Gabija Galvydyte, the reigning Lithuanian women's 800-meter champion and an NCAA Indoor and Outdoor qualifier in the event for Oklahoma State, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss making her first appearance at the Division 1 outdoor championship meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Galvydyte, 22, reflects on running a personal-best 2:02.90 on May 28 at the West Regionals in Fayetteville, Ark., and becoming one of only two female athles in the past five years in Lithuania to produce a sub-2:03 performance. She shares her learning experiences from finishing ninth in the semifinals in March at the Division 1 Indoor championship meet at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., and examines her improvement during the outdoor season. Galvydyte explains her pride for several Lithuanian athletes qualifying to compete at the NCAA finals, including teammate Olivija Vaitaityte in the heptathlon, along with Bailey Golden representing Oklahoma State. She also analyzes the success of 19-year-old Lithuanian star Mykolas Alekna, who has eclipsed the collegiate men's discus throw record on multiple occasions during his freshman season at Cal Berkeley. Galvydyte revisits her opportunity to run in April at the 112th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, and how meaningful it was to be part of the winning distance medley relay. She also speaks about her transition from competing frequently in the 400-meter hurdles and winning championships in Lithuania to collaborating with Oklahoma State coaches Dave Smith and Anna Boyert-Thorp and developing into an elite collegiate middle distance runner early in her career. Galvydyte shares how much she has been inspired by her teammates, including NCAA indoor 3,000-meter champion Taylor Roe, along with close friend Michaela Travers, and how they have provided significant support for her, especially when she was sidelined with injuries during the spring outdoor season last year. She reminisces about the opportunity to run at the Lithuanian Championships and European Under-23 Championships last year in Estonia, producing a mark of 2:05.81 in July that provided motivation for her training this year and her ambition to become the fourth Oklahoma State female athlete to earn first-team All-America honors in the 800, including former Lithuanian star and NCAA 1,500-meter winner Natalja Piliusina. Galvydyte looks forward to returning to Lithuania in late June for the national championships and to reconnect with family and friends.