Chico State thumps the fields as the streaks continue
Will Reyes defends his title while women show what can do close to full strength

Saturday, November 5, 2016
Comments & photos by Gary Towne/Chico State Cross Country Coach

Billings, MT-- I'm pleased to announce that the Chico State Wildcats earned a pair of West Regional Titles in Billings, Montana over the weekend. Both teams won in convincing fashion defeating fields loaded with other nationally ranked squads. For the Chico men, the latest victory would be their 12th in the past 15 years, while the women would take home their second straight and 7th in the past 14 years. I couldn't be more proud of both teams for their efforts in what is the most improved region in the country. With the twin wins came automatic berths to the NCAA Championships, making it 17 straight seasons that both teams will end their seasons at the Championships together. The Chico squads will now set their sights on the upcoming NCAA Championships to be held in St. Leo, Florida on Saturday Nov. 19.

Men's 10k Championship: The Wildcat men were on a nice roll having won the CCAA Championship in dominant fashion, but unfortunately things wouldn't be as smooth in looking at the regional run. CCAA runner-up Connor Fisher had come down sick the week of the regional and decided to make the trip thinking that the worst of the illness had passed. Unfortunately he was wrong and race-eve brought a trip to the medical clinic in Billings, after a night of fever and weakness. Add a sick Arturo Arevalo (6th at CCAA's) and All American Steven Martinez' leaving his inhaler at home by accident, and now we had more to worry about than the quality of our competition. We needed our healthy people to run very well, and we needed at least one of the aforementioned guys to somehow pull a solid race together, otherwise we could be looking at a loss or even a missed qualification to NCAA's.

As the race began all of the favorites jumped to the front of the field including the good majority of the Alaska Anchorage crew and the Pomona guys (ranked 2nd and 3rd). All of the Chico men except Steven Martinez were among the lead group through the kilometer mark. Martinez, who finished in the Top-20 of the NCAA Championships a year ago ran outside the top-50 with 8k remaining, which was not good news for the Chico crew.

As the race evolved into the fourth and fifth kilometers Will Reyes, Kyle Medina and Falco DiGiallonardo all looked solid among a shrinking lead pack. A sick Connor Fisher was sliding through the field in reverse and would drop out just a kilometer or two later. Arturo Arevalo ran in the 'Cats fifth spot but was falling from the lead group, and body language didn't look great unfortunately. Steven Martinez was moving up some places but never looked in full control of his effort.

As the race entered into the second half Senior Will Reyes surged to the front for good and the field immediately started to scatter behind. Several athletes attempted to separate with Reyes, but the change of pace wasn't sustainable for anyone but Reyes who went into the race having lost only 1 race on the season. Thankfully for the 'Cats both Pomona and Alaska's scoring groups had spread from the lead pack dramatically in the middle kilometers allowing the Chico faithful to breathe a bit easier, given the less than healthy line-up we had running on the day. While Kyle Medina and Falco DiGiallonardo fought hard among the 6-7 person lead pack teammate Aaron Mora did the same just inside the race's top-20. As Arevalo scuffled the final 4k falling all the way back into the 50's overall, a well timed and much needed surge by Steven Martinez gave the 'Cats 5 among the top-25 with 2k remaining. With our opponents a bit more spread throughout the field, the 'Cats were in the drivers seat at 8k.

Reyes would cruise to a comfortable victory, joining former 'Cat greats Scotty Bauhs, Patrick Boivin, and Isaac Chavez as a regional champion. Kyle Medina looked like anything but a miler stepping up to the 10k while pulling into second place for good over the final 2k. As Medina enjoyed running down the final straight behind Reyes, he realized that teammate Falco DiGiallonardo was running clear in third just meters behind him. Kyle slowed his strides to join Falco as the pair crossed the line together securing a 1,2,3 finish. Aaron Mora closed well to give the 'Cats four among the Top-17, and Steven Martinez secured the win with a late race rally that took him across the line in 22nd. All five scorers earned All West Region honors. Arturo Arevalo would finish 53rd and Connor Fisher stepped off the course near mid race.

Although it wasn't a perfect day for the 'Cats it was good enough to get the win and to continue the 'Cats streak of NCAA berths that dates back to 1999.

