Valerie Jirak, a Duke-bound senior at Star Valley High and a returning Nike Outdoor Nationals All-American in the heptathlon and reigning 4A state champion in the 4x100-meter relay, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing May 10-11 in the 4A West Regional at Rock Canyon High and preparing for her final Wyoming state championship meet May 16-18 at Kelly Walsh High in Casper. Jirak qualified for the 4A West Regional in seven events, but decided on competing in the 100-meter hurdles, 400 meters, high jump and long jump. Although Star Valley also qualified in the 4x100 relay, Jirak has decided to only focus on individual events in pursuit of winning a state individual gold medal for the first time in her prep career. She revisits the improvements made since winning the heptathlon April 5-6 with 4,920 points at the heptathlon at the Arcadia Invitational in California. Jirak examines her growth in the long jump and achieving a lifetime-best April 12 with a 19-9 (6.02m) leap at the Highland Gold Baton Relays in Idaho. She also reflects on her competition May 4 at the PACS BYU Invitational and running 55.71 in the 400, only one-tenth off her personal-best effort from last season. Jirak explains how the choice to compete in the 100 hurdles came to fruition, in addition to the 400, high jump and long jump, and how Star Valley coach Ty Draney provided confidence in the selection. She speaks about how meaningful it would be to capture a state individual title, along with how much Jirak has learned when it comes to managing energy and recovery during previous postseason opportunities, as well as adapting to inclement weather. Jirak also highlights how proud she is of her Star Valley teammates and the potential for both Kammi Merritt and Madison White during regional and state competition. She also looks forward to returning to Hayward Field in Oregon in June for Nike Outdoor Nationals and shares her motivation to surpass the 5,000-point barrier in the heptathlon, where she ranks No. 2 in the country this season, and the excitement to showcase her growth and development in several areas after only beginning to focus on the multi-events for the first time last year. Jirak also highlights how instrumental her faith has been throughout this year and how her spiritual journey has helped provide confidence in turning previous weaknesses into strengths during training and at meets.