[Results] [Photo Gallery] [Interview with Mario Giannini and Iresh Molina] [Interview with coach Towne]

CHICO, Calif. - In the closest CCAA Men's Cross Country Championship in 34 years, Chico State held off Cal Poly Pomona by six points (30-36) to win its 23rd consecutive CCAA Championship, presented by Pollo Campero. (Oct. 24)
 
Five Broncos crossed the finish line before the fifth Wildcat completed his 8k race at Hooker Oak Park in Chico, heightening the nerves throughout the course as the points would have to be sorted to determine who would be raising the trophy in 2025.  
 
Mario Giannini paced the field to win the men's race and defend his title with a time of 24:20.6. He is only the second Chico State student-athlete ever to win the CCAA Championship in back-to-back years (Will Reyes, 2011 & 2012), and just the sixth in the 59-year history of the conference.
 
Damian Garcia finished second behind Giannini with a time of 24:28.3, and then runners from Cal Poly Pomona started to cross the line. Ricardo Vargas took third place (24:31.6) and Jacob Shirota finished fifth (24:39.3), securing him CCAA Newcomer of the Year honors. He is the first Bronco to win the award since Daniel Echeveste in 2021.
 
The following three places alternated between Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona, further tightening the score. Chico State's Sergio Cuartas III placed sixth, followed by CPP's Juan Ramos in seventh, and Chico State's Matthew Gordon finished eighth.
 
One of the hometown runners, Renton McGregor, took the ninth spot, giving Cal State San Marcos two top-10 finishers (Alan Jimenez, 4th, 24:37.6).
 
The next three finishers were all Broncos as Francisco Zavaleta, Daniel Echeveste, and Thomas McDonnell placed 10th-12th, pushing the subsequent Chico runners down in the points and keeping CPP's championship hopes alive.
 
Jesus Villarreal did not let the drama build for long as he delivered the final score moments later to complete Chico State's scoring with 30 points, just in front of Cal Poly Pomona's 36 points.


 
This was the closest race during Chico State's 23-year run, and the third-closest in CCAA history. The Wildcats' previous closest win had been 11 points in 2003. It was only the third time in the 59 year history of the conference that single-digit points determined the CCAA Championships. The last time was 1991 when UC Riverside edged out Cal Poly SLO 30-35.
 
Chico State's Jackson Stream placed 14th with a time of 24:54.6 to win CCAA Freshman of the Year. It was the first time a Wildcat had earned Freshman of the Year since Brendan Scanlon in 2007, and it is only the third time since the CCAA began handing out the award in 2001.
 
The top-10 finishes by Jimenez and McGregor propelled Cal State San Marcos to a third-place finish with 73 points. It was the Cougars' best finish since 2019 and their third-lowest score in program history. Fourth place went to Stanislaus State with 130 points, and Cal Poly Humboldt placed fifth with 141 points. Click here to see the complete results.
 
Gary Towne from Chico State was named the CCAA Coach of the Year for the 17th consecutive season.
 
Many of these teams will move on to the NCAA West Regional in Monmouth, Ore. The regionals will be held Saturday, Nov. 8. 

Individual Awards:
Runner of the Year: Mario Giannini, CHICO
Freshman of the Year: Jackson Stream, CHICO
Newcomer of the Year: Jacob Shirota, CPP
Elite 13 Award: Cameron Cornforth, CSUMB
Coach of the Year: Gary Towne, CHICO