Chico State Athletics

It was time for my interview with Chico State distance runner Wyatt Baxter. The call went straight to voicemail. A young boy (Perhaps his little brother?) was on the recording.
 
"Who is that on your voicemail message," I asked when he called me right back.
 
"That's me from, like, 2008. I get that a lot," Baxter laughed. "I keep forgetting to change it."
 
The little boy on that recording has gone on to accomplish some big things as he begins the final semester of his fifth year at Chico State. He has a lot to be proud of: Two Academic All-America awards; two Cross Country All-America honors; five All-Conference performances; and much more.
 
He's now a grown man. And nothing highlights that fact better than his reasons for persisting through the Fall of 2021 to get in one last collegiate cross country season.
 
"I've made it this far and I think it would be a disservice to give in now when we're hopefully more at the tail-end of this thing. I feel like I owe it to the program to try to stick around—not because I feel any pressure from anyone—but because of how I view myself and my character," Baxter said. "This opportunity has given me a lot. If I can give back a little by being one of the old heads on the squad and bridge the gap for the newer kids and help them transition and help guide them so they don't feel overwhelmed by having to be the driving force for the squad, that's what gets me out the door every day."
 
Originally scheduled to graduate this spring with a bachelor's degree in public administration, Baxter will now finish up the fall with two degrees, tacking on a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice.
 
Head Coach Gary Towne is heartened at the thought of having more time with Baxter.
 
"He's just a guy that's ahead of his years. He's very humble and respectful. He's extremely coachable," Towne said. "He's been a lot of fun to work with because he's just so diligent in all areas. He's very transparent in a way where you can have a really good back and forth. There's no BS with Wyatt."
 
There are very few Bs, in fact. Baxter was the cross country program's nominee for the CCAA Championship Scholar Award in the fall for having the team's highest cumulative GPA, and following the fall semester, boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.87.
 
His success in the classroom is rare, but rarer still for someone who was admittedly not a very good high school student.
 
"The way he's turned things around academically, you just don't see that," Towne said. "At least I've never seen anything like it. It's a testament to him committing to being a good student the whole time through."
 
It's something Baxter takes a good deal of pride in.
 
"The academic portion is something I really work at," he said. "Once I got here and started running for the team, being able to stay in good academic standing to be able to compete was my number one goal. I think I've maintained a 3.8 to 4.0 since my second semester here. Knowing I could do that while also performing at the level I could, in my head I found some sort of correlation: if I could get it done in the classroom and be more stress free, it was one less thing I had to worry about when I toed the line."
 
Towne agrees that there is a correlation. Baxter's willpower.
 
"He's done a great job of creating the success he's had on all fronts," Towne said.
 
While many student-athletes have understandably struggled to find consistency with seasons cancelled and workouts self-directed, Baxter has again set himself up for success by partnering with likeminded teammates.
 
"It's stayed pretty standard. Me and Matt Herrera, Raymond (Lopez), Peter Normann and Josh O'Neill ran together on a consistent basis," Baxter said. "We have a similar mindset and goals. We can motivate each other. You don't want to be the one guy who doesn't show up. It feels like you're letting them down in a way."

The memory of standing on the podium at the 2019 NCAA Championships in Sacramento, the last time Chico State's cross country team competed, seared the importance of everyone's efforts into Baxter's brain.
 
"I was real proud standing up there with my teammates and those trophy's just felt really good," Baxter said. "It took a whole team effort to make history."
 
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