Chico State Cross Country Coach Gary Towne is fond of consistent runners. He is especially fond of runners who are consistently fast. Steven Martinez is undoubtedly one of Towne's favorites.
Martinez, a junior transfer from San Diego Mesa Community College, is Wildcat of the Week after finishing 10th and earning All-West Region honors at the NCAA West Region Championships Saturday in Monmouth, Oregon.
In five races this season, the 2013 California Community College state runner-up has finished no lower than 11th place. And that came in a 289-runner field at the Stanford Invitational, which featured a number of Division I teams.
He was fifth at the season-opening Ash Creek Invitational, and after finishing 11th at Stanford, finished fifth again at the San Francisco State Invitational. He ran better than 30 seconds faster on the same course to finish second at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships and help the Wildcats win their 14th straight CCAA title.
Last weekend, Martinez helped lead the Wildcats back into the NCAA Championships for the 17th consecutive season. He was the second Wildcat to cross the line as they finished second overall to earn a spot on the starting line in Joplin, Missouri, on Nov. 21.
