Leah Phillips, a graduate student-athlete at LSU and three-time NCAA Division 1 All-American in the 60-meter hurdles, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing June 6 and 8 in the Division 1 championship meet at Hayward Field in Oregon and the potential for the Tigers to capture the women's team title. Phillips, 21, is one of three female athletes to qualify for the NCAA semifinals in both the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles, along with teammate Shani'a Bellamy and USC standout Jasmine Jones. Only Phillips and Jones qualified for the Division 1 championship meets this year in the 60 hurdles, 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles. Phillips revisits competing in 2021 at Hayward Field as part of LSU's 4x400-meter relay, in addition to reflecting on not being able to participate at the 2022 NCAA final as a result of a back injury. She shares how her faith and the support of family and the LSU coaching staff and athletic trainers helped her rehabilitate and become an even more well-rounded competitor, who has run 7.95 seconds in the 60 hurdles, 12.71 seconds in the 100 hurdles and 56.50 seconds in the 400 hurdles. Phillips expresses gratitude for the guidance and mentorship of LSU coaches Tamara Ards and Bennie Brazell, along with the leadership of head coach Dennis Shaver, which were instrumental in the Tigers winning the Southeastern Conference women's team title May 9-11 in Gainesville, Fla. She also examines the benefit of being able to learn from and train with elite hurdlers Tonea Marshall, Jurnee Woodward, Brittley Humphrey and Milan Young when she first arrived at LSU, and now having the opportunity to be teammates with and be challenged in workouts by Alia Armstrong, Garriel White and Bellamy. Phillips speaks about how she has gained inspiration from teammates in other events, especially middle-distance competitors Michaela Rose and Lorena Rangel Batres, in addition to how meaningful it has been to compete on the 4x100-meter relay, along with Brianna Lyston, Thelma Davies and Tima Godbless. She shares how special it would be to help the Tigers win their first NCAA women's team title in more than a decade, including the first for LSU at Hayward Field since 1996. Phillips, a 10-time national champion as a prep athlete for Bullis School in Maryland, also highlights the success of her former program, which has produced national high school records in the indoor boys 4x400 relay and the outdoor girls 4x400 relay this year.