I'm pleased to report that the Wildcat Distance squad enjoyed another stellar NCAA Championship meeting this year, while returning to the familiar venue of Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was on this track that Scott Bauhs won his first NCAA title, and of course several evenings later He and Charlie Serrano would claim a 1-2 finish in the 5k final. To say that we had some positive history on this facility was certainly an understatement. Athletes and coaches were excited to journey to the Tar Heel state, hoping to create more lifetime memories, while pursuing titles and hardware.

The 'Cats would send a total of 14 athletes to Charlotte this year with 9 contesting the distance events. The distance group would enjoy quite a weekend, racing 14 times and earning at least second team All American (Top-12) in 11 of the 14 races. The 9 distance athletes would combine for 7 first team All American honors (Top-8). Leading the way for this stout group was senior Kyle Medina who raced to a second place finish in the 3k steeple, before scoring a third place effort in the 5k. Medina has now earned first team All American honors 9 times between cross country and track, making him the most decorated Wildcat of all time. Leading the way on the women's side was senior Hannah Dorman who placed 3rd in the 10k final, and 6th in the 5k, doubling her career All American haul. Before detailing the day to day action I'll provide the basic results for each athlete below. 

Men: 
Kyle Medina  (Sr) 
3k Steeple Prelim: 9:00.67 Auto Q to final 
3k Steeple:  2nd   8:48.09 (1st team All American) 
5k: 3rd   14:04.64   (1st team All American) 

Jack Johnson (Jr) 
3k Steeple Prelim: 9:02.36 Auto Q to final 
3k Steeple Final: 9:00.65 8th (1st team All American) 
5k Final: 14:34.54 11th (2nd team All American) 

Eddie Johnson (Jr) 
5k Final: 14:17.66  8th Place (1st Team All American) 

Derek Morton (Jr) 
800m Prelim:  1:48.90 - 5th in Heat, 9th overall (2nd Team All American) 

Michael Good (Jr) 
800m Prelim: 1:50.80- 6th in heat, 12th overall (2nd Team All American) 

Connor Fisher (Sr)
3k Steeple Prelim: 9:19.93 9th in Prelim 
5k Final: 14:48.29 14th 

Women: 
Hannah Dorman (Sr) 
10k Final: 35:03.06 3rd (1st Team All American) 
5k Final: 16:54.82 6th (1st Team All American) 

Alex Burkhart (Sr) 
3k Steeple Prelim: 10:33.50 Auto Q to final. 
3k Steeple Final: 10:16.55 6th overall (1st Team All American) 
5k Final: 17:04.16 10th overall (2nd Team All American)

Haley Boynton (Fr) 
3k Steeple Prelim: 10:51.72 8th in heat, 17th overall.



Thursday-Day 1 NCAA Championships

The first day of competition would bring prelims for our four steeplers, and a 10k final for Hannah Dorman. The weather on Thursday was mostly overcast and pretty muggy. The advertised humidity was definitely in the air, and weather experts had warned of potential electrical storms that evening. Thankfully all events would go off on time, although in the moments before the women's 10k the skies darkened and the winds picked up, but thankfully things held on and the race was completed with no delays.

Men's Steeple Prelim: Heat 1: Kyle Medina and Jack Johnson would draw heat 1, which is a bit of a disadvantage given that only the top 4 in each heat go to the final automatically, while an additional 4 would make it through on time (between the two heats). Second heat runners could watch the first heat play out, before creating a final plan of their own to advance to the final. The plan for the 'Cats was to make sure the race was honest enough to help Jack's chances of making the final, without spending more energy than was needed. Taking the top two positions from the gun Johnson and Medina looked controlled, while hurdling well keeping the pace a touch above the 9:00 threshold. The consistent pace at the front slowly squeezed would be finalists from the front group, and by the 2k mark Medina and Johnson ran safely among the top-4. A strong finish by Johnson gave him the fourth and final auto spot into Friday's final. This was a nice step for Johnson who was running in his first NCAA track race.

Heat 2: Senior Connor Fisher would draw Heat II and knew a top 6 finish in his race, along with a 9:10 time would guarantee his spot into the final. Although he was looking good and hurdling well in the early going, Fisher would fade from the front group, eventually finishing with a disappointing 9:19 final time and out of the final. Thankfully he would have the 5k to contest on Saturday, giving him 1 more race to end his Wildcat career.

Women's Steeplechase Prelim: Heat 1: Returning All American Alex Burkhart knew that only a Top-4 finish in her heat would guarantee a spot into the final. Running in the lead pack throughout, Burkhart bided her time, waiting for the group to sort out in the second half of the run. Sort out it did, but with 400m remaining 5 athletes still ran within 1 second of another. Some cat and mouse running down the final straight resulted in a last second switch of order at the finish as all five crossed the line within a half of a second. Thankfully Burkhart's final burst put her across second, thus guaranteeing her fourth straight NCAA final in the barrier event.

Heat 2: Frosh Haley Boynton has enjoyed a very solid and consistent season, but to make the final in the steeple she would need to lower her PR by at least 5 seconds. A long season of racing, coupled with a young reserve of lifetime miles left the Lodi native a bit shy of her PR and the final as she would place 8th in her heat and 17th overall on the day. Expect Haley to return and be a factor in the final in the coming years.

