As the lone All-American on the Chico State women’s cross country roster, Sadie Gastelum is at the heart of the Wildcats’ efforts to remain one of the top Division II programs in the country. Two races into the 2016 campaign, the senior from Gardnerville, Nevada, has not disappointed. Gastelum racked up her second straight top 10 performance Saturday in Sacramento, finishing sixth in the Division I-heavy Capital Cross Challenge. Her team-best run has made Gastelum the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Gastelum completed the six-kilometer run at Haggin Oak Golf Course with a time of 20:55.2, only 11 seconds behind the event’s second-place finisher and better than 14 seconds faster than the nearest Division II runner.
Gastelum’s solid showing helped Chico State, the No. 3 D-II school in the nation, finish the Capital Cross Challenge fifth out of 19 teams – 16 of which were from the D-I ranks.
Her effort in the 6k event was just six seconds off her All-America – and personal best – time of 20:49.2 set at last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Gastelum and the Chico State women’s cross country team will be in Southern California this Saturday, competing in the UC San Diego-hosted Triton Invitational in La Jolla.
