Tori Tyler became the first Chico State runner to lead the Wildcats across the line in consecutive NCAA Championship races by finishing 27th in the nation over the weekend in Evansville, Ind. Tyler, who finished 16th in the nation last year, has been named Wildcat of the Week.
A senior pre-nursing major from Gunn High School (Los Altos), Tyler wraps up her Chico State cross country career with two of the top eight National Championship performances in school history and joins Jennifer James and Missy Lendl as the program's only two-time All-Americans on the trails.
Tyler and James are also the only two women's cross country athletes with two top-six finishes at the West Region Championships to their names.
Tyler's accomplishments are especially impressive when considering her battles with injury. According to Wildcats Head Coach Gary Towne, Tyler ran only three times in the two weeks between the Regional and National Championships and "spent more time in the training room than in practice this season."
Towne called it a real testament to Tyler's character that she was able to go beyond her physical setbacks to have such a successful season. Now that she has, Tyler has to be regarded as one of Chico State's greatest cross country athletes in Chico State history.
The good news for Tyler and her fans is that she still has two more years of eligibility remaining on the track where she finished third in the 10,000-meters at last year’s NCAA Championships.