Men's Steeple Prelim: Junior Connor Fisher just took up the steeplechase event this season. In only his first attempt at the barrier race he recorded an impressive 9:02 time. Unfortunately that first race (back in March at Sac State) caused a bruised landing foot, that has never quite healed. The ripple effect from that first run was unfortunately felt in Florida, as Connor landed awkwardly in each of first two water jumps, which caused him to fall onto all fours Twice! The second fall caused enough pain that overall running form was compromised, and all chances of making the final were in essence dashed. Fisher still plowed onward and finished with a respectable 9:18.



Women's 10,000m Final: A year ago Chico teammates Sadie Gastelum and Hannah Dorman combined for 2nd and 4th place finishes in the women's 25 lapper. This year Dorman had enjoyed an even better season to date eclipsing the school's record at the Mt Sac meet with her new 33:55 PR. She had also just eclipsed the 16:30 mark for the 5k at the Portland Last Chance meet. There was little doubt that Dorman was fit and ready to hopefully improve on her race from a year ago.

The biggest challenge at the front of this year's 10k was the 6ft figure of Caroline Kurgat, a Kenyan standout from Alaska Anchorage. Kurgat had recorded the 2nd fastest 10k ever for a DII runner this season (32:30's), and a 15:41 5k as well. She would be Very tough to beat. The second fastest time of the field was that of German standout Leah Hanle who had run 16:04 and 33:43 this season. The third fastest time of the field leading into the run was the 33:47 PR of 2015 NCAA XC Champ Alexis Zeis of U Mary. Azusa Pacific would add 9:29/16:22/34:20's runner Eileen Stressling. Another solid runner in the field was Northern State's Sahsa Hovind who had won the 10k in her conference meet in a PR 34:12 before doubling back the following day with a 16:35 5k! Of course there were plenty of others who had run under the 35 minute threshold this season, but these were the athletes that were pegged as the biggest threats to a hoped Top-3 finish. Dorman's plan leading into the race was to disregard Kurgat's moves, as they could be too dangerous to follow, and not to just follow any single runner who might jump on Kurgat's heels. The plan was more or less to cover the third place in the race, feeling that this would increase chances of a successful outcome.

In the minutes before the 10k was to begin the skies darkened and the winds picked up and rain began to fall. It appeared that we might be in for an interesting run if the storm continued to make its way toward the track. As it was, the rain didn't last very long and the only real affect that the squall had on the race was the constant winds that pressed into the field's faces as they ran down the homestretch each lap. With Kurgat content to stay tucked into the pack in the early going, the front of the race was handled by a number of athletes, but mostly a determined looking Hovind. With the winds blowing fairly steady, Hovind wasn't going to run away from the field in the early going, so she measured her intensities, keeping the laps in the 84/85 range. Given that the top 10-12 had run 80-82 pace per lap to qualify it was no surprise that nearly the entire field was still attached to the lead as the pack neared the mid-way point.

As the leaders began lap #12 Leah Hanle made a Big move from the front and only Kurgat reacted and jumped on her heels. The remainder of the front group accelerated slightly with an 83 second lap, but there was no real move to chase this stout duo at the front of the field. Dorman played her cards beautifully staying tucked in near the rail and in a spot that was always close to the front of the chase pack. This group would contain places 3rd-9th up until Dorman made a big move from the front of the main group, trying hard to secure that 3rd place finish. Knowing she didn't have big final 400m speed Hannah dropped a 78 penultimate lap, that gained several steps of separation from the field. While Kurgat sailed away at the front for an easy victory Hannah found another gear at the bell shifting again and pressing toward the finish of her final NCAA 10k race.

In hindsight Hannah's move from 800m out proved to be key, as she hit the final straight with 2-3 seconds on her closest competitor, BUT they were charging hard from behind. Dorman would hold on for third place, closing her final lap in 74 seconds. Western Oregon's Kenedy Rufner would place fourth just .9 seconds back having run a 72 for her final lap. What an amazing run for Dorman who just two track seasons ago didn't make our conference roster (let alone the NCAA track championships). Now she would turn her sights on her final NCAA run, the 5k, after a much deserved day off racing.

 

Friday-Day 2 NCAA Championships

Friday's abbreviated program would be highlighted by the men's 800m prelims and the steeplechase finals.

Men's 800m Prelim: The first time yours truly viewed the heat breakdown for the men's 800m I was disappointed to say the least. Both Wildcats were placed in the first of three heats together, along with NCAA Indoor national champion Thomas Staines (who was the heavy favorite to repeat as outdoor champion as well). Joining Derek Morton, Michael Good, and Staines were Colorado Mines' 1:48 guy Patrick Weaver, Joshua Ajero (1:49 pr) from Albany, AND CCAA 800m champ Brayden Leach (who had yet to be beaten by a collegiate runner in 2018). With only 2 moving onto the final automatically along with the two best times between the three heats, making the final would be a HUGE challenge.

As the first heat rounded the initial turn it was clear that Ajero was on a mission to make sure that this would not be a tactical affair as he bolted to an early lead. Staines would follow the Albany runner by several strides, as Weaver followed Staines, and Morton followed just on the heels of the Mines runner. Ajero would hit the bell around 52.3 with Staines just behind. Morton ran in 4th covering the first 400m in a swift 53.7 seconds. Humboldt's Leach followed with a 54.1 split, and Good just behind him at 54.2.

