Carmen Riano, a sophomore at Miami (Ohio) and the Spanish Under-23 record holder in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at 9:46.91, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her qualifying for the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships on June 9-11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Riano, the reigning Mid-American Conference Champion in the 5,000 meters and the steeplechase, examines her record-breaking performance May 28 at the Division 1 East Regional in Bloomington, Ind., and eclipsing the 2007 mark of 9:49.03 held by Maria Teresa Urbina Gomez. She also analyzes running sub-9:50 for the first time in her career and having the benefit of being in the last of the three regional heats and knowing how fast she needed to run in order to advance to compete in Oregon. Riano reflects on her improvement after running 10:19.78 in the steeplechase last season in order to become the first Miami (Ohio) female athlete in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She reflects on running under the 10-minute barrier for the first time April 1 at the Stanford Invitational and how that experience improved her confidence and belief throughout the season. Riano revisits her opportunity to compete April 28-30 at Penn Relays, and how meaningful it was to run both the steeplechase and a 4x1,500-meter relay with her teammates in the same race that Arkansas and North Carolina State both smashed the previous collegiate record in front of the loudest crowd she has ever experienced at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. She expresses gratitude for her teammates and coaches helping her train and providing a strong support system and how they have been a regular source of encouragement following a challenging outdoor season last year. Riano explains where she has noticed improvement in her hurdling and ability to navigate water jumps, and is thankful for the opportunities she will have not only at the NCAA Championships, but also when she returns to Spain to race in both the Under-23 Championships and National Championships. She also shares how proud her country is to have both Riano and Loyola Marymount steeplechase standout Estanis Ruiz representing the same region at Hayward Field, before they return home to race in June. Riano speaks about making her own bread as well to create a more comparable diet to what she would eat in Spain.