Katie Camarena, a graduate student-athlete at Portland State following a career at UC Santa Barbara where she captured multiple Big West Conference outdoor track titles along with placing third at the 2017 cross country final to help the Gauchos capture the team title for the first time since 2010, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss the Vikings playing host Oct. 29 to the Big Sky Conference Championships for the first time since 2008 at Meriwether National Golf Club in Hillsboro, Ore. Camarena shares her excitement for being able to compete in a conference cross country final for the first time since 2018 and how grateful she that Portland State is hosting the championship event in her lone cross country season with the team. She also expresses gratitude that her former teammates at UC Santa Barbara and the rest of the Big West programs will also have the opportunity to compete Oct. 29 at Wildhorse Golf Club in Davis, Calif., after the conference decided not to organize a cross country championship meet in the fall of 2020 or winter of 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Camarena examines the strategy involved in the Big Sky women's final only being a 5-kilometer race, instead the 6-kilometer distance that will be featured at the Nov. 12 West Regional competition in Sacramento. She explains how beneficial it was for her younger teammates to compete in 6-kilometer races Sept. 24 at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota, along with Oct. 16 at the Santa Bronco Invitational, and how much the group has developed and improved in recent weeks in preparation for the conference final and the regional meet. Camarena analyzes the opportunities for herself and the Vikings to make history, with Portland State having never finished higher than fifth in a Big Sky women's final, in addition to no female athlete from the program placing higher than seventh individually. She speaks about reuniting with former UC Santa Barbara teammates Jenna Hinkle, a volunteer assistant for Portland State, along with Miranda Ross and becoming roommates with them following her move. Camarena also shares the benefits of collaborating with a new coaching staff and her excitement to compete in indoor track in the winter. She also explains the details of her certificate program and the focus on sustainable food systems, along with her desire to compete as a post-graduate athlete during the outdoor track season in the spring.