The Penn State National Open takes place on Friday and Saturday and features Nittany Lion stars Isaiah Harris and Danae Rivers competing along with a strong contingent of collegiate and post-collegiate talent. 

For reference, here are the full entries and the schedule for meet, and you can watch the Nittany Lion Challenge LIVE on FloTrack.

Here are a few events and storylines we’re following.

Harris Makes His 800m Debut

Who: Isaiah Harris

What: Men’s 800m Invitational

When: Saturday, 3:15 PM ET

Why: In the first two weekends of his indoor season, Isaiah Harris has run a mile, a 600, and a leg on a 4x400m relay. On Saturday, he will get his first crack at his best event. This will be his first 800m since he raced at the 2017 World Indoor Championships in London. 

By this point in the season last year, Harris had run 1:46.65 on his way to finishing fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. His all-time indoor best of 1:46.24 might be attainable on Saturday. Joining him on the start line will be fellow Nittany Lion Domenic Perretta and veteran 800m runner Ryan Martin. Perretta served as a pacer at the Nittany Lion Challenge two weeks ago and made the NCAA championships outdoors last season as a freshman. Martin, who competes for Furman Elite, has an outdoor person best of 1:44.77. Chris Sanders of La Salle and Dylan Capwell of Monmouth, both with outdoor personal bests of 1:46, are also entered. 

800 or Mile For Rivers?

Who: Danae Rivers

What: Women’s Mile Invitational

When: Saturday, 3:40 PM ET

Why: Rivers showed incredible promise in her freshman year for Penn State. She finished third at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile and ran 2:02.53 outdoors. Judging by last week, she’s poised to top that in 2018. Rivers ran 2:03.13 at last weekend’s Clemson Invitational, less than a second off her outdoor personal best in her first race of the year. Saturday, she takes that speed to the mile. Her fastest time ever in that event is 4:32.55. Perhaps this weekend will shed some light on whether she has a better path to an NCAA title in the mile or 800m. 

A National Champion Returns

Who: Myles Pringle

What: Men’s 400m Invitational

When: Men 3:05 PM ET

Why: Pringle is the reigning men’s 400m Division II national champion indoors and outdoors. The junior from Ashland University in Ohio ran 45.77 last spring outdoors and won this same meet in 2017. Last week at the Youngstown State College Invitational, Pringle competed in the 60m, 200m, high jump, and 4x400m relay. This week, he will be slightly less busy with just the 400m on the schedule. 

The women’s 400m (3:00 PM ET) features University of Maryland graduate Micha Powell. Like Pringle, she won this meet last year. Powell has a personal best of 51.97 and qualified for the NCAA Championships last season.

First Appearance For Freshman Star

Who: Victoria Tachinski 

What: Women’s 800m

When: 3:10 PM ET

Why: Tachinski is making her collegiate 800m debut. The freshman from Canada comes in with a personal best of 2:03:58 and should be at the front of the pack. Norfolk State’s Martha Bissah ran 2:04.90 and is also on the start list. That mark comes from 2014 when she represented Ghana at the Summer Youth Olympics. 

A Chance For Personal Bests

Who: Colin Abert

What: Men’s 3000m

When: Men 4:35 PM ET

Why:  The men’s race features Penn State’s Colin Abert, the winner of the mile at the Nittany Lion Challenge, where he ran 4:02.50. That time, combined with the leg he ran a leg on Penn State’s 4x800m, made for a productive first week of the season. His best time in the 3000m is 8:08.94. Penn State alum and mid-distance specialist Robby Creese is also entered in the race. 

Tessa Barrett headlines the women’s race (4:20 PM ET). She comes in with a personal bests of 15:28.99 in the 5,000m and 9:07.22 in the 3000m. Both of those marks come from indoors. West Virginia’s Maggie Drazba is coming off a personal best in the mile last week and should also enter in the mix.