Arcata, CA -- In a combined 30 seasons between the Chico State men's and women's cross-country teams, the Wildcats have claimed each and every California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship without a single let-up. True freshman Destiny Everett finished first individually on the 6-kilometer course in 22 minutes, 2.55 seconds to lead a Chico State group that saw eight runners place in the top 15. The top-to-bottom performance earned the Wildcats women 23 points, well ahead of second-place Cal State East Bay's 81 points.

"I didn't really know what to expect," Everett said in a post-race interview. "I definitely did not expect to have this happen at all."

Angelina Ronquillo of Cal State East Bay finished second in 22:06.46, followed by Chico State's Gracie Dupuis, Talia Swangler and Nora Pizella in the 3-5 spots.

"They did a great job of seeing it through. It was a really challenging course and you really had to be composed and tough out there and they were all of the above," said head coach Gary Towne. "Anyone can go out there and run a good mile or a good first 2 miles but seeing it through from the start to the finish is really the key (to making) sure that the cream rises to the top. We've been good at that through the years. Especially our women's teams."

Haley Boynton (10th), Desirae Jones (12th), Carrie McDounough (14th), and Taylor Bailey-Lustyan (15th) each earned all-CCAA honors by finishing in the top 15. McDounough, a freshman, was named CCAA Newcomer of the Year.

Chico State's Trad Berti was the leading finisher for the Wildcat men as he placed second behind CCAA Runner of the Year Josh Litwiller of Cal State San Marcos. Berti finished the 8-kilometer course in 24:50.23.

Matthew Herrera placed fifth in 25:06.23 followed by Jhavahn Holston in sixth at 25:08.26. Remington Breeze added a ninth-place finish as he clocked in at 25:13.38.

"I certainly did not go into coaching thinking that one day we would be in this place," Towne said about winning the 18th straight title. "But you just take things one year at a time, one group at a time."

Rory Abberton, who finished 11th overall in 25:16.67, was named the CCAA Newcomer of the Year.

Raymond Lopez (13th), Wyatt Baxter (14th) and Chico High alumnus Jack Emanuel (15th) each earned All-CCAA honors. The Wildcats finished first as a team with 33 points while Cal State San Marcos finished second with 72.

Another year, another title!
'Cats claim 18th straight
Send 10 of the first 18 runners across the finish line.

Luke Reid - Sports Information Director (lreid@csuchico.edu)

ARCATA-The gun went off at 10 a.m. sharp, emitting a plume of smoke that quickly dissipated into the misty Arcata air and signaling the start of the 2019 California Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Cross Country Championships. A little more than 25 minutes later, Chico State had earned its 18th straight CCAA title by sending 10 of the first 18 runners across the finish line.

While that starters' pistol may have signaled the start of Saturday's eight-kilometer race at Baywood Golf and Country Club, it was not really the beginning of the Wildcats' 2019 title run. That began long before. Matthew Herrera, who finished fifth overall and was the second Wildcat across the finish line, provided the perfect illustration. Herrera was a spectator at last year's CCAA Championships. The team's 11th or 12th runner, he did not make the postseason roster. But he spent the summer training at altitude, and this fall, has become one of the team's top performers. His is a story that has been replayed year after year during the Wildcats' run of dominance, a reality not lost on Head Coach Gary Towne. "It's pretty surreal. You just take things one year at a time and one group at a time. There's so many different stories within it and this is the perfect example," said Towne. "Matt was our number 11 or 12 guy on our roster a year ago. He was out watching the conference meet, not running in it. But the minute he's inserted into the starting lineup. he's so comfortable and so familiar in his surroundings with his teammates that he just steps in and does what he did today, believing he can do it because he's used to running with those guys every day... Today's success is not by mistake." Herrera was one of five Wildcats who made their postseason debuts Saturday, and all five played an important role in the victory.

Sophomore Trad Berti placed second, Herrera fifth, Remington Breeze ninth, CCAA Newcomer of the Year Rory Abberton 11th, and junior college transfer Raymond Lopez 13th. They were joined on the All-CCAA team by Jhavan Holston (6th), Wyatt Baxter (14th), and Jack Emanuel (15th) by virtue of their top-15 finishes. Luis Ortega and Zachary Chamberlain were not far behind, placing 17th and 18th, respectively. The All-CCAA honor is Baxter's third straight and the second in a row for both Holston and Emanuel.

Despite competing against the other four teams ranked among the West Region's top five, the top-ranked Wildcats won relatively easily, outscoring runner-up Cal State San Marcos 33-72. The Wildcats spent most of the morning running in two to three packs, a fact that Herrera pointed to when discussing the team's success. "We just really like each other as a team. When you see your buddy out there you want to run with him," said Herrera. "It really-that strength in numbers-helps you in those hard points of the race when you know all your guys are out there. That's a huge reason we've been so successful." They hope that success continues with the NCAA Regional and National Championships on the horizon. Just like Saturday, for Herrera and many of his teammates, those races have already begun in their heads. "I'm just excited for what's to come," said Herrera. "We're not done yet."

