Wyatt Baxter has been among the steadiest racers in the Chico State men's cross country program this season. At Saturday's NCAA Championship West Regional, the junior showed off his strength, finishing fifth in the highly-competitive 10,000-meter melee at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon.
Baxter was the second Wildcat across the finish line, helping propel the team to its fourth straight West Region title and 15th in the last 18 seasons, while earning Wildcat of the Week honors. His time of 30:02.04 is personal record for that distance.
It's a record he wouldn't mind breaking his next time out, when he and the Wildcats travel to Sacramento for the NCAA Division II Championships.
Baxter bested the No. 1 runner from 24 of the 28 teams at Saturday's regional championships, including the two West Region competitors ranked among FloXC's top 10 nationally. He was one of only six competitors to run sub-30:10 and crossed the finish line only eight seconds behind the race winner.
Baxter showed off his strength at last year's NCAA Championships, placing 39th overall and earning All-America honors. He now boasts an All-America award, two All-West Region honors, and three All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in his six career postseason appearances. A second All-America honor would be quite an achievement, Only 10 Wildcats have earned back-to-back All-America honors in the program's history.
