Sunnyvale, CA - Every fourth year the NCAA Championships are two weeks later than normal due to the NCAA Fall Festival. One of the positives of this, is that the Wildcats are then able to participate in the high powered Bronco Invitational that Santa Clara U hosts at Baylands Regional Park. In non-festival years, the Bronco meet lands the week before CCAA's, which isn't ideal for CCAA performances, and only our red shirts participate in those years. This of course is a Festival year, so the 'Cats had earmarked the Bronco week as an opportunity to run a fast course against a DI heavy field. All without having to travel too far from home.

Another positive of the Bronco meet is that there is an Invitational race for each gender, and an open race, for those outside their team's top-7-10. This opens the door for developing young runners to play a role in a scoring team. In 2018, 3 of our scorers in the men's open race would play vital part in our team's 3rd place run the next year at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Saturday would provide 20 Wildcats the opportunity to score, and of course 8 more to displace scorers from other teams. The 'Cats would definitely take advantage of all four races, as each team had successful runs, and Lot's of PR's. In fact, both Wildcat men's squads would win their races, while the Invite women would place 7th in a DI heavy field, while the second crew would take 2nd overall to Salt Lake CC's A team. Please follow along below for a short re-cap of each race.

Men's Invitational 8k: Running in perfect conditions on a flat and fast course, the Chico men were antsy about running some fast times, and hopefully coming home with a team title. Pre-Race evaluations of the field showed that the top competition might come from either University of Nevada at Reno, or Weber State. The two programs are both ranked among the top 13 in the stout Mountain Region (DI of course).

From the gun, the pace at the front was predicably quite quick as the leader of the field crossed 1600m in 4:35. Each of the 'Cats top-5 ran among the top 20-30 throughout the race, so each sailed through the first mile before 4:40 hit the clock. Joshua O'Neill and Cameron Duquette (our 6/7 runners on the day) rolled through under 4:45, positioned quite well.

As the field rolled through the only "hilly" stretch (a series of 10 ft rises that look like oversized speed-bumps) approaching 2 miles, Chico senior Jack Emanuel took the lead, making sure the pace didn't falter. Yours truly pleaded with the excitable Emanuel to be patient, so when the pack rolled by some 4 minutes later Emanuel was placed on the heels of Stanford's 13:38 5k guy Evan Burke. Just a few strides behind and running within a pretty elite lead-pack was Emanuel's teammate Omar Alvarez-Hernandez, who's been enjoying some pretty quick workouts as of late. A second chase pack included the 'Cats 3,4 and 5 runners, in Rory Abberton, Daniel Hernandez, and defending CCAA Champ Brayden McLaughlin (who was our fifth on the course at the time).

As the race entered the final mile, a lead pack of 6 had put several meters on closest chasers (Including Stanford's Burke) and both Emanuel and Alvarez-Hernandez ran among this group. Emanuel was showing signs of fatigue, given the earlier surges from the front. Brayden McLaughlin was charging well over the final mile as he appeared to be closing some of the gap between the group he had been travelling with, and the leaders ahead. Abberton and Hernandez showed the distress of hot early pace, but appeared prepared to hold their positions over the final kilometer of the run.

Over the final half mile, Santa Clara alum Xander Olivero found a gear that the rest of the pack was unable to hold on to and he would find the finish first, in a swift 23:30 time. Omar hit the final straight full of run, but Long Beach State's 3:41 1500m guy (Michael Phillips) wasn't to be denied the silver medal spot. Alvarez-Hernandez would hit the line 3rd in a massive 23:34 PR to start the 'Cats scoring. UNR's top guy would finish next, and Stanford's Burke would kick past Emanuel over the final 100m to claim 5th. Fresno Pacific's Xavier Smith would also nip Jack down the final straight, but Emanuel would hold on for 7th in 23:45. Brayden would place 16th and crack the 24 minute barrier with his 23:58 PR, while Rory and Daniel would finish just seconds behind in 18th and 19th places (24:04, 24:05). With all 5 scorers among the top-20 the 'Cats had placed all scorers ahead of eventual runner-up Weber State's #1 (who placed 20th). Joshua O'Neill would provide great insurance to the group ahead, placing 26th overall, and finishing within every other teams' scoring groups, and Cameron Duquette would cross the finish just 4 seconds behind as the 'Cats #7 (24:23 PR).

