MacKenzie Deeter has proven to be a solid performer ever since joining the Chico State women’s track & field program in 2017. Her final year as a Wildcat got off to an impressive start, as the senior from Santa Cruz posted a personal best time in the 400-meter hurdles at the March 6 Kim Duyst Invitational before the coronavirus pandemic shut down competition for the remainder of the 2020 season. But while she won’t get the opportunity to compete again this spring, it’s her efforts away from the oval that makes Deeter the latest Wildcat of the Week.
A business administration major with a minor in sustainability management, Deeter was a driving force behind the recent upgrade of the drinking fountains and water refill stations at University Stadium. Last November, Chico State’s Sustainability Fund Allocation Committee (SFAC) allocated $15,000 to the project, and upon approval by the Butte Memorial Union Committee (BMUC), Deeter collaborated with university Facilities Management and Services (FMS) to install the modernized stations to help Wildcat and visiting athletes alike stay hydrated during workouts and meets at University Stadium.
The drinking fountain upgrade is just a sample of Deeter’s campus and community involvement. She is a member of Sustainable Consultants of Office Practices, serving as a sustainability consultant and auditor for the environmental and cost efficiency of on-campus offices. Through this campus organization, Deeter has had the opportunity to present at sustainability conferences such as Sense of the Place Symposium and This Way to Sustainability Conference.
Deeter has five CCAA All-Academic and two Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards to her credit. In March, 2019, she was honored with Chico State’s prestigious Lieutenant Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award, celebrating scholarship, extracurricular activities, and outstanding academic and professional accomplishments.