The pack hit 600m in the same order, but Humboldt's Leach was making a strong move toward the leaders. Morton looked great, running in 4th position on the heels of the lead trio as the pack rounded the final turn. Entering the final straight Leach made a big push for home, passing Morton and catching the main group ahead. Staines would ease away from the pack eventually winning the heat with a blistering 1:48.0 time. Ajero would hold on for second at 1:48.4, while Weaver and Leach would also record PR's of 1:48.54 and 1:48.58. Despite recording a commendable 55.1 for the second lap Derek Morton would cross 5th overall in 1:48.90. Good would take 6th just missing his PR with a 1:50.80 run.

As yours truly watched the names, times and places populate the scoreboard it quickly became apparent that despite having run within 1 hundredth of a second of our school record in a prelim, Derek had no chance of making the final. At best Weaver and Leach would grab the two time qualifying spots (which they did) if the third place finishers from heats 2 and 3 didn't run faster. As things would shake out, Morton not only ran the 5th fastest time of his heat, but he would run the fifth fastest time of the day, beating the winning times of heats 2 and 3! We knew going into the day that Heat 1 was a tough one, but the results didn't make it any easier to swallow. Thankfully Derek and Michael are juniors and will return next year for another shot at the NCAA stage. It should be mentioned that Staines would go on to break the DII meet record in the final recording a blazing 1:46 winning time!

Men's Steeplechase Final: The 'Cats had two main goals in the men's steeple final. First was the pursuit of Kyle Medina's first NCAA title. The senior from Ventura had finished 2nd in the past two editions of the NCAA 1500m final by a combined .5 seconds. There was no doubt that Medina was hungry for an individual title. The second goal was for first time NCAA performer Jack Johnson to nail down a top-8 podium spot by the finish. In watching Johnson's run in the prelims, while also taking into consideration how the competition looked, yours truly felt well about Johnson's chances.

The two 'Cats played their hands from opposite sides of the 12 man pack as Medina led the group through a modest 400m split of 72 seconds, while Johnson sat in 12th position in the early going, biding his time for the tougher laps ahead. As the race evolved Academy of the Arts' 25 year old French standout Gatien Airiau (8:46 PR) looked good taking over the lead, but not forcing anything below 9:00 pace. CSU Pueblo's Derrick Williams (4:02 mile speed) and Colorado Christian's Evan Verbal (also a 4:02 guy) were undoubtedly excited at the modest early pace.

Approaching the 2k mark Lewis' Michael Leet (8:54 PR) took the lead and dropped a 69 second lap split. The surge in tempo split the group and now only the five previously mentioned men ran among the lead group. Johnson had moved up several spots and now challenged for the 8th and final All American spot.

With 800m remaining Airiau seized the front dropping the tempo to a low 68 second split. Given the pedigree of the lead group, none were shaken from the pack and at the bell all five ran within a half of a second of one another. As the pack ran through the lap-to-go mark Airiau seemed to have a slight advantage, as he ran the shortest distance around the turn, and had a clear view of each approaching hurdle. The short (for a steepler) Arts runner turned to another gear down the backstretch, and only Medina could match this increase of speed. With 200m remaining it appeared to be a two man race between Airiau and Medina if both could successfully navigate the final water jump and a barrier. Airiau ran a very clean final water jump, while Medina may have lost another half of a stride with a slight stumble.

Airiau hit the final straight in an all-out sprint for his life, while Medina followed closely. With 100m remaining Medina appeared to be a full stride off Airiau, but a massive kick brought the Chico runner closer with each passing 10-20 meters. Both athletes cleared the final barrier successfully and now it was a footrace to the line. Medina threw in one last burst that drew him almost even with the Frenchman, but alas the finish came just too soon for the Chico senior, who would finish just .1 seconds after Airiau.. Leet, Williams and Verbal would follow several seconds later, and employing a big kick of his own (66 second final lap) Jack Johnson rallied to beat Adams' 8:45 guy Kale Adams in the final lap for 7th place! Although Medina didn't win his hoped NCAA title, he had given all that he had in the pursuit, and Johnson had well exceeded his seed and expectations coming into the meet. It was another great NCAA final for the Chico men.

Women's Steeplechase Final: It's hard to imagine another event being as hot as the women's steeplechase has been the past several years. A year ago at the NCAA meet Chico's McCall Habermehl and Alex Burkhart recorded 10:12 and 10:16 times (Marks that would have won most DII titles in years past) only to place 7th and 8th overall. The 6 women who defeated the 'Cats two fastest steeplers of all time were all among DII's 10 fastest steeplers ever.

Leading the list of barrier talent is Western State's Polish standout Alicia Konieczek who ran the fastest steeple ever for a DII athlete last year with her 9:49 PR. Alicia would return this year, along with her freshman sister (who brought a sub 10:00 PR with her from Poland). Add Adams' Irish standout Elish Flanagan (9:30 3k/16:22-5k, 10:20-Steeple Pr's), St Leo's German standout Colett Rampf (10:04 PR-3rd in '17 final), and Cal PA's Julie Friend (2:12-800, 9:31-3k, 10:19 St) and you had another wicked group of pre-race favorites for podium positions.

Since her arrival at CSUC Alex Burkhart has been unflappable, winning conference titles in the steeple and 5k as a true frosh, and never looking back. Now Burkhart would take aim at another powerful NCAA field, hoping to grab a top-3 spot on the podium.