In digging through past Bronco results it appears that the 'Cats might have broken the meet record for fastest team time, with their 23:53 Top-5 average. In 2014 the Chico men were defeated by a stout Oklahoma State squad that averaged 23:56, but this year's 'Cats may have exacted some indirect revenge on the Cowboy program. ;v)

Women's Invitational 6k: The women's field at this year's Bronco meet was Stacked! Numerous Regionally ranked DI teams toed the line, and top individuals included Dellinger Invite champ Sierra Atkins, Riverside Invite Champ Ryley Fick, and USF's Ruby Smee (15:36 5k PR), and a host of other women with impressive resumes. The 'Cats had the perfect race to simulate what the NCAA field will feel like in another 7 weeks!

Rolling through the first mile the Chico women were a bit buried in the field, but all 7 looked composed and ready for the the run ahead. Marissa D'Atri had the best start of the 'Cats in the early-going, with Hannah Tiffany following somewhat closely, and the twins (Della and Iresh) not far behind. Hannah Ryan, who was running a bit sick didn't look great, but her fitness and toughness would certainly prevail on the day.

As the race progressed, the 'Cats did a great job of working their way though the field. Hannah Tiffany would lead the 'Cats through the middle section of the course, but the Molina twins were making moves of their own through the field. Marissa lost some places in the middle of the run, but attached to the twins' wagon, and pressed through the toughest kilometers of the race. CCAA foe Stanislaus had their top 3 ahead of the 'Cats pack throughout, but their #4 was working to keep up with the 'Cats pack, and their #5 (usually their #6) was sliding backward through the field. Over the final short loop on the course, the Molina twins took the lead of the 'Cats attack, with Marissa just behind. A strong final stretch gave Della and Iresh matching 20:58 PR's and 34/35th place finishes, just ahead of Stanford's top frosh recruit Roisin Willis who broke the US HS 800m record this past summer with her 1:59.1 PR. Marissa D'Atri would finish less than a second behind Willis, giving the 'Cats 3 in the top 40. A pair of Hannahs (Tiffany and Ryan) would place 51st and 58th with 21:15 and 21:20 PR's. Sophomore Jaclyn Denham would finish just 2 seconds behind Ryan with her 21:22 PR, and Gracie Dupuis would close out the 'Cats day in the Invite run with her 21:37 effort.

Upon first glance and seeing a 7th place finish for the Chico women it's easy to think that they might have had a "down" day, but in reality this was a very solid outing for the Wildcat women. Having run on this same course with various top-10 teams in the past, today's team-time by the 'Cats was our best ever. All teams that defeated us were solid West coast DI's, and we'd beaten a large group of DI's ourselves (CAL, Long Beach, Nevada, UCSD, Idaho State, St Mary's, Hawaii and others) as well as CCAA foe Stan State, (*who ran without their #5 from the Cougar Invite). Also, the 'Cats 24 second 1-6 in a crowded field should serve them well as they move into the championship season ahead.

Men's Open 8k: The last time we raced teams at Bronco the 'Cats were able to win both men's races, and that fact wasn't lost on the men's Open crew of 2022. Although we've lost a bit of our depth from the men's roster in recent weeks (injuries and sickness) a determined and hungry group of guys toed the line Saturday with something to prove. Leading the way was Bennett Woodward who didn't make the CCAA roster a year ago, but took big strides forward on the track last spring. As the race got underway on Saturday Woodward injected himself among the lead pack early on, looking comfortable and confident. Also enjoying a fabulous start was RS frosh Anders Beil. The Central Catholic HS alum spent much of last year struggling with unexplained weakness and really poor race results.

Anders' fast early start and confidence seemed to give teammates Travis Selby, Michael Ramirez, and Hunter Dougherty even more assurance that they too belonged toward the front of the field throughout.

