Reigning NAIA national cross country champion Hannah Stoffel, who also helped the Foresters capture the women's team title at the NAIA Indoor Championships in March in South Dakota, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her return to competition for the first time in 245 days with a second-place finish behind teammate Emma Wilson at the Crossroads League final Nov. 6 at Indiana Wesleyan. Stoffel shares how the decision was made by she and Huntington coach Nick Johnson that she would race less than an hour before the bus left, following a challenging couple of months where a recurring calf injury had limited her output in workouts. Stoffel examines how competing with the team in her first cross country race in nearly a year since winning the national title last season in Vancouver, Wash., helped her with an emotional reset to allow an opportunity to build into training and competition next year, with the NAIA cross country final not scheduled until April 9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. She reflects on the great team showdowns involving Huntington and top-ranked Taylor at the Crossroads League final, with the Foresters prevailing by nine points in the men's competition, and being edged by only three points in the women's race. Stoffel also reminisces about another close battle with William Carey at the NAIA Indoor Championships, with Huntington capturing its first national team crown by a six-point margin, only after she competed 10 times in three days, winning championships in the 800 meters, along with the 4x800 and distance medley relays. She reflects on her original decision to attend Indiana University, as well as the opportunity to return home and represent the Foresters, especially as a graduate of Huntington North High. Stoffel speaks about her ambition to return to a national level next year and her excitement to train and compete with Wilson, a former Illinois athlete who transferred to Huntington during the summer and is unbeaten in four races this fall. She also looks ahead to completing her degree in exercise science and pursuing a career in occupational therapy, in addition to running beyond college.