Mens:

 The Chico State Men’s Track and Field team captured its 18th conference title this past weekend, while also claiming a back-to-back CCAA title. 

Their win was a team effort. Each athlete who crossed the finish line in first place earned 10 points for their team’s overall total. Second place earned eight points, third place earned six points, fourth place earned five points, fifth place earned four points, sixth place earned three points, seventh place earned two points and eighth place earned one point. 

The team, led by junior Brody Staley, who dominated the competition, earned first place in the 200-meter race, clocking 20.93. He also crossed the finish line first in the 400-meter with a time of 46.56. With his outstanding performance on the track, Staley was awarded the title of CCAA track athlete of the meet. 

Junior Damian Garcia dominated the distance events, starting with first place in the 800-meter race with a time of 1:51.15. He then competed in the 1500-meter race and finished first again with a time of 3:46.75. 

Junior Mario Giannini ran 12.5 laps for the 5000-meter event in a time of 14:20.10, winning yet another first-place finish for the ’Cats.

The Steeplechase, arguably one of the most intense disciplines on the track, was dominated by sophomore Adrian Hipolitio. He ran the 3000-meter steeple chase and crossed the finish line first, recording a time of 9:12.71.

Junior Fredrick Soutworth threw the javelin 59.63 meters (195’8”) to earn first place in the event. 

Senior Ronin Tidd competed in the decathlon, an event that combines scores over the course of 10 events, and placed first with 6614 points. 

The ’Cats finished the competition with 263 points, defeating second-place Cal Poly Pomona by 74.5 points.

Women:

The Chico State Women’s Track and Field team won its first program title in nine years, carried by strong performances in the distance events. 

Iresh Molina had a standout performance in both the 5000-meter and the 10000-meter events, crossing the finish line in first place for both. Molina isn’t new to the podium, she is a repeat champion in both of these events.  

Additionally, in the 5000-meter race, the ’Cats swept the leaderboard. Every finisher from 1st to 8th place was wearing a Chico State jersey. 

Molina was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 17:08.79. Megan Malloy finished right behind her teammate at 17:09.85 and Della Molina finished third at 17:10.05. Paulina Martin, Kira Forseberg,  Isabel Rosales,  and Jasmine Fletcher all finished after that to score more points for the ’Cats. 

The ’Cats also swept the 10,000-meter, all placing in the top four. Molina clocked a time of 36:16.67, Malloy right behind her with a time of 37:17:68. Forestberg finished third, recording a time of 36:22.07 and Fletcher placed fourth with a time of 36:46.02. 

Even without placing first, there were many ’Cats runners who reached the leaderboard to add to the team total.

Teresa Vasconellos placed third in the 400-meter with a time of 55.47. 

Martin placed second in the 1500-meter clocking a time of 4:35.05

Olivia Beschorner placed second in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:44.48.

Teresa Vasconcellos finished third in the 400-meter with a time of 55.47 

Kylie Davis hurdled the finish line for third place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.23. 

The ’Cats had a good competition in the Pole Vault with two athletes placing both second and third. Janey Rubio placed second with a mark of 3.87m (12’8.25”), while Charlie Ham finished third with a mark of 4.47m (11’4.5”). 

The women’s 4×400 meter relay team finished in second place with a time of 3:46.22. The team consists of Vasconellos, Savannah Sawyer, Crystal Rosales and Emma Gaddy. 

The head coach of both teams, Oliver Hanf, swept the CCAA coach of the year award for both the men’s and women’s teams for the first time since 2013. In his 29 years at Chico State, he now has 14 CCAA coach of the year awards. 

The ’Cats will head down to Southern California this weekend to attend the Franson Last Chance meet at Azusa Pacific.

For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports. 

Maya Vanlaningham can be reached at [email protected]