As the race progressed Bennett Woodward led a chase group that trailed eventual 1st and 2nd place finishers Andrew Vasquez and Cesar Mireless. The RS sophomore from Rocklin, CA looked strong as he attempted to spread out the chase pack over the final few kilometers of the run. Anders spent much of the middle miles chasing the lead group and trying to work through a strung-out pack. Hunter Dougherty and Travis Selby worked together among the top-25 overall, each showing the stress of a PR-in-progress, but also strong enough to seal the performance up in the final mile. Michael Ramirez operated some 15-20 seconds back and among a large group.

As leaders hit the 200m grass stretch to the finish, Bennett Woodward ran in 4th position. Stanford and Cal Poly red shirts Calum Sherry and Aiden Dimick slid by over the final 100m, but Woodward managed to hit the finish 6th overall with a 24:33 PR. Holding on nicely over the final miles (after a quick start) was Anders Beil, who hit the tape 11th overall in 24:52 (26:18 here a year ago). Also determined to see a great race to the finish was Hunter Dougherty who appeared to run the final 100m in 12 seconds.. The Chico HS alum crossed the line 14th overall in 24:56. Roommate and training partner Travis Selby also enjoyed a massive breakthrough day with his 20th place (25:11) run. Michael Ramirez finished strong, and sealed the 'Cats second victory of the day, with his 34th place finish.

Fun Fact**. As mentioned previously the 'Cats run Bronco every four years as a team, and both teams had won the Invite and Open races in 2018 as well. In looking at the 5 man team-time of the 2018 Open crew vs the 2022 open team, here is the total time for each: 2018: 2 hours, 5min, 3 seconds. The 2022 team: 2 hours, five minutes, and 1.9 seconds! All of 2 seconds separated these two squads when adding up the top-5 of each. ;v) Pretty equal performances, with completely different teams 4 years apart. Also, each averaged 25:00 per runner.

Women's Open 6k: With our top 7 runners having raced in the Invite heat earlier, the 'Cats would send out the good majority of their remaining roster in the Open race. A top exception was Katie Hawley who was All West Region a year ago, but picked up a sickness in the days leading up to the race. Not to be detoured by this setback, a hungry group of Wildcats fired off the line with something to prove.

Leading the 'Cats charge in the early going was Alturas native Jennifer Ruiz, who appeared to be on a mission to run Fast. Jenny ran three 6k's last year and one this year. Most were in the 24 minute range, but on this day she would eventually run well inside the 22's! Joining Jenny near the front of the pack was teammate Avery Lambrite who ran three 6k's last season in the 25's. Today she would eventually eclipse the 22 minute barrier! Jacqueline Cascione has also endured some tough races in the past year, but looked composed and full of run in today's open race. Sophie Pelletier was our top finisher (from this crew) in our first race of the season in San Marcos, but was dealing with flu symptoms and battled to help the Chico women on the team front.

As the race wound down, Avery had moved into the top-15 overall and hit the grass stretch full of steam, knowing that she might have a shot at breaking 22 minutes. Indeed a strong kick would find her 11th and with a massive 21:58 PR! Jacqueline Cascione would finish next for the 'Cats in 22:20 (20th) and Ruiz would take 24th in a big 22:23 PR. Sophie Pelletier and Esmeralda Aguayo would wrap up the 'Cats scoring with 29th and 30th place finishes (22:37/22:41). It should be noted that red shirting frosh Sienna Bianchi notched a 22:34 PR, and Hannah Wirth was the 6th uniformed runner across the line in 22:46.

As the women circled yours truly for a quick post-race talk, the announcer incorrectly informed the fans that the Chico women had won the team scoring portion of the Open race. The ladies, and our fans cheered loudly. Unfortunately the score was later adjusted as we actually finished 2nd to Salt Lake Community College's A team. The Chico women have a LOT to be proud of though. Their second place finish defeated B squads from many of the DI school present, and several A squads. Of course the large number of Pr's logged by this group was testament to a great day as well.

Next up: The 'Cats hit the road on Thursday to race in Saturday's Pre-NCAA invite in Seattle. For those interested in following the action here's the link for meet info: https://spufalcons.com/sports/2022/4/29/22_mxc-wxc_April29