Chico State student-athletes have done an amazing job of digging deep to stay positive in these uncertain times. While taking it upon themselves to practice proper social distancing, many Wildcats have leaned on their teammates to keep spirits up. Jordan Poczobutt of the Chico State women’s cross country team has found that advice and encouragement from former members of head coach Gary Towne’s large stable of runners has also worked wonders in maintaining the program’s optimistic atmosphere, and her efforts to connect harriers old and new makes her the latest Wildcat of the Week.
“It’s a great way to be involved as a team and get advice from former athletes that are out in the real world,” Poczobutt said. “Having the alumni interact with the freshmen and new transfers has been especially valuable. It gives them a sense of the program and how it gives back to the Wildcat community.”
Poczobutt was part of a group of the current team’s upper class group that concocted the idea of bringing together current and former Chico State harriers. The Granite Bay native then took the lead in contacting the Wildcat cross country alumni and setting up the Zoom chats, as well as handling the virtual meeting moderator duties.
The Zoom meetings allow the current crop of Chico State runners to ask the alumni questions about their experiences in the women’s cross country program, while helping assist both factions in dealing with life during the pandemic.
Each Zoom conversation that has been held has been unique. 2013 cross country All-American Ayla Granados, currently a member of the Bay Area’s Strava Track Club, centered her Zoom meeting around the motivation needed to be a professional runner, while Jessie Varela, an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) performer in both cross country and track & field, used her Zoom meeting to educate the present batch of Wildcat runners on proper diet, focusing on healthy food choices and practices. Two-time cross country All-American Alia Gray is among those scheduled to participate in a Zoom meeting later this fall.
Poczobutt, who has used social media and Towne’s suggestions to reach out to the cross country alumni, has been enjoying organizing and moderating the Zoom meetings and the positive messages that have resulted.
“(Setting up the Zoom meetings) are not too much of a hassle,” Poczobutt said. “The talks last about an hour. I love public speaking and asking questions.”
A business administration major who transferred from Rocklin’s Sierra College to Chico State last spring, Poczobutt juggles a full load of classes while serving a virtual internship in project management for Chico’s College Schedulers. Spearheading the cross country Zoom meetings adds even more to her busy schedule, but Poczobutt feels the extra work is beneficial to her.
“Time management has been very essential,” Poczobutt admits. “It has been a little chaotic, but believe it or not, I actually get a feeling of relief when I set up these Zoom meetings.”
With gyms closed, Poczobutt has stayed in long-distance running shape by following the mileage plan Towne has provided for all of his cross country runners. Operating from home, she has worked around the recent air quality issues by finding locations to train that have pockets of fresh air.
“Getting to run keeps me sane,” Poczobutt said.
In her free time, Poczobutt has been indulging in baking while watching The Crown and The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. She stays in touch with her cross country teammates with frequent group chats via Snapchat.
While exercising cautious optimism that the Chico State women’s cross country team will get a chance to compete sometime in the 2020–21 academic year, she’s enough of a realist to take a “wait and see” approach. And while she doesn’t want to get her hopes up, a quote from 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden has gone a long way towards maintaining a positive outlook.
“‘Keep showing up,’” Poczobutt said. “I’m going to keep showing up for my runs, my work, my virtual classes, and we’ll just see what happens.”
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