From the gun the elder Konieczek made it clear that everyone else in the field was racing for second, as she sailed through 400m in a wicked fast 76 second split. The rest of the field settled between 80-81 second revolutions with Burkhart tucked into the top-5 in the early going. As the race evolved Konieczek continued to run at record pace, while the other three aforementioned women worked off one another, while Burkhart began to strain to try to stay attached to the group. Unfortunately Burkhart would fall from the group and with two laps to go ran solo in sixth, while the quartet of women eased away from her, as the battle for second through fifth heated up.

Konieczek would go on to re-break her own DII record, lowering the mark to 9:47. Adams' Flanagan would close the best between the chase group notching a huge 10:00 PR. Rampf would also finish in 10:00, while Konieczek (the frosh) would take fourth in 10:01. Cal PA's Julie Friend would be the first American to cross the line with a big 10:04 PR, and Burkhart would finish strong in 6th with a 10:16 final time. Although Alex had wanted a bit more and a faster time, there was no denying that she had given it her best on this day, and the field ahead was just a bit better.

Saturday-Day 3 NCAA Championships

On tap for the 'Cats on Saturday were the 5k finals where the Chico men would send the most athletes (4) to the line of any other team. Burkhart and Dorman would give the 'Cats 5 total 12.5 lappers on the day as they would double back from 10k and steeple action earlier in the meet. The weather on Saturday was a bit warmer and quite humid, so it would be interesting to see how the races would play out.

Men's 5,000m: In the men's 5k the Wildcats would double back the steeple trio of Medina, Johnson and Fisher, while CCAA Champ Eddie King would join the fun while racing for the first time on the weekend (this would also be King's first NCAA track experience). Competition at the front would be very stout. Medina's 14:01 saw him seeded 8th going into the race, as the top 7 entrants had run under 14 this season. Leading this list was Adams' State's Sydney Gidabuday who led the entire NCAA this season (DI included) with his 13:29 time at the Bryan Clay meet. Tiffin's James Ngandu a multi time NCAA champion (13:38 PR), who had run away from the 10k field (including Gidabuday) several nights earlier, was another pre race favorite. Adams added a fresh George Kelly who had run 13:52 at Azusa this season, and Grand Valley would counter with Zach Panning (13:52 PR- 10k runner-up) and Enael Woldemichael (13:54 PR) who was also fresh. Just making the podium in this race would take a big effort.

Surprisingly enough it was 13:59 guy Adam Craig (and not Ngandu) who would force a fast early pace in this one. Despite less than ideal conditions Craig took the lead and pulled the pack through an initial 1600m split of 4:30. All of the big names followed closely including Chico's Medina. As the race moved toward the half way point Eddie King was clearly giving a huge effort as he ran side by side with a visibly struggling Sydney Gidabuday. At 3k Ngandu (8:28) held a few second lead over Kelly, Medina, Panning, Woldemichel and Craig (all at 8:30), with King and several others just a few seconds back (8:33). As is always the case, the final mile of the 5k is the telling one, and the two GVSU athletes looked strongest, working together to gradually overhaul Ngandu while also pulling clear of a tiring Medina.

Looking back at the official timing splits Medina fell as far as 5 seconds back of Panning and Woldemichel, but could not put a dent in the deficit until the final lap. With 800m remaining Kyle found some new life in the legs, notching a 65 second penultimate revolution of the track. Unfortunately for Medina, the three leaders ahead also ran a 65. With 400m remaining Medina shifted again making a last push in hopes of somehow making up the 4-5 seconds that separated him from the leaders of the race and potentially his first NCAA title. Coming off the final turn the announcer drew the crowd's attention to the hard charging Medina who was now in full flight and completely sold on the finish stretch. The two GVSU runners had too big a lead and also solid closes of their own, to solidify an impressive 1-2 finish, BUT Ngandu's final circuit of 64 seconds wasn't quite enough to fend off the Chico senior, who would pass Ngandu at the line for third. Kyle's final lap had been covered in 59 seconds, and his final 800 in 2:05! Ngandu would finish next, and then Craig in fifth.

In what will always be remembered in my mind as one of the great breakthrough performances on the NCAA stage Eddie King closed the final 800m in 2:12 to hang on to the 8th and final All American spot, running an impressive 14:17 in less than ideal conditions. Also closing in impressive fashion (61 seconds) was Jack Johnson, who worked up from last place in the early going, to an eventual 11th place finish (good enough for 2nd team All American). Connor Fisher would complete the run for the 'Cats with his 14th place effort.

Women's 5,000m: As the women's field entered the track stadium for the 5k final the clouds seemed to disappear and the temperatures immediately jumped 10-15 degrees. With the ever present humidity it was going to be a hot 12.5 laps of racing. As is usually the case, the women's 5k field was completely stacked. Three entrants had won previous titles this weekend with Kurgat returning from 10k duty, Koniecek from the Steeple, and Sarah Berger from the 1500. Chico would send Hannah Dorman to the line, along with Alex Burkhart after their 10k and steeple finals in the days previous. Hannah's 16:29 PR ranked her 9th in the field going into the Championships while Burkhart was seeded 14th.

Given the conditions and the number of tired legs in the field the women's race began at a relatively conservative clip. Spits per lap hovered in the 80-82 second range, as athletes looked for decent positioning and awaited the impending surge from the top seeds. During the sixth lap Kurgat made the decisive move to the front, dropping a 76 second lap. Leah Hanle followed, as did Konieczek and CSU San Marcos' Natalie Rodriguez. Cal Baptists' French 16:06 runner Emeline DeLanis also looked well tucking into a lead pack that now trailed Kurgat by several strides. Kurgat continued to press from the front, and would sail home with her second victory of the meet.

