Blaise Boyer, a senior at South Anchorage High and a member of the reigning Alaska Division 1 state championship lineup for the Wolverines, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss returning to compete Oct. 20 at the 75th Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational presented by Nike in Walnut, Calif. Boyer finished fifth Oct. 7 in 16:57.3 on the 5-kilometer layout at Palmer High to help South Anchorage prevail with 83 points, ahead of West Anchorage and Chugiak both at 89 points, as the Wolverines secured their first state title since 2005. Boyer also won his Division 4 varsity race last year at Mt. SAC in 16:21 on the 2.93-mile layout, contributing to South Anchorage also achieving the team victory with 71 points. He explains how meaningful it is for both the boys and girls varsity teams from South Anchorage to have an opportunity to compete one final time together at Mt. SAC, especially for Boyer and fellow senior Rowan Robinson to have the experience as seniors, and the challenges of racing in the heat. Boyer highlights the progress of freshman Miles Gastrock, along with the development of sophomores Vebjorn Flagstad and Jaxon Henrie, and how instrumental they were in helping South Anchorage capture the state championship. He revisits the Region IV meet Sept. 30 and West Anchorage edging South Anchorage by a 44-54 margin in the state qualifying race and how that served as motivation for the Wolverines to rebound and secure the Division 1 title. Boyer also highlights the depth of the elite seniors competing this year in Alaska, including Division 1 champion Fischer Adams of Palmer, along with Tobias Buchanan from Colony, Blake Hanley of West Anchorage and Elias Litzow from Kodiak, and how they have contributed to the entire state improving and running faster times. He also expresses gratitude for coaches Jerry Ross and Sara Miller, and how their leadership and guidance were impactful throughout Boyer's career and especially during this season's state championship run. Boyer also examines how significant his faith has been in helping him discover the right purpose and perspective in his running, and how it helped him compete with a new level of peace, calm and enjoyment this season.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST OCT. 20-21 OF 75TH MT. SAC CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY NIKE WITH RUNNERSPACE+PLUS