Bellingham, WA -- The Chico State Cross Country teams enjoyed a massive road trip over the weekend trekking up to Bellingham, Washington for the Western Washington Invite. The 1500 mile (round trip) journey was highlighted by twin Wildcat victories in the two races on Saturday. Of course 1500 miles of van time also creates memories that last a lifetime.

On Thursday the Wildcats covered the long stretch between Chico and Portland, concluding the day with an awesome run in Forest Park. Dinner included a few hours of exploring downtown Portland. The following morning the crew made their way to Seattle, where lunch and some sight-seeing was had at the Public Market. A few may have made their way into the doors of the first Starbucks coffee shop. From there the 'Cats hopped back into the vans for the remainder of the trip to Bellingham. The course preview of WWU's new cross country venue at Sudden Valley Golf Course was had, and the setting was absolutely beautiful. There was no doubt that the 'Cats were a bit road-weary starting Saturday's races, but thankfully it didn't deter them from running two very strong races.

Women's 6k: The women's field included several DII regionally ranked squads, including home team Western Washington who'd just finished 4th of 30 teams at the Griak Invite two weeks previous. Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific were also in attendance, and are both regionally ranked as well.

The race would in essence cover three 2k loops with a variety of terrain, but on a mostly flat course. From the start the Chico women established themselves well among the front group. Unfortunately the 'Cats would be running without CCAA XC runner-up Alex Tucker, and our #3 from two weeks ago Desirae Jones, who are both dealing with some physical ailments. Thankfully we are currently enjoying some depth on the women's side, and the five that have consistently been among our top-5-7 all year (Talia Swangler, Nora Pizzella, Destiny Everett, Gracie Dupuis, and Haley Boynton) looked great operating together through the first mile of the run.

Leading the race from the front were Alaska's Nancy Jeptoo and Emanuela Chelimo, along with a few club runners, and Seattle Pacific's top two. The Chico pack ran between 10th-20th heading into the second mile with Talia Swangler pushing the pace in an attempt to move into the top-10.

The final kilometers brought a slight movement through the field for the 'Cat's front pack, which once again was holding a very tight 1-5 split. A solid finish would give Swangler and Everett 7th and 10th place finishes respectively. Dupuis (15th), Boynton (16th) and Pizzella (17th) would conclude the day's scoring and an impressive 18 second gap split. In looking at the team scores, this one wasn't as close as it appeared on paper, as the Chico women put their entire 5 scorers across the line before runner-up WWU's second finisher. Alaska would take the top 2 individual spots, but their huge gap split between 2-5 squashed any chances of an upset in the team scoring.

Also enjoying fine runs for the Chico crew were Carrie McDonough who continues to progress nicely. On this day the frosh from Buena HS would take 29th overall as the 'Cats #6 runner. Katie Hawley would finish 31st, while Taylor Bailey and Jalen Burns would give Chico 9 of the top 37 finishers. Also of note was the sub 1:00 split between Swangler and Burns.

Men's 10k: One of the nice things about the WWU meet is that they consistently offer a 10k on the men's side, which allows teams to practice the longer race Before facing it in the post-season. Overall the Wildcat men handled the longer distance just fine on Saturday. Host Western Washington's men had finished 4th at the Griak Invite (same placing as their women) two weeks previous, but would be completely outmatched against the Chico men.

From the start, the Wildcats hogged most of the top places in the field, looking poised and confident operating with Alaska's two standouts Felix Kemboi and Wesley Kirui. Several club athletes and Western Washington guys were in the mix in the early going as well.

The 'Cats lead trio of Trad Berti, Matt Herrera and Wyatt Baxter were asked to just sit in the main group with their teammates throughout the race, in order to Not go to the well in a run that didn't require it. The lead three did exactly that, working with Jack Emanuel, Jhavahn Holston, Remington Breeze, and Zachary Chamberlain for much of the race.

In the final of 4 loops for the men, the Alaska Kenyans began to assert themselves from the front, splintering the main pack. Chico's Holston and Berti went with the pair, while Baxter and Herrera were content to work together several meters behind.

Kemboi would win the individual battle on this day reaching the finish in 31:37, just a few ticks of the clock ahead of Chico's Berti who would place 2nd. Kirui would take third, with Holston just 1 second behind in 4th. Baxter would win a sprint to the line to take 5th place, while Herrera would take 7th with the same time. Remington Breeze and Jack Emanuel would take 8th and 9th, while teammates Rory Abberton (11th) and Zachary Chamberlain would give Chico 8 of the top-12 finishers on the day. All 8 would finish ahead of host Western Washington's first runner (WWU would place 2nd in the team scoring). This one wasn't too close.

The 'Cats would hit the road after lunch in Bellingham, spending the night in Eugene, before enjoying a Sunday long run on Pre's trails. Overall it was a fantastic trip, and an awesome final invitational before the 'Cats head into the post season in two weeks.

Speaking of, next up is the CCAA Championships to be held in Arcata, CA on Saturday October 26. The Wildcat men will take a 17 year win streak to the line, while the women will try for their 12th straight crown. Thanks for your support and we hope to see you at NCAA's in Nov. 23rd in Sacramento!

Up Next: The Chico men and women will now turn their attention on the CCAA Championships to be held in two weeks (Saturday Oct. 21) in Ceres, CA (Stanislaus St-Host). More to come on the CCAA races.