There will be plenty of returning champs and many more aiming to become champs Friday and Saturday at the 71st Annual Chandler Rotary Track and Field Meet at Chandler High Austin Field.

Twelve defending champs covering 14 events  return to the Rotary, according to meet director Dave Shapiro. A total of 107 schools will be represented.

The returning boys champs are: Elijah Britton, Montwood, Tx (110 hurdles); Trae Armstrong, Deer Valley (100, 200); Dylan Hambright, Arcadia (400); Billy Orman, Tuba City (3,200); Danny Tarango, Burgess, Tx (800); returning girls champs are Alexis Roberts, Chandler (400); Jaide Stepter, Canyon del Oro (300 hurdles); Tess Burghoff, Arcadia (800); Sarah Fakler, Xavier (3,200; Tinisha Tousssaint, Desert Vista (high jump); Hannah Carson, Chandler (shot put) and Jasmine Todd, Chandler (triple jump and long jump).

Shapiro, who seeds the meet, offers several highly competiitive events for spectators to focus on when Saturday's seeded portion of the meet  takes place.

Shapiro highlights these girls events on Saturday:

300 hurdles: Canyon del Oro's Stepter, who is pursuing Chaparral's Christy Nore's state record set back in the 1980s, could be challenged by Shea Grant (Estrella Foothills); Victoria McArthur (Hamilton) and Makailla Flannigan (Chandler). 200 meters: Ana Holland of Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo) has run 24.92. Competition will come from Jasmine Pratt (Estrella Foothills) and Rachel Johns (Notre Dame Prep). 800 meters: A trio of Arizona state champs from last year -- Yasmine Yacut (Desert Vista), Berghoff (Arcadia) and Chastine Virgin (Show Low). Pole vault: After the  four-year dominion of Desert Vista's Shayla Simpson, Kylie Harmon (Desert Vista), Lindsey Pew (Mesa Mtn. View), Ashley Groves (Cienega 4A-I champ) and Haley Bowser (Chandler)  are the top contenders. Mile Split Mile: Nationally ranked Julia Foster (Albuquerque, (N.,M.) Academy heads the field and faces a challenge from  last year's second-best, Fakler. Others in the mix are Rolonda Jumbo (Chinle), Haley Stenquist (Sabino), Marissa Opatz (Desert Mountain) and Kristi Rush (Highland). Shapiro said this will be dedicated to the memory of former Arizona prep champion standout Sally Meyerhoff.

Boys events to watch on Saturday:

Discus: Three Arizona champs from last year Jeremy Tuttle (Buena), Brendon Pineda (Tolleson) and Sabas Garcia (Florence) plus Lancer Howard (El Paso Parkland, Tx) and Brian Thompson (Mtn. Ridge) compete in an event whre 175 feet might get you fifth place. 110 high hurdles: Arizona state champs Cameron Taylor (Westwood), Erwin Jones (Shadow Mountain), Britton (Montwood, Tx) and Lezo Urreiztieta (Canyon del Oro). A good bet a meet record will fall. 200 meters: Armstrong could be challenged by Malik McKinney (Mullin, Colo) and Devon Allen (Brophy). Five of the entrants have qualifying marks of 22.00 or better. 800 meters: Not everyone with a sub-2:00 time could qualify  for the fast heat. Defending meet champ Tarango (El Paso Burgess, Tx) will have to fend off Dylan Souza (Catalina Foothills). Twelve other runners have run 1:58.7 or faster. Mile Split Mile: Orman, with a 4:16.00 mark this season figures to be the favorite, but  could face a challenge from Rex Woodbury (Catalina Foothills) and Alejandro Montano (Catalina).

The meet start time on Friday for open invitational running events is at 1 p.m. Open invitational field events begin a t 12:30 p.m.

The meet start time on Saturday for seeded invitational running events is at 9:45 a.m. Field events begin a 10 a.m. Start times for individual field events are: Boys and girls triple jump - 10 a.m.; Boys discus, girls shot put and boys high jump - 10:30 a.m.; Boys pole vault - 1:30 p.m.; Boys shot put, Girls discus, Girls high jump - 3 p.m.; Boys and girls long jump - 3 p.m.;  Girls pole vault - 5 p.m.. Lane event finals - Begin with 4 X 800 relay at 4:15 p.m. running through to approxmiately 9 p.m. with the 1,600 relay.