Phil Graber finished fifth at Saturday's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships. But he was number one in the hearts of many of the alumni and fans that lined the course.
He's this week's male Wildcat of the Week.
Graber is beloved by some because he is a native of Chico and graduate of Chico High School, by others because he's got a sweet mustache and that makes his nickname, "Filthy Phil," fitting. By his teammates because he's a great guy and he works his tail off, and by Head Coach Gary Towne because of his "beautiful stride."
The walk-on from Butte College covered the eight-kilometer course in 24:52, just 1.4 seconds off the winning time, to earn his second straight All-CCAA honor. He finished 13th at the conference championships last season.
He was also the final piece of the Wildcats' perfect puzzle. Their 15-point score is the first in the history of the men's CCAA Championships.
Graber has been a consistent contributor for the Wildcats all season. He opened with a fifth-place finish out of 197 runners at the Sundodger Invitational Open race, followed that up with a 51st-place finish at the Stanford Invitational, and came in fifth at the Triton Classic Oct. 12 in La Jolla.
He hopes to continue his strong season at the NCAA West Regionals in Spokane, Wash., on Nov. 9.
