Sarah Wills, a recent graduate of Adams State and NCAA Division 2 All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss returning May 26-28 to Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., to race in her final collegiate competition at the national outdoor final. Wills is entered in 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000 meters for the Grizzlies, who finished fourth at last year's championship meet with 46 points relying only on contributions from their distance athletes. Wills shares how grateful she is to compete again at an NCAA Division 2 Championship event after being an alternate for reigning champion Adams State in November at the cross country final in Florida, and just missing earning a qualifying mark for the indoor championship meet in March in Kansas. She explains how meaningful it was to participate last year in the final Division 2 outdoor meet for many former Adams State standouts, in addition to being joined this year by fellow veterans Roisin Flanagan and Brianna Robles, along with several Grizzlies newcomers attending their first NCAA outdoor championship event. Wills examines her improvement in the steeplechase during the past year and how much more ambitious she has become in clearing barriers and water jumps, along with her ability to close strong during the final 400 meters, supported by additional personal-best efforts this season in both the 800 and 1,500. She analyzes the depth of the field, with seven athletes running sub-10:30 and 13 others being separated by only 10 seconds. Wills speaks about how instrumental Adams State coach Damon Martin has been in her development since she transferred from West Virginia and joined the Grizzlies in 2020, and how valuable it has been to train with several Division 2 champions and All-Americans. She also shares how special it was to have her parents Norman and Rebecca attending her graduation May 14, along with the commencement ceremony the following day of her sister Olivia in West Virginia. Wills looks forward to the opportunity to collaborate with a shoe company and explore benefits of the evolution of shoe technology in the future after earning a degree in kinesiology.