University of Washington graduate student-athlete and All-American Lyndsey Lopes, the reigning Pac-12 champion in the heptathlon for the Huskies after winning the 2018 high jump title for USC, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to recap her lifetime-best performance of 5,735 points May 14-15 at Loker Stadium in Los Angeles, in addition to previewing her long jump competition May 27 at the NCAA Division 1 West Regional at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas. Lopes reflects on achieving a personal-best 20-1.75 (6.14m) in the long jump on the second day of the heptathlon to not only propel her to victory over Stanford's Allie Jones (5,727 points), but help her secure entry among the 48 competitors to participate in the event at the regional meet. She also revisits finishing behind Jones by a 2:18.62 to 2:19.05 margin in the 800, achieving a personal best in the final event to capture the heptathlon title. Lopes examines joining Arizona State legend Jackie Johnson as the only multi-event athlete in conference history to win the high jump and the heptathlon championships during their careers. She expresses gratitude for her collaboration with Washington multis and vault coach Toby Stevenson, the 1998 NCAA pole vault champion at Stanford, and shares the previous connection they shared when he was recruiting Lopes while coaching at Kentucky, in addition to the benefits of being able to train with fellow multi-event athletes Hannah Rusnak and Ida Eikeng. Lopes also speaks about having a mentor like Washington women's coach Maurica Powell and what it has meant to have the guidance during her collegiate career of two of the most impactful female coaches in the sport, along with Caryl Smith Gilbert at USC. She also explains about the challenges faced during her career with mental health and competition anxiety and how she has been able to overcome many of those struggles with the guidance of a sports psychologist and how completing her first heptathlon since 2018 was a significant achievement mentally and emotionally. Lopes shares her anticipation for returning to Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., where she finished 16th in the heptathlon at the Division 1 Outdoor Championships, and her ambition to achieve a new personal best and challenge for All-America first-team honors.