You would think that earning All-America honors in cross country and track & field would be the high point of anyone’s college career. Kyle Medina, on the other hand, appears to be just getting started. The sophomore is tearing up the track so far in 2016 and re-writing the Chico State record books in the process, and a pair of brilliant efforts in the 1,500-meters – including one that goes down as the fastest ever in the event by a ’Cat – makes Medina the runaway choice for Wildcat of the Week.
Medina broke Scott Bauhs’ eight-year old school record in the 1,500 with a 3:41.80 effort Friday night at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific. The Ventura product earned an NCAA Championships Automatic Qualifying mark with his record-setting run and finished second to the University of Arkansas’ Jack Bruce in a field of 216 Cougar Athletic Stadium.
Medina leads all Division II athletes in the event by a full 1.61 seconds and is sixth across all divisions. His time is more than nine seconds faster than the second fastest in the CCAA this season.
Only two Division II athletes have run a faster 1,500 since the start of the 2010 season.
Medina was less than a second away from breaking into the all-time Division II top 10. Only eight Division II athletes ever have run sub-3:41.
Far from resting on his record-setting laurels, Medina was right back at it Saturday night at Long Beach State’s Beach Invitational, winning the 1,500 in a field of 110 with a time of 3:46.72.
Medina will be back in action May 5-7 as the Chico State men’s track & field team travels to Los Angeles for the CCAA Championship meet.
