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Chavez signs, becomes most decorated Wildcat distance recruit ever
Isaac Chavez signs his National Letter of Intent to attend Chico State surrounded by his girlfriend and family.
6/15/2009 9:51:36 AM
BARSTOW – When Isaac Chavez put pen to paper and signed his name at the bottom of a National Letter of Intent to attend Chico State University, he immediately became the most highly-touted distance runner ever to do so. And that was before he capped his illustrious prep career by finishing eighth in the state’s 3,200-meter championship by covering the two-mile course in 8:57, which is the 13th fastest prep time in the United States in 2009.
“Isaac was the top recruit on our wish list all year and I’m completely ecstatic that he has chosen to continue his academic and athletic pursuits at Chico State,” said Wildcats Head Coach Gary Towne. “Isaac has so many great qualities that point toward a wonderful future in the sport of running.”
As a junior, Chavez finished second at the Southern Section Cross Country Championships to teammate and Chico State-bound senior Anthony Solis. They had identical times of 15:01. He then finished fifth at the state championships.
This year, he won the Southern Section title and rode that wave of momentum to a second-place finish at the state championships. His time of 15:15 is the fastest time ever recorded by a Chico State recruit on the fabled Woodward Park layout.
Chavez parlayed that success on the trails into even more success on the track. His 3,200-meter personal best time dropped from 9:11, to 9:06, to 9:04, before his astounding 8:57 at the state championships. He is Chico State’s first recruit to break the nine-minute barrier. As a point of reference, Scott Bauhs, the most successful distance runner in Chico State history, recorded a PR of 9:07 as a prep.
Perhaps Chavez’s greatest achievement, and one of the things that excites Towne most about him, is that he helped the Barstow program win four consecutive state titles.
“His ability to consistently run at a high level is what really stands out to me,” said Towne. “As we work toward making a run at an NCAA (cross country) team title, Isaac’s experience with helping the Barstow program win four straight titles will surely help our changes of achieving that goal.”
Chico State fans will have a chance to see Chavez at work at the USATF Junior Nationals in Eugene, Oregon, on June 28. He’ll compete in the 5,000-meter final on Sunday June 28 at 4:50 p.m. in Eugene, Oregon.
There are no upcoming events.
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Wildcats of the Week
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Softball
Kacie McCarthy’s freshman season as a Wildcat has been filled with highlights, but the Shingletown native turned in her most memorable performances of the year last weekend in the NCAA West Sub-Regional at Sonoma State, posting three straight victories and helping Chico State advance to the West Super Regional in Hawaii. The Wildcats are just two wins away from reaching the Division II College World Series, thanks in large part to the pitching prowess of McCarthy, who is the latest recipient of Wildcat of the Week honors.
In Friday’s Sub-Regional opener, McCarthy took over for Chico State starter Jessica McDermott and tossed seven-and-a-third innings of relief, striking out a career-high 11 batters and earning the win as the Wildcats beat 15th ranked Grand Canyon University 5-4 in eight innings. In Saturday’s winner’s bracket game versus No. 14 Sonoma State, McCarthy twirled a one-hit shutout in Chico State’s 7-0 victory over the host Seawolves. Sunday McCarthy completed the postseason trifecta, going the distance for the 18th time this year and getting credit for the “W” as the ’Cats rallied back from three runs down to score four times in the bottom of the sixth inning and pull out a 4-3 victory over Dixie State to sweep through the Sub-Regional and advance to this weekend’s West Super Regional.
McCarthy, now 16-10 on the season, lowered her season ERA to 1.92 with the three weekend wins and is ranked third among California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) pitchers. She also is sixth in the conference in victories and innings pitched (164.1). She leads the Wildcats in wins, complete games, innings pitched and appearances (29).
Chico State takes on the No. 3 ranked Sea Warriors of Hawaii Pacific Friday at 5 p.m. Pacific time in the opener of the West Super Regional in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The winner of the best-of-three set will advance to the Division II College World Series May 27-31 in St. Joseph, Missouri.
