Ava Mitchell, a senior and a three-time Colorado Class 5A all-state cross country honoree along with a state track finalist in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters for Arapahoe High, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss the Warriors making their debut Sept. 16 in the girls sweepstakes race at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic Presented by ASICS at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Mitchell explains Arapahoe's ambition to race in a national-level event during the regular season and shares her excitement for having the opportunity to square off against nine other teams in the sweepstakes that also competed in December in the gold race at the Garmin RunningLane Championships in Alabama. She revisits the Warriors taking third at John Hunt Park in Huntsville and their anticipation for racing once more at sea level against second-place Buchanan, as well as seventh-place Flower Mound from Texas, ninth-place Newbury Park from California, 14th-place Cuthbertson from North Carolina and JSerra High from California, among several other elite programs. Mitchell reflects on running a personal-best 17:18.6 to secure seventh Sept. 10 in the Liberty Bell Invitational sweepstakes race at Heritage High in Littleton, Colo., and the confidence she gained entering a significant 3-mile race at Woodbridge. She speaks about the improvements of teammates Karli Holmes, Anna Bridges, Lauryn Long, Kayla Renner and freshman Audrey Thiel to support fellow senior Emily Lamontagne and herself. Mitchell also shares how meaningful her role as co-captain is for the Warriors and how important patience is going to be for the group while fellow senior co-captain and all-state competitor Ava Escorcia continues to rehabilitate a leg injury that has kept her sidelined during the opening weeks of the season. She analyzes the impact that Escorcia's return could have on the Arapahoe lineup during the postseason, especially with Colorado Class 5A deeper than ever with Cherry Creek, Valor Christian, Mountain Vista and Air Academy all in title contention. Mitchell examines the balance of her recruiting process, along with her academic schedule, training and competition, and how important team culture is in making her college decision. She also looks ahead to the potential for Arapahoe to win a third Class 5A state title and qualify for Nike Cross Nationals.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST OF WOODBRIDGE CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ASICS SEPT. 15-16