For all the success that Joseph Rivera has enjoyed during the 2011-12 season, the Chico State distance runner still was faced with a make-or-break situation last weekend at the Willamette West Coast Invitational. To insure a chance to compete in the upcoming NCAA Track & Field Championships, Rivera had to come up with one of the best performances of his Wildcat career – and deliver he did, racking up an NCAA provisional mark in the 1,500-meter run to earn the coveted trip to Pueblo, Colo. His remarkable run also makes Rivera the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Rivera notched a sixth place finish Saturday at the Willamette West Coast Invitational, covering the Charles Bowles Track in Salem, Ore. in a time of 3:47.85, securing the NCAA provisional bid and topping his previous PR in the 1,500 by nearly five seconds. The run was the 10th fastest time in the nation this season, and the eighth best in Chico State history.
Saturday’s performance is just the latest highlight of Rivera’s 2011-12 season. The senior from Tulare had earned All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and All-West Region honors last fall in cross country, and last week came through with an All-CCAA effort in the 1,500-meter run.
