Wildcats roll at CCAA's as Gray, Sherrod win. All ten men come home with all-conference honors while half of the women do

By Gary Towne, Chico State head coach Saturday October 22, 2011

Isaac Chavez (189) and Adrian Sherrod (201) controlling the early pace as the Wildcats completely fill the lead pack

Santa Rosa, California -- It was another amazing CCAA weekend for the Chico State Wildcats as both teams collected team titles in convincing fashion. Despite running without Anthony Costales (3rd overall in 2010 CCAA race, and 29:58 10k guy) the men’s team managed to pack their entire 10 competing athletes into the top 11 spots overall. For the women, placing 5 inside the top 12 easily outdistanced second place Pomona’s 98 point effort. To add to the excitement, Wildcat athletes claimed both individual titles on Saturday. Junior Adrian Sherrod would become the 8th Wildcat male to win the CCAA Individual crown, while hometown favorite Alia Gray would join former Wildcat All Americans, Jen James, Mary Torres, Kara Lubieniecki and Tori Tyler as a CCAA Champion. Since the women ran first, we’ll start with their run. Women’s 6k Championship: With a good number of solid contenders from a variety of teams toeing the line for this year’s CCAA race, the Chico crew would be pressed to place their scoring five among the top 10 overall. As the race progressed it indeed was a barn burner with almost every team having at least 1 athlete running among the top 10-15. The Cats were of course led by Alia Gray who by 2 miles had split from the group with Pomona’s Tiffany Dinh

(16:50’s 5k performer last track season). Dinh pressed the pace throughout but Gray kept close to her Southern California rival to keep her hopes of a conference title alive. At three miles Dinh held a 10-15 meter advantage over Gray, with teammate Amy Schnittger running in 5th place just off the third place runner Sabrina Lopez of CSLA (A DI transfer from Oregon St. who won the CA State XC title as a senior in HS). 20 seconds clicked off the watch and several athletes had gone by before the trio of Katie Spencer, Shannon Rich, and Tiffany Heflin came through the same point. Rich and Spencer ran around the 11-12 positions and Heflin in approximately 15th. Thankfully the Chico women did some nice work over the final (and largely uphill) leg of the course. Standing at a point with roughly 400m remaining to the finish (uphill dirt stretch) I snapped photos of Alia catching and passing the tiring Dinh. Alia would carry this momentum to the line gathering a 6 second cushion by the time she reached the tape. Dinh would of course follow in second. Amy Schnittger, perhaps our most improved runner this year, powered up the hill with the same stride rate as Gray had earlier, and hammered past SF State’s top gal (Zuleima Jimenez) and CSLA’s Lopez. Shannon Rich had moved up from the 30th range at the 1k mark to 10th, and Katie Spencer held on tight to her teammate as they tried to fend off any challengers on the difficult finish stretch. True frosh Tiffany Heflin looked great as she ran by yours truly about 4 strides behind UCSD’s Michelle Le Roux. I encouraged Heflin to give the Le Roux pass a chance, and she did, not knowing that by passing the other top true frosh in the field would garner her CCAA Freshman of the year honors! Next in for the ‘Cats were Jonah Weeks (19th), Brooke Bergesen (21st), Sara Mikesell (22nd), and Jessica Varela (23rd). Stephanie Consiglio (4th in CCAA race a year ago) struggled home in 46th, due to complications with an injury. Although the 37 point final score was a bit on the high side for the Wildcat ladies, they out-distanced Pomona by some 61 points. Looking ahead to the regionals in several weeks, it will most likely take a better day from this group to challenge the defending Champs Alaska Anchorage women who easily handled the GNAC on Saturday as well. Congrats to Alia Gray for being named CCAA Female Runner of the Year, and to Tiffany Heflin for the Freshman of the Year!

Alia Gray making the move past Pomona’s Tiffany Dinh with just 400m remaining in the race

Amy Schnittger hammering away from the competition in the final meters of the race.

