New Mexico graduate student-athlete Charlotte Prouse, a five-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division 1 runner-up for the Lobos along with being the Canadian Under-20 record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her competition April 9 against a field of elite professionals in the steeplechase at the USATF Golden Games and Distance Open at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. Prouse, who has run a personal-best 9:42.01 in Canada and has a top collegiate performance for the Lobos of 9:44.50, will be chasing after the Olympic standard of 9:30.0, competing with former New Mexico star and collegiate record holder Courtney Frerichs, a member of Nike Bowerman Track Club, who will be running her steeplechase opener this outdoor season. Prouse reflects on the 9:31.37 produced April 30 by BYU graduate student-athlete Courtney Wayment at the Fresno State West Coast Relays in her first steeplechase race since 2017. She also revisits her own outdoor personal-best 15:29.66 in the 5,000 meters in Fresno, just off her top indoor mark of 15:26.01, as she prepares to compete in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at the Mountain West Conference Championships, scheduled for April 13-15 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Prouse reminisces about returning April 2 to Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., and winning the steeplechase in 9:54.65, and how meaningful it was after also prevailing in her first collegiate steeplechase in 10:00.67 representing Washington at the 2016 Pepsi Invitational, along with placing second at the 2018 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships at the old venue in 9:45.45. She examines how fitting it will be to conclude her collegiate career at Hayward Field, and how grateful Prouse has been to return from injury to have another season with teammate and fellow steeplechase All-American Adva Cohen, along with the newcomers and transfers to the New Mexico program. Prouse explains how impressive the new indoor facility is at Albuquerque Convention Center, including the red and turquoise track, along with her excitement about graduation May 11 with a Master's Degree in Health Education with an emphasis on Community and Public Health, her primary focus being on epidemiology during the pandemic, after experiencing COVID-19 herself last year.

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