2019 CCAA Men's Cross Country Championships
Runner of the Year - Joshua Litwiller (Cal State San Marcos)
Freshman of the Year - Joseph Macareno (Stanislaus State)
Newcomer of the Year - Rory Abberton (Chico State)
Championship Scholar - Jeremiah Suzara (Cal Poly Pomona)
Coach of the Year - Gary Towne (Chico State)

Two true freshmen and a lost shoe: the story of a 12th straight CCAA title
Destiny Everett becomes first Chico State freshman to win the CCAA Championship race

Luke Reid - Sports Information Director (lreid@csuchico.edu)

ARCATA-A thick and foggy shroud of mist settled over the evergreens and provided an air of mystery in the moments leading up to the California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Cross Country Championships race Saturday morning at Baywood Golf and Country Club in Arcata. Like every great mystery, the race featured twists and turns aplenty, and a surprise ending that took some time to comprehend. True freshman Destiny Everett, who ran unattached in Chico State's first race of the season while weighing whether to redshirt, won the strenuous six-kilometer race while leading the Wildcats to their 12th consecutive CCAA title.

This title was one of the Wildcats' most impressive. They pounded runner-up Cal State East Bay 23-81, sending four of the first five finishers across the line and eight of the top 15. It marked the fewest points by a CCAA Championship team since Chico State's 19 points in 2010 and the Wildcats' third lowest point total over the course of their 16 championships. The Wildcats went to the starting line with only four returners from last season's race. One of them, senior Nora Pizzella, lost her shoe just 600 meters in as Wildcats Head Coach Gary Towne looked on in horror, worrying that this might be a bad omen for the Wildcats on this day. Instead, Pizzella continued to pound the turf, a strange shoe-sock-shoe-sock-shoe-sock sound emanating off the turf, and by mid-race, head reached the lead group, joining four Wildcats in the top five.

Two were Everett and another true freshman, Gracie Dupuis. The other was fellow senior Talia Swangler. The rest of the Wildcats were not far behind, all moving among the top 20 or so. "Our success did hinge a fair amount on our freshmen and six newcomers who didn't run it a year ago," said Towne. "Then one of our returners lost a shoe 600 meters in so, I don't know, you just kind of find a way, and we found a way again today and I'm really thankful for that."

The course was one of the more challenging conference championship courses in recent memory, featuring a number of steep hills and narrow chutes for the athletes to negotiate. Everett, who had not finished higher than 10th in her first three collegiate races, ran with the lead group throughout before pulling away in the final few hundred yards to beat Cal State East Bay's Angelina Ronquillo by nearly four seconds. Dupuis placed third, followed by Swangler in fourth and Pizzella in fifth. Haley Boynton (10th), Desirae Jones (12th), Carrie McDounough (14th), and Taylor Bailey-Lustyan (15th) gave the Wildcats a total of eight All-CCAA accolades for finishing among the top 15. McDonough, a redshirt freshman, earned CCAA Newcomer of the Year honors for her finish. The All-CCAA honor was Pizzella's third and the second straight for Boynton and Jones.

Neither Everett or Wildcats Head Coach Gary Towne were surprised that she performed well Saturday. But neither imagined she would win. "Maybe not the win," said Towne with a big smile. "I thought she'd do well on this course. I knew she was good on hills. We did have a talk (two weeks ago) in Eugene about how I felt like a top five would be doable." That would have been quite an accomplishment itself. Instead, Everett is the first Chico State freshman to win the CCAA title and the first freshman from any institution since at least 2000. And even a few hours after the race, she was still as surprised as anyone. "I didn't really know what to expect," said Everett, regarding her first collegiate postseason race. "I definitely did not expect to have this happen at all."

The Wildcats entered the race as heavy favorites, ranked No. 1 in the West Region and No. 5 in the nation, but were taking nothing for granted with four other teams ranked among the nation's top 25 in the field and a challenging course to navigate. "They did a great job of seeing it through. It was a really challenging course and you really had to be composed and tough out there and they were all of the above," said Towne. "Anyone can go out there and run a good mile or a good first two miles but seeing it through from the start to the finish is really the key (to making) sure that the cream rises to the top. We've been good at that through the years. Especially our women's teams." They now have 12 CCAA titles and 16 in the past 18 years to show for it.

Chico State Results - 2019 CCAA Women's Cross Country Championships
Runner of the Year - Destiny Everett (Chico State)
Freshman of the Year - Destiny Everett (Chico State)
Newcomer of the Year - Carrie McDonough (Chico State)
Championship Scholar - Hannah Marin (Cal State Monterey Bay)
Coach of the Year - Gary Towne (Chico State)