The town of St. Leo, Florida, home of this year's NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships, is named after Catholic Pope St. Leo The Great, famous for persuading Atilla the Hun to turn back at the gates of Rome. The Chico State women's cross country team hopes to find similar success in facing its challenges at Saturday's Championships.
 
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the illness that plagued the team throughout the first half of its season struck again during the break between the regional and national championships. So getting healthy and ready to run is the most pressing challenge.
 
The Wildcats also face a very strong field. Chico State is ranked No. 6 in the nation, behind defending champion Adams State, No. 2 Grand Valley State, No. 3 the University of Mary, No. 4 Western State, and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth.
 
The Wildcats are hoping to at least equal last season's success at the national championships, where they finished fourth, matching the program's highest finish since winning the 1979 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) title.
 
Sadie Gastelum led the way with a 12^th-place finish, the highest in the program's history.
 
This marks the 18^th straight season and 20^th overall the Wildcats have qualified for the NCAA Championships. They've finished among the top 10 in 13 of the past 14 seasons, and returned home with hardware (a finish of fourth place or higher) seven times.
 
The Schedule
Women's 6k start time: 6:45 a.m., Pacific
 
The Links
Links to a live stream and in-race updates and final results are available in the calendar section of our homepage and on the cross country schedule page. All results are unofficial until after the 15-minute protest period is complete.
 
Live Video Stream of the Race
In-Race Updates and Results
Race Homepage
 
The Course
The six-kilometer course resides on a golf track called The Abbey Course. The athletes will make one-and-a-half loops around the course before a sprint to the finish. Link to view the course map.
 
The Field
The 248-runner field is made up of 32 teams and 24 individuals. Teams and individuals qualified at the NCAA Regional Championships on Nov. 5.

The Rankings
The West Region Champion Wildcats are ranked No. 6 in the nation. Defending Champion Adams State is ranked No. 1, followed by 2015 runner-up Grand Valley State, No. 3 the University of Mary, No. 4 Western State, and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth. 

The Rewards
The top four teams receive an NCAA Championships trophy. The top 40 individuals will be named All-America.
 
The Returners
Sadie Gastelum, Alex Burkhart and Haley Kroll all return to the NCAA Championships after helping lead the team onto the podium last season.
 
Gastelum earned All-America honors by finishing 12^th. Burkhart was the team's third finisher in 51^st, and Kroll closed out the Wildcats' scoring in 89^th. Camila Turati also has Championships experience, having run as a true freshman two seasons ago.
 
The Lineup
Sadie Gastelum–5^th at Regional Championships…3^rd at CCAA Championships…Finished among the top six in all five of her races this season…Has finished among the top 10 in 10 straight races…Making 4^th NCAA Championships appearance.
Karlie Garcia–6^th at Regional Championships…2^nd at CCAA Championships…Finished 6^th or better in all three of her starts this season.
Alex Burkhart–16^th at Regional Championships…5^th at CCAA Championships.
Hannah Dorman–18^th at Regional Championships…8^th at CCAA Championships.
Nora Pizzella–25^th at Regional Championships…7^th at CCAA Championships…CCAA Freshman of the Year.
Haley Kroll–28^th at Regional Championships…9^th at CCAA Championships…Making third NCAA Championships appearance.
Kayden Carpenter–31^st at Regional Championships…13^th at CCAA Championships…CCAA Newcomer of the Year.
Camila Turati–18^th at CCAA Championships…Making 2^nd NCAA Championships appearance.
Note – Only seven athletes will run in Saturday's Championships. One of these eight will act as the alternate.
 
The History
Chico State has finished among the top 10 in the nation in 13 of the past 14 years. The Wildcats' fourth-place finishes in 2003, 2007, 2009, and 2015 mark their highest at the NCAA Championships. The program won the AIAW National title in 1979.
 
Gastelum's 12^th-place finish last season is the highest by an individual in the history of the program. She is seeking to become the fifth Wildcat with two All-America honors, joining Tori Tyler, Missy Lendl, Jennifer James, and Alia Gray.
 
Reyes' top-10 finish last season was the 11^th in program history. With another top-10 finish Saturday, he would join Bauhs and Isaac Chavez as the only Wildcats to have finished among the nation's top-10 twice. He, Medina and Martinez have an opportunity to join an elite fraternity of eight with multiple All-America honors.