SAN FRANCISCO – Golden Gate Park took on a decidedly cardinal hue Saturday. The Chico State men’s cross country team, adorned in the school colors of cardinal and white, dominated the 2009 West Region Cross Country Championships to claim their eighth straight regional title as an estimated 200-plus Wildcats fans, alumni, and family members sporting Chico State t-shirts, sweatshirts, and signs cheered them on with chants of “Cheeeecooo! Cheeeecooo!” and “Che-co! You know!”
The race started and ended in the park’s Speedway Meadow, and the athletes passed through there four more times on the looped course. There were 19 other teams represented, but the crowd seemed to be filled with fans of the Wildcats.
Perhaps that helped the Wildcats fill many of the race’s top spots. Three of the top six finishers were from Chico State. Brent Handa finished fourth, Jimmy Elam fifth, and Beau Gradone-Rogers sixth. Michael Wickman came in ninth, and Alan Campos sealed the title with his 18
th-place finish. Freshman Joey Kochlacs finished 19
th to give the Wildcats six of the top 19 finishers, and Brendan Scanlon was 38
th in the 131-runner field.
The Wildcats finished with 42 points, well ahead of second-place Western Washington’s 74. Alaska Anchorage claimed the region’s third and final berth in the NCAA Championships with 96 points.
All three teams are in, but Saturday felt like it was all about one thing – the cardinal and the white of the Wildcats.
“A year-and-a-half ago, when we found out Regionals would be here, I kind of envisioned what we had today,” said Wildcats Head Coach Gary Towne, who attempted to gather all of the Chico State contingent for a picture but found that as many people wanted to take pictures of the spectacle as wanted to be captured forever as part of the wild bunch. “I honestly think we have the best supported team on the West Coast, regardless of Division. It’s really cool.”
It’s safe to say that Towne also thinks it’s cool that the Wildcats, ranked No. 1 in the West Region and No. 3 in the nation entering the weekend, will be making their 11th straight trip to the NCAA Championships in two weeks on Nov. 21 in Evansville, Indiana. The Wildcats have finished no lower than ninth and no higher than third in the last 10 National Championships.
Handa, running for just the second time in a Chico State varsity uniform Saturday, has boosted hopes for another strong finish at nationals with his excellent performances in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships (2nd place) and Saturday’s Regional.
The junior transfer from Cal State Fullerton originally planned to redshirt this season. But injuries other circumstances caused he and Towne rethink that plan when the postseason hit.
“We always knew there was a chance I would end up running this year, so thankfully, we had my miles lined up accordingly,” said Handa. “I told Gary from the get-go that I would be more than happy to run this season.”
It’s safe to say that a number of his competitors would have rather seen him stay home. Handa, Elam, and Gradone-Rogers ran together inside the top eight for much of the race before Handa took off on his own.
“I felt pretty good with two-and-a-half miles to go, so I went for it.”
He picked off three competitors along the way and led his running partners to the finish line. He and Elam earned their first All-West Region accolades, while Gradone-Rogers claimed his second (He finished sixth last year as well.) and Wickman collected his third (He finished 10th in 2007 and 7th last season).
“Brent’s perspective has really helped,” said Towne. “He sees this as a special opportunity. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the finish line of a long and grueling season instead of looking at these races as a chance to do something special.”
Elam is another Wilcdat with a different perspective. After spending his first three years at Humboldt State, he chose to run his senior season at Chico State even though it meant he had to sit out last season due to inter-conference transfer rules.
“I’m really thankful I made the decision to come to Chico,” said Elam. “The way we do things sets us up to be able to run well when it matters most. A day like today makes it all worthwhile,” he said.
Elam was bouncing and beaming with pride despite having just run 10 tough kilometers.
“I’m very, very proud right now,” said Elam, who had been the team’s top finisher in his previous four races this season. “We’ve all been working for days like this for a long time – me, since I was like 11. And we did really well today.”
“A lot of people were thinking we might be vulnerable this year without (defending National and Regional Champion) Scott (Bauhs) and with the injuries and stuff we’ve had to deal with. But we showed them we meant business today.”
At the least, they displayed their true colors.
Complete Race Results
