Maddie Gardiner, a North Carolina-bound senior at The Covenant School in Virginia representing Formula Track Club and an All-American at both Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing March 30 for the United States in the women's Under-20 6-kilometer race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships at the Park of Friendship in Belgrade, Serbia. She finished fifth Jan. 20 at the USATF U20 Cross Country Championships at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va., where Gardiner has competed since seventh grade. Gardiner explains how meaningful it is to be teammates with fellow Virginia standout and All-American Allie Zealand of Pacers Homeschool, who has signed with Liberty, on the U.S. U20 roster. She also highlights how valuable it is to have Zariel Macchia, Ellie Shea and Zealand returning from last year's U20 lineup that earned bronze in Bathurst, Australia, the first time the American women's U20 team captured a medal in meet history. Gardiner will also be teammates in Serbia with North Carolina State freshman Jolena Quarzo, and speaks about the many future matchups she expects them to have in the Atlantic Coast Conference during their collegiate careers. She reflects on the ceremony The Covenant School had prior to her departure for Serbia and how significant the impact of Gardiner and state champion teammate Reese Dalton have been on a cross country program that didn't exist five years ago. Gardiner also revisits competing March 10 in the 5,000-meter final at Nike Indoor Nationals at The Armory in New York and running 16:17.32 to elevate to the No. 10 indoor competitor in U.S. prep history in the same race that sophomore Elizabeth Leachman of Boerne Champion in Texas produced the national high school indoor record of 15:28.90. She speaks about how reassuring it will be to have her family and coach making the trip to Serbia and how motivated Gardiner is to return to cross country following her indoor season, with the aspiration of contributing to another medal for the U.S. U20 women's lineup.