Kyle Medina's enthusiasm and loyalty are almost as impressive as his speed. He boasts two All-America honors and the fastest 1,500 meters ever recorded by a Chico State athlete. He's also one of the biggest cheerleaders for the Wildcats' distance program and Head Coach Gary Towne.
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Medina often uses the hashtag #InTowneWeTrust. He even has a t-shirt that says the same.
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Perhaps most importantly to Medina, he also has the trust of his coach. Our Wildcat of the Week, Medina finished 11th in the nation at Saturday's NCAA Championships, on the strength of what Towne called "…a very mature run. He was composed, in control and tough. He's really coming along as a leader and cross country runner."
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It was Medina's second straight Cross Country All-America honor after finishing 34th last season.
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In 24th place through three kilometers, Medina made his way through the field masterfully, picking off runners one by one as the meters clicked by. He passed six more in the final two kilometers, including four in the final 400 meters, in becoming the eighth Wildcat to finish among the top 11 at an NCAA meet.
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That run helped the Wildcats reach the podium (top-four finish) for the first time in Medina's career.
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"He's been very vocal with the guys since before the start of the season, trying to get everybody to buy into the training and the type of attitude we would have to have to try to challenge for a title and at least get on the podium," Towne said. "He went out there and practiced what he preached. He put it out there and really gave his best effort when we needed it the most."
