To claim the championship at this week’s 5A-I girls state track and field meet, teams will have to leap a huge hurdle in Chandler High. That’s fitting since the hurdle events may be exactly the races that put the two-time defending champion Wolves on top once again.

The 100-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter low hurdles are expected to be as tightly contested as any event this week at Phoenix Desert Vista High School. At last year’s meet, Chandler scored 25 points in those two races, including 24 in the 100 as it grabbed the top three spots.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Xavier, the meet runner-up, gained just one point in the hurdles and lost by 25 to the Wolves, 118-93.

“I would love to see us get the top five spots,” Chandler senior Micsha Carson said about the 100 hurdles in which she finished second a year ago. “But who knows what will happen? Those races are going to be very competitive.”

The Wolves return their top three hurdlers led by defending low hurdle champ Larissa Matthews. Also returning is Chaunci Toney, who placed third in the 100 hurdles.

Matthews has the best 100 time in the state at 13.90 seconds entering the first day of events today. Carson’s 14.71 ranks third and Toney’s 14.87 is fourth.

Breaking up the Chandler threesome is Mesa Westwood junior Samantha Collins, who ran a 14.70 to rank second. But according to Westwood coach Bruce Washko, Collins is not going to compete in either of the hurdles events. Instead, she will focus on defending her state long jump title, while also competing in the triple jump, high jump and 100 meters.

Other top contenders in the 100 hurdles race include Phoenix Desert Vista’s Jndia Cleveland, Gilbert Highland’s Callie Davis and Phoenix Xavier’s Karen Schillinger.

In the 300, Davis is the top returner from last year’s state meet, having placed third. But entering this year’s meet, Cleveland, Schillinger, Matthews and Mesa Mountain View’s Mary Christensen all have posted better times.

“The 100 is going to be even more competitive this year,” said Matthews, whose time in that event ranks her in the top 10 in the country. “Having gone through it last year, I think our whole team knows it can improve. We want to get as many of those top spots as we can. Every point is huge.”

Matthews said she is hoping to run under 13 seconds in the 100 and possibly hit 43 seconds in the 300. The state record in the 100 is 13.6, set in 2003; and the 300 record is 42.67, set in 1985.

Carson, who won the 100 hurdles state title in 2006, feels the start of the race will decide the outcome.

“With this much speed, if you don’t get a great start — not even a good one — you could finish eighth,” she said.

Jason Anderton, a coach at Gilbert Highland, agrees.

“The start is going to be crucial,” Anderton said. “Right now, all the girls are just fine-tuning. I think whoever gets off to the best start, and has done enough of the little things will win. There is not much separating any of them.”