Kentucky senior Alexis Holmes, the U.S. leader in the indoor 400 meters this season at 51.27 seconds along with the No. 2 collegiate competitor and No. 5 in the world, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss returning to the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 25-26 at Texas A&M after missing both the indoor and outdoor finals last year with an ankle injury. Holmes, a 2019 Pan American Under-20 gold medalist in the 4x400-meter relay and silver medalist in the 400 in Costa Rica, has also elevated into the top 25 all-time competitors in collegiate indoor 400 history. She reflects on teaming Feb. 12 with Dajour Miles, Karimah Davis and Abby Steiner to help Kentucky ascend to the No. 4 school in NCAA indoor history by clocking 3:27.27 in the indoor 4x400 at the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson. Holmes revisits winning the SEC Indoor 400 crown in 52.08 in 2020 at Texas A&M, as well as her opportunity to return March 11-12 to the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., for the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, where she represented Penn State and placed third in the 400 in 52.37 at the 2019 final. Holmes explains her lengthy rehabilitation that kept her out of competition from January to December last year, and expresses her gratitude for being able to remain healthy and consistent in her workouts and races this season. She also shares how significant the support has been from family, friends, coaches and teammates in helping her return to an elite level of competition, along with how instrumental faith has been during her recovery period. Holmes examines how meaningful it is for Kentucky to have the opportunity to build a 200-meter indoor banked track in the coming years, and how that will impact the future of the Wildcats' program. She also speaks about her academic pursuits in Public Health and African-American Studies, as well as her work at the Martin Luther King Center on campus. Holmes also shares her opportunities to collaborate with several companies, thanks to the Name, Image and Likeness platform created for NCAA student-athletes. She also looks ahead to the outdoor season and her motivation to secure a spot on the U.S. national team to compete at the World Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.