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A HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE

Chico State Proud of Its Part in CCAA Excellence Celebration

Originally posted on chicowildcats.com

The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tuesday released the first of a series of public service announcements highlighting the conference and its commitment to the organization's strategic plan. As one of the 12 CCAA member schools which strives to realize those goals, Chico State's commitment to excellence is reflected in multiple segments of the initial 40-second PSA.
 
The PSA, produced by Bay Area Online Sports Network, emphasizes in its visuals and narration the academic and athletic excellence achieved by the conference's student-athletes. Chico State is specifically spotlighted by former Wildcat volleyball player Lindsay Quigley in a classroom lab setting, and a video clip of the Chico State softball team celebrating on the field after winning the 2018 CCAA Tournament.
 
In a press release announcing the video, the conference emphasized that "excellence is all-encompassing in the CCAA, where we strive to offer the highest caliber of athletics competition within a culture that encourages student-athletes to achieve in the classroom and participate fully in the campus experience." The accomplishments of Chico State Athletics since joining the conference in 1998 have reflected that dedication:
 
     -- 78 CCAA championships
     -- 40 NCAA West Region titles
     -- two NCAA national championship teams and 16 individual national champions
     -- 324 All-America awards
     -- during the 2019–20 academic year, Chico State athletes continued the department's long tradition of academic excellence, combining to earn 193 CCAA All-Academic awards and three CCAA Championship Scholar Awards
 
Many other displays of excellence are demonstrated by Chico State student-athletes and their conference peers in athletic competition, academic studies, and throughout their communities.

Academics: A Year for the Books … and the Belts!

Originally posted on chicowildcats.com

Some of the fiercest competition Chico State's student-athletes have experienced over the past few years has come from within their own ranks. The battle for the department's Team GPA Championship Belts, awarded to the women's and men's teams with the highest combined GPA, has become an annual spectacle marked by skyrocketing academic successes and good-natured ribbing among the coaching staffs.
 
The 2019–20 academic year marked the fiercest competition yet. The department's 331 student-athletes combined for a GPA of 3.199 as 66% (219 of 331) posted a GPA of at least 3.0. 
 
"I am so proud of our student-athletes. They have committed themselves to their academics as well as the sport they love. These results are clear evidence of this commitment," said Chico State Director of Athletics Anita Barker. "I'd also like to commend our coaches and support staff. The strength of our recruiting and the academic support our student-athletes receive contribute to this success. Finally, I'd like to acknowledge our campus partners, staff, and faculty, who support our student-athletes so spectacularly. Once again, the value of our Wildcat Family comes shining through!"
 
The women's track and field team took the women's championship belt while the men's cross country team claimed the men's belt for the first time.
 
"In a word: Impressive," said Jim Morgan, Professor from the College of Business and Chico State's Faculty Athletics Representative. "Reaching such a high level of achievement in the classroom speaks volumes about the focus and drive of our athletics administrators, coaching staff, and most importantly, over 300 student-athletes who we are all very proud of."
 
The women's track and field team was the cream of the crop in the classroom in 2019–20, combining for a department-best 3.561 GPA and dethroning the women's cross country team, which finished second in the department with a 3.480 GPA after claiming back-to-back GPA belts.
 
"I am proud of these women and how hard they work on and off the track," said head coach Robert Nooney. "Our team recognizes that winning championships isn't the only way to claim victory. Success in the classroom and degree progress is always a top priority. My hat is off to all Chico State student-athletes for such an impressive year academically. The canceled spring seasons were disappointing and the abrupt changes on campus knocked us down. Even still, Chico State Athletics showed our resilience and ability to get back up and push on for the win."
 
While the members of his women's cross country program were helping the track and field squad claim one team GPA title, Gary Towne's men's cross country crew was claiming its first team GPA title.
 
"It was a pleasant surprise. I knew our guys had improved, but the competition is tough and you never know how the other programs have done," Towne said. "It was a combination of some people who have been around for a while continuing to pick up steam, along with some really solid freshman performances that gave us a shot in the arm."
 
