Sadie Engelhardt, an eighth-grader at Los Cabrillos Middle School in Ventura, Calif., and a 14-year-old standout representing the Valley United Striders, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her 4:47.90 performance in the 1,600 meters in the middle school race April 17 at the Buchanan Distance Classic at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Calif. Engelhardt ran the third-fastest 1,600 by an eighth-grader since the turn of the century, trailing only Lexy Halladay of Lake Hazel Middle School in Idaho with her 4:46.47 performance in 2016, along with Taylor Roe of Olympic View Middle School in Washington and her 4:47.6 hand-timed effort in 2015. Halladay, a freshman at Brigham Young, helped the Cougars capture the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country national championship March 15, with Oklahoma State sophomore Roe finishing second in the race on her home course in Stillwater, Okla. Engelhardt reflects on her 4:51.94 mile Feb. 28 at the adidas indoor nationals in Virginia Beach, considered the fastest indoor mile by an eighth-grader since the turn of the century, and her experience competing at an indoor meet for the first time in her career. She revisits the learning experiences gained in terms of tactical racing March 27 at the third Sundown Track Series event at Queen Creek High in Arizona, resulting in Engelhardt clocking 4:55.16 for the full mile, including a 4:53.01 split for 1,600 meters, and how film study with coach Matt Hammel has been beneficial in her development. Engelhardt reveals the confidence she gained from clocking 4:50.31 in the full mile April 10 at the NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona, including 4:48.73 for 1,600 meters, and what it means to produce the second-fastest outdoor mile time by an eighth-grader since the turn of the century, trailing only the 2002 mark of Nicole Blood (4:50.15), a prep standout at Saratoga Springs High in New York and Royal High in Simi Valley, along with a nine-time All-American and four-time Pac-12 champion at Oregon. Engelhardt also looks ahead to upcoming races in California and Tennessee and her pursuit of more personal-best performances, along her anticipation for cross country training with future teammates at Ventura High.