Men’s 8K Championship The 2010 men’s team went into the CCAA meet having enjoyed a very productive regular season. They were hoping to pack as many of the ten Wildcats running into the Top 15 (All Conference). But as is often times the case with this lofty of a goal, runners from other team separated our group and several ‘Cats ended up outside the Top-15 by the finish. A 16 point effort up front was great, but it wasn’t a true reflection of the capable group that we sent to the line last year. This year would be similar in the 16 point effort for the win, but quite different in what came next. From the start, the Wildcat men hogged many of the top spots as the long pack of 70 runners flew through the 1k mark. Sophomores Isaac Chavez and Dayne Gradone led the charge, with a lot of Cardinal colored uniforms following. Given the layout of the course entails a loop around Spring Lake, and thus prevents much/any viewing (while they’re out there) I posted up at a spot in a wooded area at approximately 2.75 miles. As the lead pack rounded the turn ahead, I could see it was approximately 6-7 strong, All Chico runners, with the exception of Ryan Carrell of Pomona who’d broken up our potential 15 point score the year before. On the heels of this group was a string of ‘Cats that was almost hard to believe. In a matter of 8 seconds, All 10 Wildcat men had passed, with only 1 other runner mixed in. What was even more surprising was that it was approximately 10 seconds or more before the next athlete appeared from the forest. Given the strength of the Chico guys, and the gap between Jeremy Brummitt (our #10) and the closest pursuer, it was unlikely that anyone would or could catch them.

Tiffany Heflin closing well to earn the Frosh of the Year award by the CCAA.

At nearly three miles into the race you can almost see all 10 Wildcats in this photo. The only missing runner is Jeremy Brummitt who’s arm can be seen if you look really close.

This was indeed the case. As the men made a partial second loop around the lake gaps formed between the Chico guys, but the important gap between Brummit and his closest pursuer stayed the same. Posted up at the same spot as I had for the women’s finish (approx 400m from the line) I was happy to see the familiar strides of Isaac Chavez and Adrian Sherrod appear first. Just a few meters back was frosh standout Johnny Sanchez, and next came a quick moving Joseph Rivera who was closely followed by Pomona’s Carrell. For the second year in a row Carrell ran in 5th place with 400m remaining, thus preventing our first 15 point effort for the men’s team (oh well, can’t win them all). After Carrell though, it was Chico roll call. Dayne Gradone, Miles Dunbar, Alfonso Cisneros, Josh Linen, Joey Kochlacs, and Jeremy Brummitt took places 6,7,8,9,10,11 respectively. Humboldt’s #1 Joe Ostini would take home 12th place some 7 seconds behind Brummitt, and then it was a great battle between SF State and UCSD for second place team honors. As he had done a year ago for his senior teammate Brent Handa, Isaac (who has wicked closing speed) told Sherrod that he should take the title. Adrian obliged, and a quick closing Johnny Sanchez joined the duo in crossing the line w/ basically the same time. Chavez did the same for teammate Anthony Costales in the CCAA 5k championship last spring as well. There’s something to be said about unselfishness and teamwork, and Isaac Chavez has proven himself as a true Class Act! In the end the ‘Cats had won their 10th straight CCAA crown in convincing fashion, and one worthy of sandwiching with the ’02 version. Now the unenviable task of figuring out how to pare this talented squad down to a 7 man West Regional roster begins. One thing is for certain, the Anchorage team (who also won their conference on Saturday) will have a feisty Chico team to contend with, after losing our 8 year streak to them a year ago. Thank You!!! To all who made the trek out to Spring Lake this weekend. It was a wonderful day and we’re so fortunate to have such supportive friends, parents and fans of our school and program!! Next up: West Region Championships Nov. 5, 2011 while our developing squads will participate the same morning at UC Davis’ Doc Adams meet.

The triumphant women's team posing with the CCAA championship banner

All 10 Wildcat Men were All CCAA on a day when they earned the program’s 10th straight CCAA title. A perfect 10!!! Names/Places from L-R. Johnny Sanchez (3rd), Jeremy Brummitt (11th), Joseph Rivera (4th), Dayne Gradone (6th), Joey Kochlacs (10th), Josh Linen (9th), Miles Dunbar (7th), Adrian Sherrod (1st), Isaac Chavez (2), Alfonso Cisneros (8th)