the mix, as well. The senior set Harvard's school record in the 1500m at the Raleigh Relays in 4:16.46 -- nearly an eight-second improvement from her personal best.

Check out the women's 3000m steeplechase race from the 2015 Stanford Invitational:

10,000m

Laura Thweatt returns to the outdoor track after her 2015 debut marathon, a stunning 2:28:23 in New York City. Afterwards, Thweatt's name immediately entered the U.S. Olympic marathon team conversation, but chose not to compete in Los Angeles this February. After running new 3000m (8:57) and indoor 5000m (15:35) PBs this winter, it's obvious her mind is on making it to Rio in the 10,000m. 32:15 is the Olympic standard, with 32:25 being the Olympic Trials qualifier.

Oiselle athlete Stephanie (Rothstein) Bruce of NAZ Elite will return to the track for the first time since 2012 this weekend. After giving birth to two sons, Bruce has been in and out of racing since 2013. But after taking second in the U.S. 15k Championships, the 2:29 marathoner is looking for another shot of Olympic glory. The Trials mark of 32:25 is just one second slower than Bruce's PB (she ran 32:24 for eighth at the 2012 Olympic Trials), but if there's any place to run a fast 10,000m race, it's Stanford. Bruce's teammate Rochelle Kanuho already earned the Olympic standard with a 32:08 at the Pacific Pursuit, and by the look of this video, she's been having a blast training alongside teammates Craig Lutz and Scott Fauble.



In addition, NCAA stars Chelsea Blaase of Tennessee, Hannah Everson of Air Force, Sharon Lokedi of Kansas, Courtney Smith of Harvard and Catarina Rocha of Providence are proven on the grass and on the track, where they will fight this weekend for the top collegiate spots.

Watch the 2015 Stanford Invite 10,000m battle between Shalane Flanagan and Goleta Burka:

1500m

Sara Sutherland will make her professional debut for Saucony in the 1500m. Armed with a 4:11 PB, the former Colorado and Texas All-American has been training in Boulder since her eligibility ended in 2015, but has not raced since placing fifth at the World University Games' 5000m. Colorado freshman Dani Jones only raced twice this indoor season (4:38 and 4:39 miles in Seattle) after a fairly successful fall (49th at NCAA Cross Country Championship) and will likely be a stellar addition for the Buffs this weekend.

Steeplechase athlete Erin Teschuk won her section of this race last year in a 4:17 PB. Her Millrose Games 1500m split, however, was 4:14. She's coming off a solid sixth place in the mile and fourth place in the 3000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships and is looking to make the Canadian Olympic team in the steeple. With the wheels moving, could a Sutherland vs. Teschuk match-up lead to the fastest time of the day?