Women's 6k Championship: Unlike the Wildcat men, the Chico women went into the regional race healthy and fresh off some of their best workouts of the season. At CCAA's the 'Cats put their entire 7 among the top-13 by the finish, and the group formed a very impressive :58 second spread between them. In order to win the region a very similar race would most likely be needed as Alaska, Simon Fraser and Cal Baptist were all very strong teams. It should also be mentioned that the 'Cats lost to both Cal Baptist and Point Loma during the regular season (while several top athletes sat due to injury/sickness).

The only adjustment to the race plan from the conference race was a hoped better start by our group, as they were buried in the CCAA field in the first kilometer of the race. In preparation for the upcoming NCAA Championships race it was a goal to not allow this to happen in Billings.

As the race began, 6 of the 7 'Cats had much improved starts, with the lone exception being Karlie Garcia, who passed by yours truly in the back quarter of the field at the 300m point of the start stretch. Thankfully Karlie is an unflappable competitor and she was soon in the company that we'd hoped she would be by the mile mark.

As the race transitioned from the fast and furious start and into the actual tough middle kilometers the Chico women looked great and controlled. If there were a preliminary score done at the 2k mark the 'Cats wouldn't have been leading, but they were superbly positioned for the 4k ahead.

At the front of the race Simon Fraser's Rebecca Bassett (16:42 track credentials) split from a large (and talented) chase group that included Chico's Sadie Gastelum and Karlie Garcia. Alaska had 15:59 5k gal Joyce Chelimo and teammate Caroline Kurgat (33:38 10k) among the group. Other notables mixing it up in this elite group were CCAA Champ Laura Aceves and St. Martin's Shannon Porter (Willamette Inv. Champ 17:06, and 16:30 track runner). Bassett's largest lead was about 30meters, but with the firepower working behind her, it was unlikely that she would run away from such a talented group.

By 4k the group at the front had absorbed Bassett and as the tough pace took it's toll talented athletes drifted into the field behind, one by one. Thankfully Sadie and Karlie hung strong and ran among the group that had whittled down to 8. Behind the pair of Wildcats in the lead pack their teammates were hard at work moving through a tiring field. Alex Burkhart had moved up into around 15th position by 4k and Hannah Dorman, Nora Pizzella, Haley Kroll and Kayden Carpenter were all now running among the top ¼ of the 200+ field.

In the final kilometer of the race Alaska's Kurgat made a big move from the lead pack in an effort to win the race. San Bernardino's Laura Aceves gave chase and soon caught the tall Kenyan Athlete. Aceves would use the same tactics that she had to win the CCAA race while overtaking and putting Kurgat behind her in the final 400m of the race. Kurgat would hold on for second. As the remainder of the now splintered lead group raced toward the finish from 300m out, Sadie Gastelum was now in 4th place nearly side by side with Porter of St Martins. Unfortunately Sadie was unable to overtake Porter, and was also edged by a surging Eileen Stressling, leaving her in fifth but less than a second out of third. Finishing quite strong in 6th place was Karlie Garcia who held off Alaska's 15:59 gal Chelimo by 2 seconds. Simon Fraser would put their third across the line in 12th place, giving them an early advantage, but Chico's Burkart held on for a 16th place finish. Following just 2 places behind Burkart was Chico's 4 Hannah Dorman who earned her first All Region honor with the run. True frosh Nora Pizella (Chico's fifth and final scorer) would beat every other team's fourth across the line, which sealed the victory for the 'Cats. Making the victory even more convincing the 'Cats put #6 (Haley Kroll) and #7 (Kayden Carpenter) across the line well before any other team's fifth hit the tape.

In studying the women's victory, Saturday's result was very similar to our CCAA run. Our 1-7 spread was a miniscule 57 seconds, and the team time was exactly the same as our CCAA race. As mentioned previously, the women have now qualified for the NCAA championships for 17 years in a row and will take aim at a Top-4 trophy finish.

Next Up: the 'Cats will now head to the Big Dance held this year in St. Leo, Florida for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Saturday November 19. The men will arrive at nationals ranked fourth where they have been much of the season while the women will arrive ranked sixth up one following regionals. Stay tuned!!