Sometimes "student-athlete" is just a way to describe a college student who is also an athlete, or vice versa. Sometimes it is a perfect descriptor. That is the case with Chico State cross country student-athlete Caton Avilla, our Wildcat of the Week.
Avilla finished seventh at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships last Saturday, helping to lead the Wildcats to their 16th straight conference title.
After the race, the graduate student from Wilton was awarded with the CCAA Championship Scholar Award, presented to the athlete with the highest GPA in the championship field.
Avilla, a kinesiology major, is the first men's cross country athlete to be presented with the honor, which is in its first year of existence.
Avilla covered the eight-kilometer course at River Oaks Golf Club in Ceres in 24:36.4, finishing just 20 seconds behind teammate and race winner Kyle Medina.
The Wildcats' effort did not match Avilla's GPA (perfection), but came pretty darn close. The Wildcats finished 1-2-4-5-6-7 on the way to a dominant victory.
Avilla will now take the show, and presumably his textbooks, on the road for this Saturday's NCAA Championship West Regional at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon. The men's race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
