Brianna Robles, the reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference cross country champion as well as an NCAA Division 2 indoor and outdoor track All-American at Adams State, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to preview the Grizzlies competing Nov. 6 at the Division 2 South Central Regional in Lubbock, Texas. Robles, who helped lead top-ranked Adams State to its ninth RMAC team title in the past decade and 32nd in program history with her 6-kilometer victory Oct. 23 at Colorado School of Mines, shares her excitement for returning to Texas after an impressive career as a 6A state finalist in both cross country and track at Palmview High. She explains how her parents and several other family members are expected to make the 10-hour drive to attend the regional event, and how significant the opportunity is after student-athletes from universities in Colorado were not allowed to attend a Division 2 national showcase event last year in Lubbock as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robles revisits her RMAC performance and analyzes how the team responded from a fourth-place finish last season at the conference final. She shares how meaningful it was for her to improve from a third-place effort last year and join the prestigious list of Adams State competitors to win an individual conference championship. Robles examines the impact of transfers Franziska Althaus from Wingate, along with Precious Robinson from Central Arizona Junior College, in addition to the presence of freshmen Fiona Hawkins and Ava O'Connor, as well as sophomore Morgan Hykes. She also shares the challenges of taking on new leadership roles for herself, as well as Nicole Lawrence and Sarah Wills, following the transfer of Stephanie Cotter to Northern Arizona, along with the graduation of Kaylee Bogina, Haleigh Hunter-Galvan, Eilish Flanagan and Roisin Flanagan from the 2019 Division 2 national championship cross country lineup. Robles reflects on her disappointing performance from the South Central Regional meet that season, resulting in her not competing at the Division 2 national final in Sacramento. She explores the postseason potential for the Grizzlies following their fifth-place finish against Division 1 competition Oct. 1 at the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University, with Robles being the top Division 2 athlete in the field placing 21st overall, as well as their victory at the RMAC Championships. Robles also talks about her opportunity to compose an article for the Alamosa Citizen offering an in-depth look at the history and tradition of the Adams State program, and the success under current head coach Damon Martin, and her desire to pursue more creative writing projects as part of earning her communications degree.