A chase pack of Konieczek, Hanle, Delanis, and Rodriguez had formed and now Dorman split from the main group, trying to catch this elite front group. At 3k Dorman split 10:04, just a stride off the group ahead, but unfortunately the heat and her tired legs seemed to prevent her from actually connecting to the pack. Dorman would spend the next 3 laps running in no woman's land in 6th place. With 600m remaining Sasha Hovind would catch and pass Hannah, but thankfully she would respond and go with the Northern State All American.

A gutsy close from Hannah would find her reaching the tape 6th overall, securing her second All American honor of the meet. Also, doing some nice work over the final kilometer was Alex Burkhart who had slid back to 14th position overall, but a big final lap (73 seconds) brought her back into the Top-10 by the finish. The nice late race rally gave Burkhart a second team All American honor to go with her earlier steeple award.

Concluding Thoughts: It's always nice to finish a season off on a good note, and once again the Chico crew represented well on the national stage. The men's points helped the team to a Tenth place finish, and the good majority of our runners earned at least 2nd team All American honors. As the collective bar of DII distance running continues to rise, so have our athletes. The contributions of Seniors Kyle Medina, Connor Fisher, Hannah Dorman, and Alex Burkhart can't be emphasized enough. This group has led the way for the rest of our team in all areas of being successful student athletes. They will be missed! It should be noted that Medina, Burkhart and Dorman are hoping to run in this summer's USA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Kyle and Alex will prep with steeples next weekend at the Portland Track Festival. Stay tuned!

Thank You to all of our alum and supporters. Our success is a direct reflection of the many areas of support that we've received. Some of you helped groom this group of stars..while others showed the way to those who groomed these athletes ;v). The culture of our team is a biproduct of the many alum who have paid their dues and shown the way to those here now. Thank you all!

Wildcat Web site ( By Joseph Shufelberger - Chico State Sports Information Assistant with some editing by Tom Cushman)
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - (Women - Day One) Hannah Dorman's time in a Chico State uniform is closing fast. So is she. The senior standout made her move with 800 meters left in the 10,000, taking third in the nation and capping the first day of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships from the Irwin Belk Complex. A fourth-place finisher in the 10K a year ago, Dorman found herself in the midst of a pack of runners on Thursday night with all of them vying for third through eighth and First Team All-America honors.

"I knew I had to go at some point," Dorman said by phone after the race. "You can do anything for two laps in a race like the 10K." Narrowly in sixth a lap prior, Dorman first nudged her way up to fifth before really taking off in her penultimate lap. She surged to third among the field of 22 runners with the second-best time for the lap at 1 minute, 18.63 seconds. Only the eventual winner, Alaska-Anchorage's Caroline Kurgat, had a better time in that lap, and it wasn't by much (1:18.15). Dorman continued her finishing flourish with a final lap of 1:14.63 despite saying she "didn't have anything left" over the final 200 meters. However much it was, it was more than enough. Despite warm, humid conditions, she finished the 10,000 meters in 35:05.06, making her a three time All-American in track after managing the distance double in 2017 by finishing fourth in the 10K and 12th in the 5,000, which awaits her again on Saturday.

Instead, she found inspiration Thursday from two people in particular Gary Towne, who has coached her throughout her time as a Wildcat in both cross country and track, and Burkhart's mother. "They got me to believe that I could," Dorman said. With more encouragement raining down from her Chico State brethren watching the race that was clearly audible from the NCAA's live video "I did hear them," she said Dorman found it easier to make her move sooner than she had originally planned. "I told myself however it ends," Dorman explained, "I can leave with a smile because of the relationships I've made, and how they've impacted me." She got past the pack and then had enough of a cushion to hold off Western Oregon's Kennedy Rufener (35:05.91) in fourth and Azusa Pacific's Eileen Stressling (35:06.02) in fifth.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - (Women - Day Two) The sound their smiles made through the telephone was tremendous. The efforts of Alex Burkhart and Michelle Holt during Friday's action at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships were even brighter. Burkhart collected her second straight All-America honor in the steeplechase, finishing sixth in a race in which the NCAA Division II record in the event went down in flames. Burkhart finished eighth in the nation at last year's NCAA Championships in a race that featured five of the 11 fastest times in the history of Division II. Friday's race at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina, featured five of the nine fastest times in the history of the Division II Championships. "I felt like she executed really well. She's such a good racer," Towne said. "She's always been good about giving everything she's got in the tank whenever she races. She put everything together really well again today. I'm sure she would have liked to place a little higher and run a little faster. But there's no arguing that she did everything she could."

Holt posted the seventh fastest time in the 200-meter preliminaries, in a school-record 23.96 seconds. Yet it was a bittersweet race for Holt as she missed advancing to the final by a scant .03 seconds. Two automatic qualifiers advanced despite slower times. "That time was incredible," Wildcats Head Coach Robert Nooney said. "We kind of got bitten by that qualifying format and the seventh fastest time doesn't make it. But she's pumped and we're pumped. We obviously have a possible All-American on our hands. This was a huge step for her and our sprints program."

