WALNUT CREEK – In the always uncertain world of track & field, at least one thing is for sure: Olivia Watt is not resting on her laurels. The Chico State middle distance runner, who earlier in the year had procured NCAA Provisional qualifying marks in the 800- and 1,500-meter runs, officially punched her ticket to next month's NCAA Track & Field Championships with an Automatic qualifying mark in the 1,500 during Saturday's Long Beach State-hosted Beach Invitational. Her dazzling effort also earned Watt California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors for the period of April 13-19.
 
Running Saturday at Cerritos College, Watt stopped the clock with a personal best time of 4:23.88 – the fastest time in the event in the CCAA so far this season and the fourth best among all Division II runners nationwide.
 
Watt's effort – topping her previous best in the event by over four seconds – placed her at No. 2 on Chico State's all-time 1,500-meter Top 10 list. She is also No. 2 in Wildcat history in the 800 (2:10.27) and part of the No. 3 all-time 4x400-relay team (3:50.49).
 
Watt and the rest of the Chico State women's track & field team will take this weekend off before preparing to defend its title in the CCAA Track & Field Championships, taking place Apr. 30-May 2 at San Francisco State.