Wildcats hope to continue reign in the rain and snow Saturday

Chico State’s eight-year winning streak at West Regional Championships on the line

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Chico State men’s cross country program has reigned the West Region for nearly a decade. It’s going to take more than the forecasted rain and snow mix at Saturday’s NCAA Championship West Regional in Bellingham, Wash., to cool them off. Senior Brent Handa and freshman Isaac Chavez lead a deep Wildcat roster in search of its ninth straight West Region title and 12th straight NCAA Championship berth into the 10-kilometer race scheduled to start at 10 AM.

The Wildcats, ranked No. 4 in the nation, face strong opposition in eighth-ranked Alaska Anchorage – led by 2009 West Region individual champ Mark Cheseto – and 10th-ranked Western Washington – led by Jordan Welling, who finished second in last year’s race. The top four teams Saturday will go home to pack their gear for the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, on Dec. 4.

Having run against mostly Division I competition this season, the Wildcats will be seeing many of their regional competitors for the first time in 2010. The Wildcats kicked off the season with a sixth-place finish in the Stanford Invitational, a race in which the other top 14 finishers were Division I programs. They finished second at the Willamette Invitational, a spot ahead of Alaska Anchorage and a spot behind Portland, currently ranked No. 19 in Division I.  They then wrapped up the regular season portion of their schedule with a second-place finish at the Santa Clara Invitational, where they were the lone non-Division I school among the top 12.

The Wildcats kicked off the postseason two weeks ago by completely dominated the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships, sending six of the first seven runners across the line.

Handa, who finished fourth at last year’s West Regional, won the CCAA Individual crown. Chavez finished second in his first postseason competition. They are among those expected to contend for the regional title. But every runner on Chico State’s roster – Elam, Chavez, Adrian Sherrod, Anthony Costales, Joey Kochlacs, Alan Campos and Manny Mejia – has the ability to grab one of the top 15 spots and the All-West Region accolades the accompany them.

And it’s likely that the team’s third, fourth and fifth finishers will carry the Wildcats’ championships hopes with them Saturday. The top five runners from each team to cross the finish line Saturday will figure into the team scoring. So depth is an important aspect of the race.



WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY


Women’s cross country team out for revenge at Regionals
’Cats closing in on 11th straight trip to NCAA Championships

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – They say that revenge is a dish best served cold. The weather in Bellingham, Wash., during Saturday’s Women’s NCAA West Regional Cross Country Championships is doing its part. The forecast is calling for a mix of rain and snow. Now it’s up to the Chico State women team to do theirs in the eight-kilomoter race scheduled to start at 11:15 AM.

The same Alaska Anchorage team that knocked the then-defending Regional Champion Wildcats off the throne last season is favored to take home the title again in 2010. The Seawolves are currently ranked No. 5 in the nation. Sixth-ranked Chico State and No. 7 Western Washington are among the teams looking to pull off the upset victory. A regional title would be Chico State’s fifth in the last eight years.

The Wildcats, winners of the recent California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship in dominating fashion, are led by two-time All-American Kara Lubieniecki. But it will likely be the performances of her teammates that dictate the Wildcats’ fate. Jonah Weeks finished third at the CCAA Championships in her best performance to date. Stephanie Consiglio, Shannon Rich and Colleen Joyce finished fourth, fifth and sixth. Katie Spencer came in eighth and McVannel ninth.

The top five runners from each team to cross the finish line Saturday will figure into the team scoring. So depth is an important aspect of the race.

Saturday’s first 15 finishers will also take home All-West Region honors, an award McVannel brought home in 2008 and Lubieniecki has earned in each of the past two Regional Championships.

The top six teams will advance to the NCAA Championships scheduled for Dec. 4, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Wildcats have advanced to the National Championships in the each of the past 10 seasons. An 11th straight trip would be sweet, and made even sweeter if it’s accomplished with a side of revenge.

Race results will be available at www.buduracing.com as soon as they become official.