Wildcat of the Week Alex Burkhart displayed the kind of effort Chico State fans have grown to love over the years, helping lead the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish at Saturday's Capital Cross Challenge at Haggin Oaks Golf Club in Sacramento with a 15th-place finish.
The second Division II runner across the line behind only teammate (and CCAA Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week) Hannah Dorman, the senior from Rancho Cucamonga's Los Osos High School covered the six-kilometer course in 21:26.8.
The effort was two seconds faster than Burkhart's time on the same course last season, when she finished 27th. She also showed a marked improvement over her season-opening effort at the UCR Invitational in Riverside where she finished 61st against many of the same competitors.
Burkhart finished 13 seconds ahead of the next Division II athlete in the field and topped the top Division I runners from San Diego State, University of Pacific, UNLV, Fresno State, California, and Pepperdine.
A two-time conference champion and 2017 Track & Field All-American in the steeplechase, Burkhart seems to be rounding into form as she runs for her third All-Conference honor and second All-West Region award.
Prior to that, Burkhart and the Wildcats will wrap up the regular-season section of their schedule next Saturday at the Western Washington University Classic at Lake Padden in Bellingham, Washington.
