By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Here is a list of 10 freshmen athletes you don't want to miss Friday and Saturday at the 97th CIF State Championships:

Rylee Bowen, Sonoma Academy
The national freshman leader in the 1,600 following her 4:43.92 to win the North Coast Section Meet of Champions, Bowen has the third-fastest time in the state overall. Bowen's effort is the No. 2 freshman time in state history, trailing only Mary Decker's 4:40.4 from 1973. The last time a freshman made the 1,600 podium at state was Torrey Pines' Alli Billmeyer in 2008.

Kirsten Carter, Santa Rosa
Elevated to the No. 2 freshman in the country following her 54.24 in the 400 to win the North Coast Section Meet of Champions, giving her the second-fastest time in the state overall. Carter has the fastest freshman 200 time nationally under all conditions with her 23.80 at the North Coast Section Redwood Empire Area meet and ran a wind-legal 24.36 at the Meet of Champions. Carter is looking to follow Long Beach Poly's Kaelin Roberts, who won the 400 state title as a freshman last year.

Jada Hicks, Upland
The fastest freshman under all conditions in the country with her 13.81 in the 100-meter hurdles at the Mt. SAC Relays. Hicks ran a wind-legal 14.08 at the Southern Section Masters meet and will look to carry that momentum to a podium finish, which Vacaville's Jurnee Woodward and Roosevelt's Jasmyne Graham both accomplished as freshmen. Hicks has also been an integral part of Upland's progress in the 4 x 100 relay.

Sean Lee, Trabuco Hills
The top boys freshman high jumper in the country having cleared 6-9 at the ASICS/Mt. Carmel Invitational and repeating the feat to win the Southern Section Masters meet. Lee is looking to break the state freshman record of 6-10 set in 1996 by Selma's Gabriel Zarate.

Rylee Penn, Corona Centennial
The second-fastest freshman nationally in the 800 meters with her 2:10.08 at the Southern Section Division 1 finals, Penn placed fifth at the Masters meet to advance to the state prelims. The last ninth-grader to make the state podium was Carlmont's Justine Fedronic in 2006.

Alexis Vincent-Walker, Clovis
The Central Section Masters high jump champion after clearing 5-5, Vincent-Walker is tied for fifth nationally among freshmen with a 5-7 clearance at the West Coast Relays. Harvard-Westlake's Alexandria Florent and Buena's Erinn Beattie both made the state podium as freshmen in 2012, an achievement Vincent-Walker will try to match while competing against the senior standouts.

Kali Hatcher, St. Mary’s Berkeley
Placed third at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions but is entered fourth overall in the triple jump with a wind-aided 39-8 3/4, the No. 7 mark under all conditions among freshmen nationally. Sasha Wallace, then competing for Holy Names, was the last freshman to make the state podium in 2010.

Hannah Hall, James Logan
The No. 3 freshman nationally in the discus throw after winning the North Coast Section Meet of Champions with a mark of 141-4. Hall is also eighth in the country among ninth-graders in the shot put with a 41-7 from the Meet of Champions, where she finished third. The last time a freshman made the state final in both the shot put and discus throw was 2012.

Breanna Bernard-Joseph and Tahlia Adams, Roosevelt
Instrumental in Roosevelt's success in the 4 x 400 relay, helping the Mustangs run 3:44.76, the second-fastest time in the state, at the Southern Section Division 1 finals. Roosevelt finished seventh at the Southern Section Masters meet, but with a healthy lineup and strong performances from Adams and Bernard-Joseph, they could be in title contention in the final.