Holt previously broke the school record at the conference finals with wind aided mark of 24.17. Friday, she flew around the track in wind legal 23.96, missing a spot in Saturday's final by .03 seconds. The sophomore finished seventh out of 21 runners but did not advance because the top two runners in the other two heats advanced automatically. Holt has her sights set even higher. "This season I kind of went in blind not even knowing how to qualify to make it to nationals," Holt said. "Now I know that next year, if I just train harder and focus harder I have a chance to be a national champion." Unlike Thursday's 100-meter preliminaries, Holt got off to a great start Friday and carried that momentum through the finish line. "That was pretty cool man," Nooney said. "She kind of got a raw deal yesterday with a nasty headwind and a couple misfires from the starting gun, so it wasn't the time she hoped for. That made us re-asses her start and today her start was stinking fast."

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - (Women - Day Three) Hannah Dorman and Alex Burkhart authored one last chapter to their impressive Wildcat careers. The two outgoing seniors for the Chico State women's track & field team added another All-America honor each in their final race at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships from the Irwin Belk Complex. Dorman and Burkhart both used strong last laps and finishing kicks in the 5,000-meter final as Dorman secured sixth and Burkhart took 10th. "These are two of the toughest women I've had the pleasure of working with," said Gary Towne, who coached them in both cross country and the distance races for track & field. "You can't beat them mentally. They're so tough. You can't put a price on what those kinds of athletes mean to your team." They accounted for the 12 points the Wildcats tallied at the NCAA Championships, good for a share of 24th in the nation.

They first posted points in their primary events where they collected more All-America honors with Dorman taking third in the 10,000-meter final on Thursday night not long after Burkhart ran in the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminaries. She then took care of the steeplechase final on Friday, running her way to sixth. The two-who also helped the cross country program take fourth place in the nation three straight seasons-showed how much they had left on Saturday despite doubling down on distance events at the NCAAs. "They inspire our men, and everyone around them," Towne said. "They can put it together in the toughest of conditions."

In warm, humid conditions, they rose above their entry times despite a stacked field. Heading into the NCAAs, Dorman was ninth while Burkhart was 14th among 23 entries. Dorman's final circuit of the distance race clocked in at 1:14.61, enabling her to move up in position and finish at 16 minutes, 54.82 seconds and add three more points to the team total. Burkhart passed two runners during her 1:13.78 finale around the track, finishing in 17:04.16, good for 10th and the Second Team All-America honors that go with it. "I just wanted to give everything I had while I was at Chico State," Burkhart said. It was Dorman's second All-America honor in three days after taking third in the 10,000 on Thursday with what else? ...a strong surge in the final 800 meters. "We train for this," Dorman said of the closing finishes. "It's supposed to hurt."

Burkhart's current crop of All-America honors adds to last year's eighth-place finish in the steeplechase. That's a long way from not being part of the cross country team's traveling roster to Stanford when she was a freshman, something Burkhart used as motivation and easily recalled even as recent as Saturday. "I always wanted to be in the top 10 and finish in the top seven," she said of the cross country memory. Months later in her freshman season of track, Burkhart was a two-time conference champion. She won two races in the same day. Of course, they were the steeplechase and the 5K, the latter a race she wasn't even supposed to finish high enough to score. On Saturday, Burkhart stayed steady in the middle portion, initially remaining 11th for three straight laps before dropping to a spot out of All-America contention into 13th with 1,200 meters left. She rebounded, reclaiming one position on the next lap to get back to the cutoff for All-America honors. She wasn't done, though. A circuit later, she chased two runners down with the third-best last lap in the field of 23.

Dorman made her first move halfway through the 5K, churning out a 1:17.33 circuit that pushed her from 10th to sixth with 2,400 meters left. That was her fastest trip around the track until her last lap when she passed Northern State senior Sasha Hovind for a spot higher on the podium in sixth. "I feel very satisfied," said Dorman, who totaled four All-America honors as a Wildcat but still ranked the friendships she's made at Chico State as some of her fondest memories while outdoing her own lofty athletic expectations. "I met even higher goals than I made for myself. I was honestly surprised." Her and Burkhart haven't surprised Towne, who has seen them train, run and perform at the highest of levels over the years. "I've just been enjoying having them on the team. I recognize how special they are," Towne said. Dorman and Burkhart hope they get a chance to compete one more time in a Chico uniform with the USA Track & Field Championships, which are set for June 21-24 in Des Moines, Iowa. They'll find out if they make the field next month. Dorman would be running the 10,000 with Burkhart in the steeplechase. Those are the two events that they own the top time in the program's history, something not lost on Towne. "That means you're pretty darn good," he said.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - (Men - Day Two) Kyle Medina wanted to win. No one can dispute that. Just like no one can dispute that the senior is going to go down as one of the greatest runners who has ever worn a Chico State uniform. Medina padded his bulging collection of memorable performances with a second-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final on Friday at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships from the Irwin Belk Complex. It was the third runner-up finish at the national level of Medina's storied career after taking second in the 1,500 in 2016-17, and Friday's performance made him an eight-time All-American with cross country included.

But Medina didn't want to end a brief interview before taking the time to talk about what his fellow Wildcats did on Friday-not when there was so much to talk about, whether it was Jack Johnson's seventh-place finish behind him in the steeplechase and Tyler Arroyo taking third in the high jump. "Making the final is the hardest part. He just capitalized on the opportunity he earned," Medina said of Johnson that saw him qualify in Thursday's preliminary with a big effort. And Arroyo, the other Wildcat who threatened to take a national title before getting third in the high jump at 2.12 meters (6 feet, 11.5 inches)? "I thought Tyler jumped really well. We haven't had a high jumper make nationals and then finish on the podium in my time here," Medina said after steering the talk toward his teammates. Those three performances have the Chico State men tied for third in the team scoring through the second of three days at the NCAA Championships. Both the Wildcats and Texas A&M-Kingsville have 16 points. Two Ohio programs are first and second with Ashland totaling 24 points and Tiffin with 17, just one point ahead of Chico.

