CHICO To say the Chico State men¹s cross country team has had a
stranglehold on the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
conference title is putting it mildly; you have to go all the way back to
2001 for a Wildcat team that failed to take top honors at the CCAA meet (and
just for the record, the ¹Cats finished second that year). Armed with the
nation¹s No. 4 ranking in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross
Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll and the No. 1 slot in the West
Region, Chico State takes aim at its ninth consecutive conference crown this
Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at the CCAA Cross Country Championships at Narrows
Regional Park in Whittier.
Chico State Head Coach Gary Towne has put together a talent-laden lineup for
the 8k event. Four of the 10 Wildcat runners Brent Handa, Joey Kochlacs,
Alan Campos and Manny Mejia already have All-CCAA cross country honors on
their resumes; Campos has delivered all-conference performances each of the
last two seasons. Also competing for Chico State are runners who have turned
in impressive runs during the fall season juniors Miles Dunbar, Joseph
Rivera and Anthony Costales, and freshmen Dayne Gradone, Isaac Chavez and
Alfonso Cisneros.
Handa who finished second to Wildcat teammate Jimmy Elam at last year¹s
CCAA Championships has been Chico State¹s top cross country runner this
fall, with top 15 finishes in all three of his races, including back-to-back
top 10 showings in the Oct. 2 Williamette Invitational and the Santa Clara
Bronco Invitational two weeks later. Chavez has logged two straight top 10
performances heading into Saturday¹s competition. Costales has two top 30
finishes to his credit, while Kochlacs, Campos and Gradone have all notched
a top 30 finish this year.
One notable omission from the Wildcats¹ lineup Saturday is Adrian Sherrod
the sophomore, who finished 10th at the Wilamette Invitational and 14th at
the Bronco Invitational, is skipping the CCAA Championships to rest a sore
hamstring, but will return to the Chico State lineup for regional and NCAA
competition.
Most of the remaining Chico State cross country runners not making the trip
to southern California will also be in action Saturday, competing in the Doc
Adams Invitational in Davis.
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