Chico State women's cross country runner Quetta Peinado has put together a very successful 2015 season, notching four top 10 finishes in five events. And she just keeps getting better! Peinado set a personal six-kilometer record on the way to an eighth place finish at the NCAA West Regional Championships Saturday in Monmouth, Oregon, helping lead the Wildcats to the team title and into the NCAA Championships for the 16th straight year.
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Peinado crossed the finish line at the Ash Creek Preserve with a time of 21:27.5, nearly two seconds better than her previous best over that distance, to earn Wildcat of the Week accolades. The long-distance effort was good enough to earn All-West Region status for the second straight year, adding to her awards total that also includes three All-CCAA honors (two for cross country and one for track & field).
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Peinado, Sadie Gastelum and McCall Habermehl all finished in the top 15 to spearhead the Wildcats' West Regional win. With five 'Cats finishing among the top 35 runners, Chico State lived up to its No. 1 West Region ranking by easily outdistancing runner-up Western Washington and third place Alaska Anchorage.
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Peinado and the Wildcats will wrap up the season the 2015 season Nov. 21 in Joplin, Mo., attempting to bring home the national title at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, hosted by Missouri Southern State University. Â Â Â Â Â Â
