Chico State sophomore Isaac Chavez posted the second fastest 10,000-meter time in the history of the California Collegiate Athletic Association and the fifth fastest by any collegiate this season, stopping the clock in an Olympic Trials “B” standard time of 28:49.17 Friday night at the Stanford Invitational.
Chavez, a product of Barstow High School, finished 11th out of 31 runners in the fastest section of the 10,000 meters in Palo Alto to earn Wildcat of the Week honors. His name is now on a list that will be used in rank order to determine who is invited to the United States Olympic Trails if there are not enough automatic qualifiers to fill the spots.
Chavez’s time is the second fastest in Chico State history and he and Olympic hopeful Scott Bauhs are the only two Wildcats ever to run under 29:30, something Chavez did with ease Friday.
Western State’s Tyler Pennel, the only other Division II runner in the field, placed second, meaning Chavez boasts the second fastest time in Division II this season and the fifth fastest among all of the nation’s collegiate athletes.
Chavez, who finished third in the 10,000 meters at last year’s NCAA Championships and boasts a pair of top-five results at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, lowered his personal record in the event by 39 seconds.
