Sarah Carter, a seventh-year competitor at Colorado State and the reigning Mountain West Conference cross country champion who has also won indoor and outdoor track titles for the Rams in addition to qualifying for all three NCAA finals, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing Nov. 10 at the Division 1 Mountain Regional at Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course in Lubbock, Texas. Carter reflects on becoming the second female athlete in program history to win the Mountain West cross country crown with her 6-kilometer victory Oct. 27 in 19:48.5 at Eagle Island State Park in Boise, Idaho, joining April Thomas in 2007, in addition to the Rams ending New Mexico's 15-year reign as conference champion, the longest women's title streak in Division 1, by also capturing their second team championship. She revisits transferring to Colorado State and her first Mountain West cross country final in 2019 and placing 21st in Logan, Utah, and how much respect she had for New Mexico and the Lobos' legacy, and how proud she is to be part of the Rams' lineup that could place five scorers in the top 15 and triumph at Eagle Island State Park. Carter explains how instrumental past Colorado State coaches Art Siemers and Andrew Epperson have been in her success, as well as building the program into a group that has qualified for three consecutive NCAA Division 1 finals after not making an appearance since 2007. She also highlights the remarkable job coach Kelly Hart has done in guiding the Rams, especially during a unique transition in the indoor season, and how motivated Carter and her teammates were to capture the conference championship in order to recognize Hart as the Mountain West coach of the year. Carter examines her performances Sept. 23 at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota and Oct. 13 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, and how beneficial it has been for her and Colorado State to compete in such elite fields in preparation for the conference final and the Mountain Regional. She shares the valuable insight and perspective gained from past Colorado State teammates and how that has benefited Carter as a veteran mentor in a group that has provided several meaningful second chances in the sport for multiple student-athletes who have thrived with the Rams after transferring from other programs. Carter speaks about her motivation to earn All-America honors Nov. 18 at the Division 1 championship meet at the Panorama Farms Course in Virginia after previous near misses in her career in cross country and track, including a 43rd-place finish last year at the NCAA final at Oklahoma State and a ninth-place finish in March in the Division 1 indoor 5,000 championship race in Albuquerque, N.M.