Longmont's Elizabeth Stover and Thompson Valley's Brooke Regan hope the adage "third time is a charm" continues for them at the Class 4A state track meet at Jefferson County Stadium.

Stover, who holds the all-classification state record in the pole vault, at 13 feet, 4 inches, will be seeking her third championship in her specialty. Regan will be seeking to win a third time in the 800 meters.

"It is very exciting," said Stover, a senior who is headed for Purdue and set the Class 5A meet record, at 12-7. "Just to break the 13-foot barrier is really great, and now the goal is 13-6. As for 4A, there are not that many girls who have been close to me, but I've got mental competition with (Rampart's 5A champion) Kelly Ehardt now."

"Yet there is certainly some pressure," said Stover, who also will compete in the long jump, 100 hurdles and on the 4X100 relay team. "There are a lot of people expecting me to vault high and I'm going to go out and see what happens."

While Stover will be the heavy favorite in her competition, that's not the case for Regan, a junior. Eleven of the top 12 finishers from the 800 last year return. Also, teammate Laura Tremebly, who placed seventh, has had a tremendous season, already having beat several of the contenders.

"The season has been overcoming bumps and grinds," said Regan, who also will compete in the 800 and 1,600 relays. "I've been doing everything possible to get healthy again. Winning as a freshman was a shock. I was like, 'Whoa! What just happened?' There was pressure to come back and do it again, but I felt ready. Now, with two behind me, we will just have to see how this week goes."

CLASS 5A

* Overview: George Washington is the defending champion, and the Patriots should contend again with DeVen Hamlet (sprints), Trishawn Battista (middle distances), Taylor Reed (hurdles and jumps) and sisters Denise and Aletha Smith.

Fort Collins, led by state long jump champion Emmalie Pfankuch and one of the finest overall distance quartets in Tati Ogan, Kelsey Follett, Miranda Benzel and Rachel Viger, could be hard to hold off. When it comes to distance events, though, look for sisters Alexa and Natosha Rogers to lead Dakota Ridge to a high team finish.

Wheat Ridge, with super freshman hurdler Anna Kuntz, and Doherty, behind four-event standout Carly Allen, also should put their teams in the chase.

* Top performers: Only four individual champions return, and all are in the field events. . . . Rampart's Ehardt is one of only two pole vaulters to eclipse 13 feet. She is a solid favorite to repeat, and her goal is to better Longmont's 4A record holder Stover. . . . Morgan Sedivec of Heritage and Karen Wyatt of Palmer will be after their second titles in the shot put and discus, respectively. . . . Dakota Ridge's Rogers sisters are the top returning state place winners in the 1,600 and 3,200 and could make it a 1-2 sweep in the events. . . . Doherty's Allen, third in the 300 hurdles and triple jump, fourth in the 100 hurdles and sixth in the long jump, is a threat to be a four-event winner.

* Events to watch: The distance events - the 1,600 and 3,200 - should be decided between the Rogers sisters, and possibly teammate Kaitie Vanatta. . . . The 100 meters will be exciting with Doherty's Allen and Taylor Baird of Heritage burning up the track. . . . Arvada's Ashley Fanelli, second last year in the triple jump, also probably will have to contend with Allen.

CLASS 4A

* Overview: The team race is going to be brutal. Mullen, which has won 10 of the past 11 state titles, was beaten by Widefield at regionals, but the Mustangs didn't have all their standouts, such as sprinter Laura Palmere, in the field. The only time in the past decade the Mustangs didn't win was in 2004 (Lewis-Palmer).

Longmont, Greeley West, Thompson Valley and Conifer are loaded to the hilt with talent. Greeley West's Kendra Gerk will go for repeats in the 1,600 and 3,200, and Conifer's Emily Blok hopes to once again hold of Palmere in the 100 and 200.

Individually, 11 state champions among the 14 events are back. The only events without a returning state champion are the 400 meters, high jump and triple jump.

