Chico State distance runner Hannah Dorman has tasted All-America success in both cross country and track & field during her time at Chico State, and judging by her performance April 20 at the Mt. SAC Relays, the senior from Happy Valley is primed to wrap up her Wildcat career on the highest possible note. Grabbing both an NCAA automatic qualifying bid and the program’s fastest-ever time in the 10,000-meter run makes Dorman the runaway winner of Wildcat of the Week.
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Dorman finished second in her 10k heat at the Mt. SAC Relays, stopping the clock at 33:55.96. Not only did the time guarantee her a return trip to the NCAA Track & Field Championships, it established a new Chico State women’s record in the event, surpassing the 34:31.09 that former Wildcat Alia Gray set in 2011.
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What made her performance all the more impressive was Dorman running the first half of the race in 17:04, then actually recording a negative split, clocking in at 16:52 in the final half.
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Dorman holds the top 10k time among California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) runners this season, and ranks fourth in all of Division II. In addition to the automatic 10k mark, her time of 17:03.78 at last month’s San Francisco State Distance Carnival resulted in Dorman earning an NCAA provisional mark in the 5,000-meter run.
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Dorman and the Wildcats next compete in the CCAA Track & Field Championships on May 3-5 in Turlock. She is the defending conference champion in the 5,000-meter run.