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Men's Track
As a decathlete, Brian Beeman is used to running all over the place. But he took it to a new level last week. After competing in the decathlon, high jump and javelin to help lead the Chico State men’s track & field team to the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship March 6-8, he got on a bus and arrived back in Chico in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Then, he turned around to head back to Southern California for the Claremont Classic Decathlon and turned in an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark and personal best score of 6,512 on Thursday and Friday.
That iron-man feet has earned him Wildcat of the Week honors.
Beeman finished sixth at the Burns Track and Field Complex while logging the 15th best score in the nation this year. He won the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:31.75, placed third in the 400-meter dash (51.19 seconds) and tied for third in the high jump (6-feet-02.75).
Beeman and a number of his Wildcats teammates now await Wednesday morning’s NCAA Track and Field Championships selection show to found out if he’s earned a berth to the National Championships May 27-29 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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6.28.10 | Men's Track
TOWSON, Md. – Ryan Bertucci’s legacy with the Chico State track & field program will be one of soaring to great heights both in the classroom and at the high jump pit. Bertucci, a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA Championship qualifier in the high jump, has been named to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s Track and Field and Cross Country Team, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
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6.22.10 | Men's Track
DES MOINES, Iowa – The dust has only just settled on the 2010 Chico State Track & Field season. Now the Wildcats who dream of extending their careers on the track post-college have an opportunity to see two Chico State alums who have done just that. Scott Bauhs and Charlie Serrano, National Champions for the Wildcats in 2007, will race in the 2010 USA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in the 10,000 meters Thursday night at 6:20 Pacific Daylight Time, in Des Moines, Iowa.
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6.3.10 | Men's Track
CHICO – Getting it done in competition and in the classroom – the ultimate achievement of a student-athlete. Chico State’s Ryan Bertucci has certainly ascended to that lofty goal in 2010 – less than a week after earning All-American honors in the high jump at the NCAA Championships, the senior from Gardnerville, Nev. has been named to ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team, the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) announced Thursday.
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5.29.10 | General
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a track meet marred by gloomy clouds and thunderstorms, it was only fitting that the one they call “The Hurricane” provided the Wildcats with a lightening-rod of joy. Katrina Rodriguez won the national pole vault crown to start Saturday’s action at the NCAA Track & Field Championships at Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belk Track Complex in Charlotte, N.C., and in doing so sparked a storm of Chico State success. The Wildcats netted six All-America awards Saturday. Michael Wickman finished second in the 1,500 meters and seventh in the 800 meters, Beau Rogers finished third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Kara Lubieniecki was fifth in the 1,500 meters, and Ryan Bertucci eighth in the high jump, giving him three straight top-10 finishes at the National Championships. The Wildcats men’s and women’s teams logged their best finish since 2007, finishing eighth and 18th, respectively.
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5.28.10 | General
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Talor Fulfer capped off an outstanding 2010 season with a strong showing Friday in the NCAA Track and Field Championships, placing high in four of the final five Decathlon events to collect 6,794 points and a fourth place overall finish to earn All America honors at Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belk Track Complex in Charlotte, N.C. Then the thunderstorms came, postponing all of Friday's action aside from the multi events.
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5.27.10 | General
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jimmy Elam is starting to make a habit of making good on his final All-America opportunities. Elam, who finished 15th at the National Cross Country Championships to earn All-America honors in the fall – the final cross country race of his collegiate career – raced to a fourth-place finish and another All-America award in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Track & Field Championships Thursday at Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belt Track Complex. If only he could be a senior again next year…
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5.26.10 | Men's Track
NEW ORLEANS – The NCAA Track and Field Championships begin Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina, but whatever happens, Chico State’s Michael Wickman and men’s track and field Head Coach Kirk Freitas can already be classified as winners. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has named Wickman as the men’s track West Region Track Athlete of the Year, while Freitas was honored as men’s track West Region Track Coach of the Year.
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