Twin sisters Della and Iresh Molina were named California Collegiate Athletic Association Co-Runners of the Week after crossing the finish line simultaneously while holding hands at the Kym Duyst Twilight Invitational Sept. 14.
The sisters said they didn’t plan on holding hands until the last stretch, as they were much further ahead and had time to talk about it.
“It was a fun little twin thing,” Iresh said. “We always talked about doing that, but we never actually did and it was cool to finally be able to have the chance to execute it.”
The Molina sisters finished with the exact same time of 20:38.1 in the 6K race. Della beat her personal record of 20:40.6, which she set at last year’s NCAA championships, while Iresh nearly beat hers, but fell short by 2 seconds.
After a very successful performance, the twins were named co-runners of the week for the CCAA, the first time in the conference’s 85 year history.
Della and Iresh grew up in Chico, both running for Chico High School as some of the most decorated distance runners in the northern section. Because of this, they were recruited by cross-country head coach Gary Towne and they immediately knew they wanted to run for the Wildcats.
“Some people, when they get a little bit better, they want to transfer. I’m like ‘No, I’m staying here my entire life unless I break my leg,” Della said. “I’m just kidding. I’m staying here as long as my eligibility still stands.”
Now, having run together their entire lives, through high school and college, the twins reflected on having someone with identical DNA as their training partner. Since they have such similar physiologies, they can train at the same pace and push each other harder than anyone else could.
Iresh and Della agreed that if one of them is doing better in a race or running faster, they know they can also achieve the same level of success. This often leads to them finishing with nearly identical times.
“During races, if she is running way ahead of me, I know that I’m capable of running just as fast as her,” Della said. “And if anything’s holding me back, it’s my mind.”
As for the rest of the season, Della and Iresh both said they would like to be All-Americans again, an award they won together last season. They added that their main goal, along with the team, is to make their way back to nationals this year and compete against the best runners in the nation.
With the rest of the team finishing close behind the sisters, taking seven out of the 10 top spots in the race, and the rest of the team finishing in the top 20, they have come out as a top contender in the west region, earning the No. 2 spot.
“I was really, really proud of them,” Della said. “I think we’re gonna do some damage.”
The Wildcats will travel to Bellingham, Washington, for the Bill Roe Classic on Saturday, where the team will face the No. 1 team in the west, Western Washington University. You can find the live stats here.
For information about all Chico State athletics, visit the Wildcat home page.
Nathan Chiochios can be reached at [email protected].
