Peter Normann III was going to hang up the spikes in the spring of 2021. But at the last minute, he spoke with Chico State Distance Coach Gary Towne about sticking around for one more season of competition. Towne told him that if he did, he had to commit fully to a year of training. Every bit of it paid off Saturday as Normann III won the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in dominating fashion. Normann III, who took control of the race from the outset, raised both arms in jubilation as he crossed the finish line in first place.
The Wildcat of the Week created a bit of a scare for those rooting for him, going down to a knee after hurdling the final water barrier, then stumbling a bit over the final hurdle. But kept his composure and made his commanding lead stand up. Normann III's time of 9:15.32 is a personal record and was nine seconds faster than runner-up Nicholas Albro of Cal Poly Pomona.
With 20 meters to go, Normann III exhorted the crowd to make some noise with two waves of his hands. His Chico State teammates were already hollering, aware of the hard work their teammate put in, beginning in the summer, throughout his best collegiate cross country campaign, and throughout this spring.
Normann III wrote in his 2021 cross country bio that his greatest moment in sport was finishing in third place in the steeplechase at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships. Not anymore. Not after Saturday's spectacular performance in which he became the 16th Wildcat to win the CCAA men's steeplechase title in the last 18 seasons.
Normann will attempt to go even faster Saturday and earn a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships. Head Coach Gary Towne believes he'll need to break the nine-minute barrier to do so. He also believes, thanks to the year-long commitment Norman III made, he's got a real chance to do it.
