Caleb Dean, a graduate student-athlete at Texas Tech and the reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor champion in the men's 60-meter hurdles, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing in the 400-meter hurdles June 5 and 7 at the Division 1 championship meet at Hayward Field in Oregon. Dean, who was sidelined for two months during the outdoor season while recovering from injury, is the top qualifier in the 400 hurdles at 48.05 seconds, making him the No. 8 all-time collegiate competitor. He is looking to improve upon a fourth-place finish in 48.56 last year at the NCAA final in Austin, Texas. Dean, 22, triumphed March 9 in 7.56 seconds in the 60 hurdles championship race in Boston, Mass., to not only capture the title, but help Texas Tech secure the men's team crown as well. He has an opportunity to become the only male athlete in Division 1 history to win the indoor 60 hurdles championship and outdoor 400 hurdles title in the same year. Dean explains his recovery process and how a significant amount of patience was required in order to be able to compete May 9-11 at the Big 12 Championships at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He examines how valuable the racing opportunities have been at the conference final, as well as May 22 and 24 at the Division 1 West Regional in Fayetteville, Ark., in helping Dean regain confidence ahead of the NCAA semifinals. Dean expresses gratitude for Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley and hurdles coach Calvin Robinson, in addition to the entire training staff, for not only supporting him during his rehabilitation, but also providing him reassurance that he would be ready to race June 27-30 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, also at Hayward Field in Oregon. He shares how significant it has been to have Swedish competitor Oskar Edlund to be able to train with and how meaningful it was to have his teammate earn the Olympic standard by running 48.70 at the Division 1 West Regional in Arkansas. Dean revisits not being able to qualify in the 110-meter hurdles and how he rebounded to produce a lifetime-best effort in the 400 hurdles less than an hour later May 24 in Fayetteville, and how excited he is to compete at Hayward Field for the first time since 2022, with the motivation to help Texas Tech secure another men's team podium finish.