Michigan State senior Jenna Magness, an All-American this year in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track along with being the reigning Great Lakes Cross Country Athlete of the Year, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her third-place finish Oct. 29 at the Big Ten Championships in State College, Pa., along with looking ahead to the Great Lakes Regional meet Nov. 12 at the Angel Mounds course in Evansville, Ind., with the Spartans competing against conference rivals Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Mid-American champion Toledo and Atlantic Coast Conference representative Notre Dame to determine the two automatic berths to advance to the Division 1 final Nov. 20 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. Magness reflects on the unique balance of indoor track and cross country during the winter and competing in March at both NCAA championship meets, placing seventh in the indoor 5,000 meters at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., followed by a 16th-place finish in the 6-kilometer cross country final in Stillwater, Okla. She also examines the fourth-place team performance by Michigan State after the Spartans elevated from 30th at the 1-kilometer split. Magness explains how smooth the transition has been following the retirement of coach Walt Drenth and how the team has continued to thrive under Lisa Breznau by winning the Big Ten team title in January in Indiana, along with earning a spot on the NCAA podium in March. She analyzes how the younger members of the Michigan State roster have helped the lineup pack up more, especially in challenging conditions at the Big Ten final, and how having such a competitive race against Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan helped provide confidence entering the regional event. Magness speaks about her consistency throughout the season, placing first at the Spartan Invitational, second at the Roy Griak Invitational and fourth at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, in addition to taking third at the conference meet. She also revisits her fourth-place performance June 12 in the Division 1 outdoor 5,000 final in a personal-best 15:32.91 and the motivation that created to earn All-America honors again this fall. Magness also shares about her responsibilities as president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers club at Michigan State, along with completing her degree, and the balance required to excel academically and athletically at an elite level, along with learning creativity and adaptability from participating in marching band and wind symphony during her prep career at Grand Ledge High in Michigan.