* Top performers: Along with Blok and Gerk, Liz Johnson of Fossil Ridge (shot put, discus) will try to become a double-event winner again. Johnson might have the most difficulty, as she has been competing after having anterior cruciate ligament surgery earlier this year. Her best opportunity could be in the discus. . . . The only individual All-Colorado girls record-holder is Stover, who set the state mark in the pole vault at regionals last week. . . . State champs Ashely Rohweder of Eagle Valley (300 hurdles), Kayla Wein of Broomfield (100 hurdles) and Erin Urbanoski of Moffat County (long jump) also return.

* Events to watch: Regan is going for her third title in the 800, but with 15 top finishers from last season returning, it will be tough. . . . All three sprints could be decided between Blok and Palmere. . . . Greeley West teammates Gerk and Erica Hinchcliffe should decide the 1,600 and 3,200.

CLASS 3A

* Overview: The Classical Academy appears poised to win its third consecutive championship. The Titans are especially strong in the distance events, where 1,600 and 3,200 runner-up Kaitlin Hanenburg will lead the way. Also, Shannon Harrell returns to defend her title in the 400, and sprinter Samantha Reid, second in the 100 and 200, also is back.

Peak to Peak, Eaton, University, Platte Canyon and Cedaredge all have solid teams, but they might not have the depth to overcome the Titans.

* Top performers: Six state champions return, led by Peak to Peak's Margaret Weingaret, who won both hurdle events. . . . Yuma's Morgan Spencer won the discus and will try to double in the shot put, in which she placed sixth last year. Champion Annita Alvarez of Eaton returns in the shot put and Katie Dreher of Salida returns in the triple jump. . . . Sheridan's Tacole Williams is after her second title in the 200.

* Events to watch: The top eight medal winners return in the 200, making it no easy task for Williams. . . . The weight events figure to be decided by champions Alvarez (shot put) and Spencer (discus), but Kasey Becco of Florence could surprise. . . . Holy Family's Jessica Giltner finished third, one spot behind Hanenburg, in the 1,600 and 800 last season.

CLASS 2A

* Overview: Limon is seeking its fifth consecutive title and eighth overall, but Akron is ready to challenge. Neither has a returning individual champion, but depth once again places them among the favorites.

What makes the team race interesting is that Crowley County placed third last season, with all points scored by Shaylee Robinette, who won four events (100, 200, 400 and triple jump) for the Chargers.

Burlington and Lyons can't be overlooked, as they both have showed well in this weather- plagued season. Eleven state champions among the 14 events return.

* Top performers: Robinette heads a list of seven champions who combined to win 11 of the 14 individual events. Emma Coburn of Crested Butte is the only other multiple-event winner back and will be seeking her third title in the 1,600, as well as her second in the 800 and 3,200. . . . Discus champion Brittany Brown of Sangre de Cristo and shot put winner Talli Hansen of Eads will face each other for the final time. . . . Hurdle champions Lindsey Grasmick of Fowler (300s) and Emily Hanna of Fountain Valley (100s) will face off. . . . Morgan Witzel of Burlington will try to win her second high jump crown. . . . Freshman sprinter/middle-distance runner Ashley Atkin of Caliche is a star of the future. In the Class A Statewide Invitational two weeks ago, she won four events.

* Events to watch: Atkin will try and put a dent in the hopes of two-time champion Robinette in the 200. . . . The 800 features defending champion Coburn, who could face a field that includes four sophomores who finished third, fourth, fifth and sixth last year, and Atkin. . . . Han- sen is the defending champion in the shot put, but Brown, as well as the next three place winners from last season, also are in the field.

STATE TRACK AND FIELD

* When: Friday and Saturday.

* Where: Class 5A and 4A, Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood; Class 3A and 2A, Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo.

* When: Events at both facilities begin at 9:30 a.m. each day. For complete meet schedules and event heat sheets, go to chsaa.org.

* Admission: All-session pass, $14. Individual session pass, $8. Student/child session pass, $6.