The department-wide GPA has now risen for at least seven consecutive years and annually surpasses the overall average campus GPA.
 
"Considering what they were dealing with this year with things going virtual for classes and seasons ending abruptly, it was nice to see all our athletes do a great job of stepping up to keep the ball rolling academically for the program," Towne said.

Men's Cross Country: A Dream Come True

Originally posted on chicowildcats.com

SACRAMENTO—The day Gary Towne had daydreamed about for more than two years turned into a dream of a day for the Chico State cross country program Saturday when the Wildcats men matched the program's best NCAA Championships finish ever, placing third in the nation.
 
Approximately 500 screaming Chico State alumni and fans helped propel the Wildcats around the looping 10-kilometer course at Arcade Creek Cross Country Course at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex on the way to perhaps the most impressive performance in program history. Six Wildcats crossed the finish line among the top 50, a feat no Chico State team before them had accomplished at the NCAA Championships. The third-place finish was its first since 2008. The Wildcats also finished third in 1969 and 2005.
 
Following the race, the scores of Chico State alumni and fans gathered for a celebration of the program's past, present, and future, their faces painted, flags waving, and voices full throat.
 
"This is what I dreamed of the day they announced that Sacramento was getting the national championships," Towne told them. "It means so much that all of you took the time to fly out, drive out, run over, hike over. There are so many different people here from different eras, even from before my time at Chico. It's incredible. It truly is incredible and I can't tell you how much it means to me. I'm lucky enough to be living the dream in the center of this right now and enjoying every moment."
 
Before that, just after the race ended, those Chico State supporters surrounded the seven Wildcats they had come to root on, celebrating their efforts with chants and cheers.
 
In turn, Matthew Herrera let them in on an exciting secret: All seven be back next season.
 
Junior Wyatt Baxter led the way Saturday with a 26th-place finish, followed by sophomore Jack Emanuel in 30th, sophomore Jhavahn Holston in 33rd, redshirt freshman Rory Abberton in 42nd, sophomore Trad Berti in 46th, junior Remington Breeze 50th, and the junior Herrera 137th in the 34-team, 262-athlete field.
 
Baxter, Emanuel, and Holston earned All-America honors. That marked the second straight All-America efforts for Baxter and Holston, who join a select group of 11 former Wildcats who have accomplished that feat.
 
"I'm just glad we worked as hard as we did," Holston said. "The 7 a.m. practices, the 10-mile tempos, the long runs, the road trips, the high mileage. We worked for this. This just didn't happen overnight. We all trusted in each other. We worked for this. We deserve this."
 
He credited the Chico State fans for helping along the way.
 
"It's crazy. It's nuts. Everywhere is just a sea of red. I loved it. It was our turf. It was in our backyard and we took advantage of that."
 
The intensity is always high at the National Championships. But what turned into a sort of Chico State cross country alumni celebration raised the stakes even higher. The Wildcats responded splendidly.
 
"It was a pretty emotional day. A pretty intense day," said Towne. "Our depth really came through and saved the day."
 
All seven Wildcats ran among the top 50 for the first three-quarters of the race. Berti was in the top 10 at the halfway point before picking up a side stitch that dropped him well back in the field. Herrera began to struggle around the same time.
 
But their teammates were there to pick them up, including Abberton, the team's alternate at the West Region Championships who only missed All-America honors by two positions.
 
"Hell of a run today," Towne told his team. "A 10k Cross Country National Championship race might be the toughest thing out there and you all did really, really well. You're always going to have ups and downs along the way, but we rallied. One guy goes down the next guy picks him up... That's what it's all about. You guys have a lot to be proud of."
 
Chico State has now finished on the NCAA Championship podium (top four) nine times, including eight times in the past 17 seasons. This marked the team's 19th top-20 finish in the last 20 years.
 
"You can't ask for a much better day than that," Baxter said.

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