Benjamin Bouie, a junior at Crystal Springs Uplands High and the reigning CIF Central Coast Section champion in the 1,600 meters and 4x800-meter relay as well as a member of the two-time Division 5 state champion boys cross country team, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing May 24-25 at the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High's Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Calif. Bouie achieved the fastest performance by any Central Coast Section competitor since 1977 with his lifetime-best 4:06.92 effort May 18 at the section championship meet at Gilroy High, with Palo Alto's Grant Morgenfeld finishing second in 4:08.20 and Miles Cook from Sacred Heart Cathedral taking third in 4:08.33. He also elevated to No. 3 all-time in the Central Coast Section, trailing only the full mile efforts produced in 1977 by Willow Glen's Mark Stillman (4:06.9) and Stan Ross of San Mateo Serra (4:08.2). Bouie contributed to Crystal Springs Uplands winning the section crown in the 4x800 relay in 7:51.61, joining Tarik Baker, Dean Wu and Oliver Boesch. The Gryphons also ran 7:51.28 on May 3 at the West Bay Athletic League final, and are looking to return to the state podium after securing sixth place last season with a program-record 7:45.30 in the 4x800 final. Bouie shares how challenging the postseason stretch is in May, as he prepares for final exams, in addition to competing at the section and state championship meets. He also explains how meaningful it is to be able to enjoy the experiences with teammates, including sophomore Anna Salter, who qualified to race May 25 in the girls 3,200-meter state final. Bouie expresses gratitude for the guidance and support of coaches Albert Caruana and Andy Martinez, in addition to the insight and perspective of Crystal Springs Uplands alumni Furious Clay and Nicky Medearis. He also examines how significant the increase in belief and confidence have been this year, especially following a challenging start to the outdoor season. Bouie speaks about how proud he is to have Crystal Springs Uplands contributing to one of the strongest groups of talent in Central Coast Section history, and how motivated he is to continue to elevate the spotlight and create more opportunities for student-athletes in his league and section. He also analyzes the potential to become the first Central Coast Section male athlete since Scott Robinson of Bellarmine Prep in 1987 to capture a state individual title in the 1,600, and looks forward to the opportunity to compete against reigning champion Andreas Dybdahl, a senior at Santa Barbara, and the rest of the elite competitors in an exceptionally deep field in the prelims and final.