It was a beautiful spring day in Chico on Saturday and nearly perfect for hosting a track meet. The 'Cats took advantage of this and while tuning up for next week's SF Distance Carnival and Stanford meets with a lot of 1500 and 800m running at our low key Wildcat Invitational. Unfortunately many of the competing teams were resting their top distance runners, which made the 1500's a bit of an inter-squad affair. Thankfully though we had strong numbers which allowed us to create our own races within the meet. The result was promising as a good number of PR's were notched and the group heads into next week's big meets with some solid momentum.

1500m Race Summaries:
Men's Heat I & II: Adrian Sherrod, Anthony Costales and Red Shirting Phil Graber were solicited to share the workload in Heat I in an attempt to create a solid early pace in the men's 1500m, which would hopefully prevent a likely tactical affair. Also with the North winds blowing to some degree, sharing the workload at the front would help all three. Graber drew the first 300m shift and took things out a bit too aggressive from the gun, blowing by yours truly at 200m in the 28.range. In hindsight this aggressive start may have hurt the overall result, especially given that all three are training for the longer distance events and thus would desire a more evenly paced race.

Knowing that the pace was a bit too aggressive Sherrod took the front but unfortunately settled the pace a bit too much, as a 61 flat first lap turned into a 64 for the second revolution. Costales strained trying to make the third lap happen, but wasn't able to bring the pace back into the lower 60 second range, so Graber took the front again. With the front trio struggling a bit Sophomore Dan Parker (3:52 credentials) and Germay Tesfai and Isaac Chavez joined the fray as the growing pack hit the bell at about 2:55. Predictably Parker grabbed the lead for good and squeezed the pace down over the final lap. Parker's former HS teammate at Chico High Graber followed closely as the two would eventually take the 1-2 finish in 3:55.46/3:56. Adrian Sherrod finished well in a 3:57.16 PR, and Isaac Chavez ( 3:58.12), Germay Tesfai (3:58-PR), Brett Douville (3:59-PR), and Anthony Costales (3:59). All told the 'Cats took the first 7 places with each breaking the 4:00 mark.

In Heat II a poorly seeded Dayne Gradone made the best of the situation by hammering a sub 60 (59.6) second last lap to grab the impressive win in 3:58 (PR)

Women's Heat I & II: Junior transfer Ayla Granados would debut for the '13 season at the Wildcat Invite, having missed a large percentage of training from late January/early Feb. with a nagging calf problem. Thankfully the leg problem has relinquished and the multi talented Butte College transfer has been able to work back into competitive fitness. On Saturday Granados was overly aggressive in her Wildcat track debut early on, pulling 4 teammates out quite fast. Granados hit 200m in 34 and was in the 71-72 range at 400m. Needless to say this fast pace at the front strung out the field.

Steeple school-record holder Amy Schnittger followed just a few strides off the pace, as was Olivia Watt who had just run a huge 4:48 PR at the Kim Duyst Meet several weeks prior. Natalie Galvan and Paige Henker were also through 400m under 75. A large chase pack that contained a good portion of our distance team ran several seconds behind, sensing that the pace ahead was a bit too aggressive for their liking. Although the pace at the front settled as the race wore on, Granados did a great job of staying focused, eventually hitting the tape first for a wire to wire 4:40.88 win.

Schnittger, who managed the early pace well, chopped an impressive 5 seconds off her previous PR with a hard fought 4:42.03 second place finish. Olivia Watt continued her breakout season with a 4:43.20 final time (her PR coming into the season was 4:57!). Galvan held on nicely recording her second best time ever (4:48). Hillary LaBelle broke the 5 minute barrier for the first time in a big way, leading the chase pack across the line with her 4:50.84 run. A host of Wildcats crossed the line in the following places with most recording personal best marks. In fact the 'Cats would take the Top 11 places in this run.

In the second heat RS Frosh Jackie Mansoor grabbed the lead at 500m and never looked back while recording a nice 4:58 win.

Men's 800m: All Chico Distance runners competing in the 800 were doubling back from the earlier 1500 (90min break between). Phil Graber would lose a battle for the win with Cal Poly SLO's Sam Kane but Graber would still PR with his 1:57 final time. 10K NCAA qualifier Anthony Costales, who had run 2:00 more times than he'd care to remember, Finally busted under 2 minutes with his 1:58 run for third overall. Brett Douville who'd broken 4 minutes for the first time in the 1500m earlier, doubled back nicely with a 1:58 run as well.

In the second heat Alex McGuirk (who'd tanked an earlier 1500m) rallied nicely in the 2 lapper for a 1:57 PR. The steeple specialist is showing promising fitness looking at the stretch run ahead. Another impressive run was the 2:00.05 of Johnny Sanchez a 5k/10k specialist who isn't necessarily known for his speed.

Women's 800m: Ayla Granados recorded her second win of the day with he 2:17.3 mark. Olivia Watt who looked as though she had run a huge PR in the 1500m only minutes before (tired!) held on for second in 2:21

Next Up: The 'Cats have a big day on Friday as the greater percentage will be competing at the SF State Distance Carnival. Isaac Chavez and Amy Schnittger will also be competing on Friday, but on the Stanford oval. Stay tuned for a weekend that almost always brings some big performances and great racing from the Chico State crew. Thanks as always for your support!