In all, Friday saw the Wildcats collect six All-America honors with Medina and Arroyo leading the way. Johnson made it three First Team All-America awards (top eight) with his seventh place. Second Team All-America finishes (ninth through 12th) featured Lane Andrews taking ninth in the decathlon, Derek Morton ending up ninth in the 800-despite running the fifth-fastest time in qualifying-while Michael Good was 12th in the event. But Medina, the most decorated of the group, was the one to watch. "He's established quite a legacy here," said Gary Towne, Medina's coach for both cross country and the distance events in track. "But I'm just really proud of what he's done and his consistency. You can't take for granted the ability to perform well on this stage and be able to handle the pressures that come with it. I'm proud of him. What he's done is amazing."

With Medina planning on pursuing running opportunities once his college eligibility was exhausted, he decided to switch to the steeplechase his senior season as it complements the 5,000, his other event, better than the 1,500 does. The first time he ran the steeplechase he earned an NCAA Automatic time to book his trip to nationals. The second time, he ran the fastest time in Division II this season and the best since 2015. But he's still learning the nuances of it at a championship level. "It's a new experience," he said. "I got boxed in." Surrounded when it was go time, it took extra effort, and more importantly time and distance, to break out. He finished in 8 minutes, 48.09 seconds-just .10 of a second-behind Academy of Art's Gatien Airiau in 8:47.99 as he had just enough to hold off Medina's late charge once he broke away from the box. Johnson was seventh in 9:00.65. "Positioning is huge when it's going to be a fast last lap. He had the fastest last lap out of anyone in the field but the (Academy of) Art guy had a jump on him," Towne said. "But it was a thrilling finish. I thought he was going to catch him, but he just kind of ran out of real estate. "He's got a bright future in this event," Towne added.

The same could be said for Arroyo. The junior from San Diego has starred in his first season with the Wildcats, winning the high jump in his first six meets of the season, including the Stanford Invitational. On Friday, he cleared 2.00 meters, 2.05, and 2.09, never needing a third attempt to do so before clearing 2.12 meters on his first try. But three near-misses at 2.15 ended his NCAA debut with the Wildcats. His personal record of 2.17, achieved at the Stanford meet, ranks second in Chico State history and was tied for the best D-II mark this season entering nationals.

Finishing his time in a Wildcat uniform was Andrews, the other senior along with Medina among the six competing Friday. A second-place finish and a season-best time of 4:25.82 in the finale of the decathlon, the 1,500 meters, got him to ninth overall with 6,934 points. He also cleared 4.65 meters in the pole vault, tying for second among the decathlon field. He was eighth in the discus portion at 36.33, garnering a personal record in the process. That went with a 10th in the javelin at 45.87 and a 10th in the 110-meter hurdles at 15.81. Finishing seventh in the decathlon a year ago, he was just nine points away from back-to-back First Team All-America honors but still earned Second Team All-America.

The other event with Wildcats was the 800 meters with both Morton and Good racing in the first and by far the fastest heat of the three qualifying races. The top two finishers in each heat plus the next two best overall times advanced to Saturday's final. Morton turned in the fifth-fastest time among the 20 entries but didn't qualify because he was fifth in his own heat. His time of 1:48.90, which was a personal record, would have won the other two heats. Good, who was sixth in the heat at 1:50.80, would have been within a second of challenging for a top two finish if he were in a different qualifier. Instead, the two juniors earned Second-Team All-America honors with Morton taking ninth and Good 12th.

Morton's run nearly had him atop the Wildcats' all time ranks as it was. The No. 1 time in the 800 is 1:48.89 just .01 ahead of Morton by Peter Paplanus in 2004. Morton did overtake the second spot in Chico State history, surpassing the 1:49.09 that Robert Price ran in 1994. Good nearly cracked the program's top 10. Ricky Lucero's 1:50.70 ran in 1991 is 10th and a mere tenth of a second ahead of Good's Friday, providing a bit of a target for his senior season in 2019.



CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - (Men, Day Three) Kyle Medina went out on top, and he and Eddie King cemented the Chico State men's track & field team's seventh top-10 finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 12 years. Medina finished third and King eighth in the 5,000 meters at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday evening, earning All-America honors and lifting Chico State into a tie for 10th place in the team standings.

"(Top 10) was the goal so we've got some good team vibes going tonight," Chico State head coach Oliver Hanf said. "When Kyle finished he flashed the three. The glee in his eye. The joy. And then to see the King come in and get us another point. that's when we knew." Heading into Saturday's action, Hanf had asked Wildcats distance coach Gary Towne if he thought the Wildcats could get four points out of the 5K, guessing that is what they might need to finish in the top 10. "He was pretty confident," Hanf said. "He nodded his head and said 'I should hope so, but it's not gonna be easy.' Nothing is easy in Division II any more. We have been surrounded by great teams and amazing athletes here all week. I'm grateful that we are one of those teams and some of those athletes are a part of our Wildcat Family."

