To say Chico State distance runner Ayla Granados is enjoying a productive year is certainly an understatement. After earning All-America honors last fall in cross country, the Castro Valley native is burning up the track this spring – and her performance at the Chico Distance Carnival and Twilight Invitational is just the latest in her string of successes. Granados bettered an existing NCAA Provisional Qualifying bid and re-shuffled the Chico State record books during the two-day meet, making her the obvious choice for Wildcat of the Week.
Already with a Chico State top 10 time in the 3,000-meter run and NCAA Provisional Qualifying marks in the 800-, 1,500- and 5,000-meter runs this season, Granados is a lock to make her second straight trip to the NCAA Track & Field Championships in May. But as she demonstrated last weekend, the senior is not about to rest on her impressive numbers.
In Friday’s Chico Distance Carnival, Granados took top honors in the 800-meter run, bettering her existing NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark with a PR time of 2:11.73. It also carried the distinction of being the second-fastest time in the 800 in Chico State history.
Granados wrapped up the weekend with a solid showing Saturday during the Twilight Invitational’s 1,500-meter run, winning the event’s Invitation section with a time of 4:37.12.
Granados has placed her name among the top six in Wildcat history in the 800-, 1,500-, 3,000- and the 5,000-meter run, notching personal bests in all four events this season.
Granados will be toeing the starting line again this week, competing Friday night in the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut.
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