Adrian Sherrod shaved 25 seconds off his personal-record time in the 5,000 meters during a banner day in the 5K for the Chico State men’s track & field team Friday to earn Wildcat of the Week honors.
Sherrod’s NCAA Provisional Qualifying time of 14:09.99 at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival – the fourth fastest time in Division II this year – was one of four provisional qualifying marks for the Wildcats in the 5,000 meters Friday, and one of the three top-10 performances in Chico State history.
Sherrod is now ranked fourth on the school’s top-10 list, just a tick behind California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Track Athlete of the Week Isaac Chavez, whose time of 14:08.99 ranks third. Dayne Gradone finished four spots behind Sherrod in 11th with a time of 14:14.88 (sixth in school history).
Sherrod finished seventh in his heat and seventh overall out of 132 runners, stopping the clock just a half second off the previous meet record and six seconds behind the race winner.
The senior from Spring Valley has excelled in cross country during his career. He was the 2011 CCAA Champion and Runner of the Year and finished second at the CCAA and West Region Championships and then 27th at the NCAA Championships last season. But injuries have cost him most of his collegiate track career. The lone exception occurred in 2011 when he finished fourth in the 5,000 meters at the CCAA Championships after recording the fifth fastest 10,000-meter PR in school history, 29:58, at the Mt. SAC Invitational. That time now ranks seventh.
Sherrod hopes to stay healthy this season and tack on some lines to that resume.
The Chico State men’s track & field team is in action again this weekend, competing Thursday and Friday in the Delta Heptathlon in Stockton, and in Klamath Falls, Ore., Saturday as part of the annual California/Oregon Border Battle.