By earning his second All-America honor in two days (he finished second in the steeplechase on Friday), Medina became the second Chico State track & field athlete with six, joining Katie Lee, and the first in the history of the Wildcats' distance program with nine combined in track and field and cross country. "That's pretty sweet to accomplish something unique like that," Medina said. "It's not every day you get to follow the footsteps of people for years, to know their stories and learn from them, and then finish up with something they didn't." Towne credits Medina's mental fortitude for his consistent success. "It's not easy going out there with the pressure and high expectations," Towne said. "Every year presents a new challenge. First you want to be an All-American. You do that and you want to finish in the top three. Every year is a different challenge. The pressure is always mounting. He's handled it beautifully. It's a huge part of the legacy he's created for himself. You can do all the work and be completely bought in, but if you can't handle the setting out there on the big stage you're not going to get nearly as much out of it as far as awards and accomplishments. Kyle handled it beautifully every single time." Including this last time.

The Wildcats sent four runners to the line in the penultimate race of the championships-Medina, King, Jack Johnson, and Connor Fisher-needing clutch performances to finish in the top 10. They got them. Despite racing for the third time in three days, Medina put himself in contention from the start. Running fourth with one lap to go, the senior closed with a blazing 59.90 final circuit to cross the line in third in a time of 14:04.64, which is the 12th fastest time in NCAA Division II Championship 5K history. Medina's career, his 2018 championships performance, and his final lap had the crowd, and his student-athlete peers, buzzing. "It was fun to walk around the stadium with Kyle after the race and have random people and athletes recognizing his race and his weekend," Towne said. "When you have sprinters from other teams saying 'man that was a fast finish,' it is a real nice way to wrap things up."

Medina was preparing to wrap up his time in North Carolina with some well-deserved barbecue when he took time for a phone interview. "I'm pretty tired," were his first words. Then he began to joyfully reminisce about his final collegiate race. "There was some showboating going on during the race and I took the lead maybe prematurely about halfway through. I felt that at the end. But you just have to stick your nose in it." Upon finishing, he immediately turned to look for his teammate, King, who he knew from a glance over his shoulder a few laps before the finish, had a chance to join him on the podium. "That was awesome to see him cross the line in eighth," Medina said. "I've been saying all year he had an opportunity to be All-American. He just had to get in the race and get after it. He did that today, and I'm super proud of him." Competing at the track & field national championships for the first time, King competed like a veteran. The junior ran between seventh and ninth over the final two-thirds of the race and finished in 14:17.66. "That might have been the highlight of the race for me honestly," Towne said. "Watching a guy who barely scored on our conference team a year ago (he was sixth in the 5,000 meters at the 2017 conference championships) earn an All-America honor was amazing. I'm really proud of Eddie and I know everybody else is as well." King was not focused on a top eight finish. He just wanted to run his best race.

"It was in the back of my mind. Of course it is what I wanted," King said. "I just wasn't sure I was capable of it." But from the first lap forward, he realized he had a legitimate chance. "I knew I was right up there in the mix, and as people started falling back I kept gaining momentum mentally," King said. "But it still feels unbelievable to me." Johnson, who like Medina ran in the steeplechase prelims Thursday and steeplechase final Friday (finishing seventh to earn his first All-America honor) ran last in the 20-man field for the first third of the race before making his move. He eventually turned in the second fastest final lap of 1:01.61 to finish 11th and earn Second Team All-America honors. Like King, he raced like a veteran. "Jack ran in last place probably the first third of the race, but he looked composed and I could tell he was just measuring himself," Towne said. "He did a good job moving up as the opportunities presented themselves. It was hot and humid and the air is thick. That, and the championship stage, made things really difficult out there. But he handled it well and kept his composure." Fisher, the other Wildcat in the race and a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier, finished 14th in 14:48.29.

King is the sixth Wildcat to earn men's All-America honors in the 5K, joining Medina, Will Reyes, Scott Bauhs, Charlie Serrano, and Tyler Graff. He credits his massive improvement to his time spent this summer training in Truckee and one key lifestyle change: "Getting enough sleep throughout the entire year." And one more thing. "I've learned a lot from Kyle," King said. "Especially when it comes to my mindset." Medina also found success working on his mental preparation. "For me it was finding people that have had success and learning how they attained their success. All I wanted to be was successful," Medina said. "You don't have to make your own path from the get go. It's following footsteps. Then you create your own indelible footprints that others can follow. That's how I did what I did. I heard the stories of Scott (Bauhs). I got to be part of Isaac (Chavez's) senior year. Then Will Reyes came in. So many people showed me so many aspects of racing. It was a melting pot of so many experiences. I just took what they knew and applied it."

Towne, however, sees more in Medina than just mimicking those who came before. "When I was recruiting Kyle I saw qualities that pointed to a potential for success at this level. I really liked his mix of speed and endurance. I had a vision for what he could do," Towne said. "But as a coach you are constantly coming across kids you have a vision for. Often times it doesn't play out as you had hoped. So much is mental and training. He's got a huge passion for the sport and he bought into the training system. But he went beyond that. He's read up on the sport throughout the years and it's helped to not only reinforce his belief in what we're doing but given him so extra knowledge and motivation to complement his running. He's taken a huge role in the process, and he's a perfect example that you get more out of your training if you're not just doing what coach says, but you understand why. "He's exceeded the expectations I might have had for him because of his passion for the sport. And now that he's done here, there's a whole lot more out there for him. It's going to be exciting to follow his career."