McKenna Lee-Hansen, a fifth-year student-athlete at Brigham Young and member of the March 2021 NCAA Division 1 women's cross country national championship team as well as the runner-up lineup for the Cougars in November with top-50 finishes at both meets, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her return Oct. 14 to compete in the 6-kilometer championship race at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational at the Thomas Zimmer Championship course in Madison. Lee-Hansen placed 23rd last year by clocking 20:34.7, helping BYU take third overall with 152 points. The No. 5 Cougars are among 24 NCAA Division 1 ranked women's teams competing in the championship race, with BYU seeking its first victory in Madison in program history. She reflects on finishing 18th at the Cowboy Jamboree on Sept. 24 at Oklahoma State, contributing to BYU earning third place with 111 points. Lee-Hansen revisits competing at the Division 1 final in Stillwater 18 months earlier and placing 41st for the Cougars, who captured their first title since 2002 and fifth overall with a 96-161 victory against North Carolina State. She explains how valuable competing at Oklahoma State and in Wisconsin are for BYU's talented freshman class and how significant it is for the Cougars to be able to travel with such a large roster to gain experience racing at a national level in preparation for the postseason. Lee-Hansen explains the leadership roles taken on by herself and fellow veterans Aubrey Frentheway and Lexy Halladay-Lowry, and how much she has benefited during her career from being teammates with several Division 1 individual champions and All-Americans. She also expresses gratitude for being able to rebound from injuries earlier in her career to be able to experience consistency in training and competition the past two years, and how Lee-Hansen has used those examples to encourage teammates facing similar challenges. Lee-Hansen shares her recent academic pursuits, including adding a minor in computer science to her major in strategic business management, in addition to speaking about her desire to compete in more triathlons after enjoying success the past two years. She developed the interest after cross training through injuries by completing pool workouts and riding the exercise bike, in addition to swimming at Weber High in Utah. Lee-Hansen shares her motivation to earn All-America honors Nov. 19 at the Division 1 final in Stillwater, along with helping BYU contend for a fourth consecutive podium finish, including a runner-up in 2019 in Indiana.

WATCH RUNNERSPACE LIVE WEBCAST OF NUTTYCOMBE WISCONSIN CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL ON OCTOBER 14