CHICO – The weather will be cloudy and cool, but should provide the perfect atmosphere for a pair of action-packed evenings as the Chico State men’s and women’s track & field teams host the annual Chico Distance Carnival and Twilight Invitational Friday and Saturday evening at University Stadium. In the final home events of the 2011 season, the Wildcats will showcase its vast array of middle and distance runners beginning at 7 p.m. during Friday night’s Distance Carnival, while Saturday’s Twilight Invitational features field events starting at 3:30 p.m., with running events – ranging from sprints and relays to 800- and 1,500-meter runs – commencing at 5:00 p.m.
The Wildcat women’s track team enters the weekend ranked No. 15 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II top 25 poll, while the Chico State men’s track team is ranked No. 17 in the country.
Friday’s Chico Distance Carnival features Anna Eicholtz and Kelly Clancey heading up a group of five Wildcat athletes competing in the women’s 800-meter run, while Clinton Hayes and Manny Mejia anchor a contingent of six ’Cats scheduled to run in the men’s 800. Brooke Bergesen, Natalie Galvan and Hayley Swanson will represent Chico State in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, and in the 5,000-meter run, no less than 10 men and nine women will compete for the Wildcats. Anthony Costales will attempt to better his NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 14:27.68 in the 5k.
The Chico Distance Carnival’s running events will kick off Saturday with the women’s 100-meter hurdles, as Aimee Rodgers tries to improve on her NCAA Provisional mark of 14.39 seconds. Michelle Burley and Nicole Cooper are among five Wildcats running in the women’s 100-meter dash, while Isaiah Haywood, Nick Sloggy, Damaris Greer, Jordan Alford-Helems and Adam Richards will sport the Cardinal and White in the men’s 100-meter dash.
Among the many Chico State athletes competing in Saturday’s track and field events are Ashley Webster, the school record holder in the women’s hammer throw, and an NCAA Provisional Qualifier in the women’s shot put. Kasey Barnett heads up four ’Cats competing in the women’s long jump, with Julianne Conrad the top Wildcat contender in the high jump and triple jump. On the men’s side, John Brunk, Talor Fulfer, Jon-Michael Delima, Clayton Francis and Zach Wales are all entered in multiple events, while Derek Nichols will anchor the Wildcats competing in the hammer and discus throw.
Saturday night’s most anticipated event will be the 1,500-meter run, with Chico State’s Kara Lubieniecki, Stephanie Consiglio, Natalie Galvan, Alia Gray, Amy Schnittger, Shannon McVannel, Michelle Johnson, Hayley Swanson and Brooke Bergesen competing on the women’s side, with Manny Mejia, Julian Spence, Joseph Rivera, Daniel Parker, Isaac Chavez, Brent Handa, Jonathon Ahmann, Donald Truesdell, Clinton Hayes and Anthony Costales leading a pack of Wildcat men in the 1,500.
The Chico Distance Carnival will conclude at 9:20 p.m. with the men’s 4x400-meter relay.
CLICK HERE for Chico Distance Carnival and Twilight Invitational schedules
CLICK HERE for Friday's Chico Distance Carnival Heat Sheet
CLICK HERE for Saturday's Twilight Invitational Heat Sheet
