Aimee Rodgers has been working hard all season to earn her second consecutive trip to the NCAA Track and Field Championships, and last weekend at the Chico Twilight Invitational came tantalizingly close to posting the qualifying mark she needs to earn a trip to Pueblo, Colo. next month. It’s safe to say the junior from Oakley appears to be peaking at just the right time, as she racked up victories Saturday in both the 100- and 400-meter hurdles. Her big day at University Stadium has makes Rodgers the deserving winner of the Wildcat of the Week award.
Rodgers rolled to an easy victory in the Twilight Invitational’s 400-meter hurdles, besting the field by nearly three seconds with a winning time of 1:02.58 – the second fastest time in Chico State history and just over a tenth of a second off Kelly Clancey’s school record.
Rodgers also registered a first place showing in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking in at 14.57 seconds. She was also part of the Wildcat team that finished second Saturday in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 4:02.18.
While slowly whittling down her times, Rodgers has also been a model of consistency this season for the ’Cats. She has put together a streak of four straight meets with times under 15 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, and has posted times of under 1:05 in each of her five 400-meter hurdles races in 2012.
The Chico State women’s track & field team returns to action this weekend, taking part in the Mt. SAC Relays Friday and Saturday, and the UC Davis-hosted Woody Wilson Classic on Saturday.