Wickman, Gray latest recipients of CCAA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week award

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Wickman, Gray latest recipients of CCAA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week award

CCAA Runners of the Week Michael Wickman and Alia Gray.

Michael Wickman and Alia Gray have been chosen as the CCAA Male and Female Cross Country Runners of the Week.

10/5/2009 2:46:24 PM

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – The Chico State men’s and women’s cross country teams turned in several outstanding individual performances Saturday en route to both squads winning the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., and two Wildcats in particular were singled out by the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Senior Michael Wickman and sophomore Alia Gray have been honored as the CCAA Cross Country Men’s and Women’s Runners of the Week for the period of Sept. 27-Oct. 4.

Wickman, a 2008 cross country All-American and three-time track All-American, posted his best effort of the 2009 season at the Willamette Invitational, placing first in a field of 198 runners. Wickman finished the 8k event with an individual time of 24:08.06, beating out second place finisher – and Wildcat teammate – Jimmy Elam by 4.4 seconds. With three Chico State men’s runners finishing in the top ten, the No. 4-ranked ’Cats took home the team title, edging out Boise State 45-52.

Gray chalked up a third place finish among 202 runners Saturday to help No. 3-ranked Chico State easily outdistance No. 10 Augustana (S.D.) for the Willamette Invitational women’s team title. Gray’s time of 17:47.90 in the 5k race was just 21 seconds behind individual winner Teegan Schoch of Idaho, and less than one second behind Wildcat teammate Kara Lubieniecki. The outstanding outing was Gray’s second straight of the 2009 season – she finished an impressive 22nd September 26 at the Stanford Invitational.

Wickman joins Elam as a CCAA Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week winner (Elam has already been honored twice this season), while Gray and Lubieniecki have won the Women’s Runner of the Week award in back-to-back weeks.

Both the Chico State men’s and women’s cross country teams are in action this Friday as they travel to the Bay Area to compete in the San Francisco State Invitational.

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Wildcats of the Week

Caressa Williams

Women's Basketball

For much of the season, redshirt freshman Caressa Williams has been sitting at the end of the Chico State women’s basketball team bench, seeing very little on-court action. But the former Paradise High School star continued to work hard on her game, and the extra effort has paid off in recent weeks with significantly more playing time. After a string of short but impressive relief roles, Williams delivered a breakout performance Saturday against Humboldt State, posting career highs in scoring and rebounding in the Wildcats’ 90-67 thumping of Humboldt State. Her strongest effort to date makes Williams the latest Wildcat of the Week.

Williams shot over 58 percent (7-of-12), averaging just under 10 points and five rebounds in Chico State’s two weekend contests. She began the weekend with a solid outing Friday against Sonoma State, contributing five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 16 minutes of action. Saturday, though, she was a major part of the Wildcat reserves combining to score 51 in the team’s convincing 23-point win over Humboldt. Williams played 24 minutes, scoring 14 points and hauling in seven rebounds – both career highs – connecting on five of her seven field goal attempts. She also chipped in with an assist and a steal in addition to shining on the defensive end.

Williams’ productive weekend saw her season scoring average more than double, rising from 1.6 to 3.6 points per game. Overall, she is shooting 50 percent from the field and is averaging two rebounds a contest.

Chico State is back in action this weekend, hosting Cal Poly Pomona Friday and San Francisco State Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 5:30 p.m.

Amir Carraway

Men's Basketball

Amir Carraway capped a strong weekend with team highs of 16 points and seven rebounds in the Wildcats’ huge win against Humboldt State Saturday night to earn Wildcat of the Week honors for the second time this season.

The sophomore from Vallejo made two game-sealing free throws with 21 seconds left to finish the night 6-of-7 from the free throw line and pulled down key rebounds on two of the Lumberjacks’ last three possessions. He also set the screen on Jay Flores’ dagger 3-pointer with 40 seconds left.

Carraway finished with 10 points and four rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes due to foul trouble during the Wildcats’ loss to Sonoma State the night before.

The 6-foot-5 forward leads the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game and ranks second in scoring at 10.6 points per game a season after averaging just 1.4 points and one rebound in only 5.4 minutes a night. He’s now led the team in scoring five times and rebounding six this season.

Carraway and the Wildcats, among four teams tied for second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, trail conference co-leaders Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills by just one game. They’ll welcome Cal Poly Pomona to town Friday night and San Francisco State Saturday.

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Fall’s finest to be honored at halftime Friday

The Chico State women’s soccer team and cross country programs will be honored for their runs in this fall’s NCAA Championships during halftime of Friday night’s men’s basketball game against rival Sonoma State. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 7:30.

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1.12.12 | General

Houston - We have some Wildcats

HOUSTON – Three Chico State distance running alumni will be competing for a spot in the Olympics at Saturday’s United States Olympic Marathon trials. Yes, the Olympics. Charlie Serrano and Tim Tollefson will compete in the men’s race, beginning at 6 a.m., PST, and Tollefson’s fiancé, Lindsay Nelson, will run in the women’s race that’s set to go off at 6:15. Then on Sunday, Scott Bauhs (whose sites are set on the June 22nd 10,000-meter Olympic qualifier) will go after the title in the Houston Half Marathon.

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12.8.11 | General

Rising in the fall

While the leaves have been falling in the City of Trees, the citiy's University, Chico State, has been rising toward the top of the list of the nation’s best NCAA Division II athletic programs. The Wildcats finished the fall ranked second in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup fall standings, released Thursday.

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11.21.11 | General

Gradone wins All-America and Wildcat of the Week honors

Chico State men’s cross country runner Dayne Gradone had already laid the groundwork for a spectacular finish to his 2011 season. The sophomore from Santa Cruz has notched five top 15 finishes and a pair of top 10’s leading up to Saturday’s NCAA Cross Country Championship at Plantes Ferry Sports Complex in Spokane, Wash. Gradone saved one of his best performances for last, earning All-American honors and helping the Wildcats finish the year as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation. His outstanding run has also netted Gradone Wildcat of the Week honors.

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11.19.11 | Men's Cross Country

How do you spell respect? H-A-R-D-W-A-R-E baby!

SPOKANE, Wash. – The members of the Chico State men’s cross country didn’t feel they received much respect heading into Saturday’s NCAA Championships. The haters can keep their respect. The Wildcats will take the trophy.

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11.19.11 | General

Watch the 'Cats run live at the NCAA Championships

The track my be snowy but the picture should be clear if you click on NCAA.com to watch the Chico State cross country teams run at the 2011 NCAA Championships today in Spokane, Wash. The women run at 11 a.m. and the men at noon.

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11.17.11 | Men's Cross Country

Will 13 be lucky for Wildcats?

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Chico State men’s cross country team is hoping its 13th straight trip to the NCAA Championships is full of good fortune. The Wildcats, ranked No. 6 in the nation heading into the race, certainly won’t turn down any luck that falls their way as they fight for their sixth podium finish in the last nine years against a stacked field. The Wildcats have never finished lower than ninth during that time.

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