Olivia Watt is nearing the end of her Chico State running career, but she isn't exactly coasting to the finish line. On the contrary, the two-time All-American will soon be making her third straight appearance at the NCAA Track & Field Championships, and Watt's outstanding effort in the 800-meter run Saturday during the final meet of the regular season practically guarantees she'll once again be competing in two events on the national stage. Watt's clutch 11th-hour exploit makes her the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Watt matched her best-ever performance in the 800 at the West Coast Last Chance Open in San Francisco, finishing third overall with a time of 2:09.20. In the process, she bettered her existing NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark by one second and moved from 19th place all the way to 11th in the 2016 Division II 800-meter national rankings.
Watt is also ranked sixth among all D-II runners this season in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:25.16, giving her the chance to earn her second First Team All-America in as many years at the NCAA Championships May 26-28 in Bradenton, Fla.
With one meet remaining in her Wildcat career, Watt owns the second-best time in Chico State history in both the 800 (2:09.20) and 1,500 (4:22.80), and teamed with Aja Erksine, Bailey Henshaw and Marino Berrios to post the program's fastest time (3:47.05) in the 4x400 relay.
