CHICO – The fast just keep getting faster. Chico State distance coach Gary Towne announced the three newest additions to his women’s cross country/track & field team Monday, and in doing so, dubbed the recruiting class of Ventura High School’s Olivia Guadiana, Bret Harte High School of Altaville’s Sara Mikesell, and Ramona High School’s Brittany Balcom, one of the most talented in Chico State history.

“We appear to have a lot to look forward to in the coming years,” said Towne, who has coached the Chico State women’s cross country team to eight top-10 finishes at the National Championships in the last nine years. “This is a very talented trio.”

Towne describes Guadiana as: “quite possibly the most accomplished women’s recruit we’ve ever brought in out of high school.” She is the first Wildcat prep recruit to have broken the five-minute mark over 1,6000-meters. She concluded a stellar senior cross country campaign with 18:10 clockings on both the Mt. San Antonio College and Woodward Park courses, the latter good for a 13th-place finish at the Division I State Championships. She carried that momentum on to the track season where she recorded personal-best times of 4:59 over 1,600-meters and 11:01 over 3,200 meters.

As a point of reference, at that same pace, Guadiana’s 1,5000-meter time would be 4:40.3, which would be the 10th fastest time ever recorded by a Wildcat.

Mikesell led her Bret Harte team to a 10th-place finish at the State Championships. She covered the course in 19:03 to finish 17th in the field of 200 runners. Mikesell earned Modesto Bee All-District Team honors and Second Team All-Sac Joaquin Section honors.

Balcom established herself as one of the top distance talents in the San Diego section during her senior season. She finished second at the Vaquero Stampede and 17 that the Mt. Sac Invitational. On the track, she recorded a 5:07 for the 1,600-metres and has also run 2:20 over 800 meters and 11:31 over 3,200 meters.

“When I look at the marks these three have put up in high school and stack them up against many of the great runners that we’ve had come through our program over the years, I get very excited,” said Towne. “All three of these young women have the ability to have outstanding careers at Chico State.”