Running for the first time in a Chico State uniform, redshirt junior Will Reyes rolled to victory at the Ash Creek Invitational Friday night in Monmouth, Ore., to earn Wildcat of the Week honors.
Reyes covered the 6,300-meter Ash Creek Preserve layout (home of this year's NCAA West Regional) in 17:47 – a 4:32 mile pace – leading a cavalcade of Wildcats across the line. Reyes crossed the line nearly 30 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, teammate Falco DiGiallonardo.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the West Region, beat runner-up Simon Fraser soundly, 17-64.
A redshirt last season after transferring from American River Community College, Reyes was a force running unattached. He finished third at the 2014 Charles Bowles Invitational, ahead of the all but one University of Oregon athlete.
Reyes and the Wildcats will be back in action at the Stanford Invitational Sept. 26.
