Ciara O'Shea, a North Carolina-bound senior from Madison Central High in Kentucky and an All-American as well as a state champion in cross country indoor track and outdoor track, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing in the invitational girls 3,200 meters April 8 at the 55th Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High in California. O'Shea produced the fastest high school performance this season in the 5,000 meters March 24 at the Raleigh Relays by clocking 16:23.67 to prevail in her section against a field of college athletes and finish 27th overall among 170 competitors. She also finished fifth in the mile in 4:44.41 and 10th in the 2-mile in 10:12.24 on March 10-12 at the New Balance Nationals Indoor event at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston. O'Shea explains how those experiences of racing in larger groups and being aware of covering moves made by fellow athletes has benefited her in preparation to compete at Arcadia for the first time. She also expresses gratitude for being able to race with a group of competitors that have the ability to work together for a common goal of achieving personal-best performances. O'Shea reflects on her 3,200 state record 10:02.63 performance Nov. 12 at the Lloyd White Memorial Distance Festival during her cross country season and compares her fitness during the fall to her training in the winter and spring. She also revisits a 10:18.45 effort Feb. 5 in the 3,200 at the SPIRE Scholastic Showcase in Ohio, the same race that Irene Riggs of Morgantown High in West Virginia clocked 9:45.97 for the second-fastest indoor performance in U.S. prep history. O'Shea examines how meaningful it would be to join the group of five female athletes in Arcadia history to produce a sub-10 mark in the invitational 3,200, and how significant it would be to have multiple competitors eclipse the barrier for only the second time at the event, the first occasion in 2017. She also looks forward to her final opportunities to represent Madison Central on Kentucky soil and enjoying the final months in her prep career with her teammates. O'Shea also analyzes how impactful her experiences have been racing in California during her career, including a fifth-place finish Dec. 10 at the Champs Sports Cross Country National Championships in San Diego.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST APRIL 7-8 OF 55TH ARCADIA INVITATIONAL