Sprints & Field Events No one enjoyed the "home cooking" at the Wildcat Invitational last Saturday more than Chico native Kasey Barnett. Barnett is the third Chico State women's track & field athlete to win the conference's top honor in the past four weeks, following heptathlete Robin Hannah and hurdler Aimee Rodgers to be named CCAA female track athlete of the week! Barnett placed first in the pole vault, posting the fourth-best score in Chico State history and bettering her existing NCAA Provisional mark with a vault of 12 feet-1 1/4". She posted a second NCAA Provisional mark with a winning leap of 19-feet-04" on her first and only attempt in the long jump. Barnett continued her successful Saturday with a first place showing in the triple jump (a season-best 36-feet-02) and anchoring a victorious Chico State 4x100-meter relay team with a season-best time of 47.66 seconds, tying for the fourth fastest in the event in Wildcat history. She rounded out the Wildcat Invitational by turning in a personal best time (12.48 seconds) while placing second in the 100-meter dash. Barnett is currently tops among CCAA athletes this season in the pole vault, long jump and as part of the 4x100 relay, and has logged top 10 efforts in the triple jump and 100-meter dash. She also ranks third in the nation in the pole vault and is tied for ninth-best in the country in the long jump. The 4 x 100 relay team of Amilia Santos, Gabrielle Finley-Vaquera, Hannah, and Barnett received some stiff competition through the first 3 legs as Chico's B team of Aja Erksine, Tori Mason, Aimee Rodgers and Taylor Hypolite who posted a 48.44 time (only .2 from our all-time top 10 list). Anchor leg runner Hypolite actually received the baton several steps ahead of Barnett but wasn't able to match the powerful strides of her versatile teammate.

Another highlight for the day for Barnett was the fan support she received. She was a level 9 gymnast while at Chico HS and now coaches gymnastics at Athletic's Horizons. On Saturday the cheering she received from the girls she coaches along with their families could be heard across the stadium. She certainly treated her fans to a memorable performance.

Fellow vaulter and former level 9 gymnast Kelly Gundert joined her teammate in the national rankings by clearing a PR height of 11'6 ½", which ranks 5th in Chico State history. Gundert and Barnett have developed into the program's most potent pole vaulting tandem in many years, and Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational Gundert's best effort yet resulted in both an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark and Wildcat of the Week honors. Gundert's personal record in the pole vault ranks as the 11th-highest nationally and sixth-best among CCAA competitors so far in the 2013 season.

Chico State dominated in the 1,500-meter run, claiming four of the top five finishers in the men's race. Daniel Parker (another Chico HS alum) took top honors with a time of 3:55.46, followed by fellow Wildcats Adrian Sherrod (coming in third with a personal best time of 3:57.16), Isaac Chavez (fourth place, 3:58.12) and Dayne Gradone (fifth, PR time of 3:58.29). Ayla Granados picked up a pair of first place finishes in her first home meet, winning both the 800-meter run (2:17.36) and the 1,500-meter run (4:40.88). Aimee Rodgers placed first in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, with times of 14.58 seconds and 1:03.02, respectively. While Granados won the 1500, she was followed by Wildcat teammates Amy Schnittger (second place, PR time of 4:42.03), Olivia Watt (third, PR time of 4:43.20), Natalie Galvan (fourth, PR time of 4:48.82) and Hillary LaBelle (fifth, PR time of 4:50.84).

In the Shot Put Brooke Shepard placed second with a heave of 40-feet-07.00, with Candyce Sannadan coming in fourth (39-feet-05.00). Sannadan notched a second place showing in the discus (128-feet-00), with Shepard (126-feet-01) finishing third. Sannadan finished second in the hammer (146-feet-00), with Kapri Madrid coming in fourth (141-feet-08). Bridget McClarrinon topped the javelin field with a throw of 133-feet-04, while both Meghan Delamater (third place, 115-feet-07) and Erin O'Hara (fifth, 103-feet-09) turned in personal best performances.

Our gentlemen's relay needed to replace our fastest runner of the group, Jordan Alford-Helems due to a new hamstring injury. He was substituted by another Chico native, Nick Sloggy and the results were impressive...a season best time of 41.93. Andrew Kokinakes had probably the best all-around success of any male Wildcat on the day, taking top honors in the 400-meter hurdles by clocking in at 53.60 seconds, and placing third in the 400-meter run with a personal best time of 49.63 seconds. Kokinakes also teamed with Brock Kraus, Nick Sloggy, and Damaris Greer to finish second in the 4x400-meter relay (3:19.50). Kokinakes anchored with a 50.5 split but Chico's native son Sloggy ran the top split of the day with a 48.5 second leg. Decathlete Teddy Elsenbaumer ran a 49.2 second leg split on the B team to post the next best Chico time. Another highlight for Elsenbaumer was his 2nd place in the 400 hurdles with a PR time of 53.89. His time could have been even faster but he clipped the final hurdle and nearly fell as he was attempting to pass his teammate Kokinakes. The pair is the only two sub 54 second hurdlers in the CCAA! 11 schools participated including fellow CCAA rivals Humboldt State Lumberjacks, the Oregon Tech Owls, Southern Oregon Raiders, and JC powerhouses Sac City and Butte College Roadrunners. Our ladies won the meet with a comfortable margin, scoring 327 points to the 2nd place Lumberjacks' 78. Our men scored 170, 70 more than the Sacramento Panthers and a hundred more than the Raiders.

The Chico State track & field team will be in action Friday at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, as well as the two-day Stanford Invitational Friday and Saturday.