Men's Cross Country | 10/26/2019 10:05:00 PM

ARCATA—The gun went off at 10 a.m. sharp, emitting a plume of smoke that quickly dissipated into the misty Arcata air and signaling the start of the 2019 California Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Cross Country Championships. A little more than 25 minutes later, Chico State had earned its 18^th straight CCAA title by sending 10 of the first 18 runners across the finish line.
 
While that starters' pistol may have signaled the start of Saturday's eight-kilometer race at Baywood Golf and Country Club, it was not really the beginning of the Wildcats' 2019 title run. That began long before. Matthew Herrera, who finished fifth overall and was the second Wildcat across the finish line, provided the perfect illustration.
 
Herrera was a spectator at last year's CCAA Championships. The team's 11^th or 12^th runner, he did not make the postseason roster. But he spent the summer training at altitude, and this fall, has become one of the team's top performers.
 
His is a story that has been replayed year after year during the Wildcats' run of dominance, a reality not lost on Head Coach Gary Towne.
 
"It's pretty surreal. You just take things one year at a time and one group at a time. There's so many different stories within it and this is the perfect example," said Towne. "Matt was our number 11 or 12 guy on our roster a year ago. He was out watching the conference meet, not running in it. But the minute he's inserted into the starting lineup… he's so comfortable and so familiar in his surroundings with his teammates that he just steps in and does what he did today, believing he can do it because he's used to running with those guys every day... Today's success is not by mistake."
 
Herrera was one of five Wildcats who made their postseason debuts Saturday, and all five played an important role in the victory.
 
Sophomore Trad Berti placed second, Herrera fifth, Remington Breeze ninth, CCAA Newcomer of the Year Rory Abberton 11^th, and junior college transfer Raymond Lopez 13^th. They were joined on the All-CCAA team by Jhavan Holston (6^th), Wyatt Baxter (14^th), and Jack Emanuel (15^th) by virtue of their top-15 finishes.
 
Luis Ortega and Zachary Chamberlain were not far behind, placing 17^th and 18^th, respectively.
 
The All-CCAA honor is Baxter's third straight and the second in a row for both Holston and Emanuel.
 
Despite competing against the other four teams ranked among the West Region's top five, the top-ranked Wildcats won relatively easily, outscoring runner-up Cal State San Marcos 33-72.
 
The Wildcats spent most of the morning running in two to three packs, a fact that Herrera pointed to when discussing the team's success.
 
"We just really like each other as a team. When you see your buddy out there you want to run with him," said Herrera. "It really—that strength in numbers—helps you in those hard points of the race when you know all your guys are out there. That's a huge reason we've been so successful."
 
They hope that success continues with the NCAA Regional and National Championships on the horizon. Just like Saturday, for Herrera and many of his teammates, those races have already begun in their heads.
 
"I'm just excited for what's to come," said Herrera. "We're not done yet."
 
Chico State Results – 2019 CCAA Men's Cross Country Championships
 
Runner of the Year - Joshua Litwiller (Cal State San Marcos)
Freshman of the Year - Joseph Macareno (Stanislaus State)
Newcomer of the Year - Rory Abberton (Chico State)
Championship Scholar - Jeremiah Suzara (Cal Poly Pomona)
Coach of the Year - TBA

 
Team Scoring
  1. Chico State – 33
  2. Cal State San Marcos – 72
  3. UC San Diego – 80
  4. Cal Poly Pomona – 86
  5. Stanislaus State – 119
  6. Humboldt State – 177
  7. Cal State East Bay – 220
  8. San Francisco State – 236
  9. Cal State Los Angeles – 237
10. Cal State Monterey Bay – 264
 
Individual Results
  2. Trad Berti (24:50.3)
  5. Matthew Herrera (25:06.3)
  6. Jhavahn Holston (25:08.3)
  9. Remington Breeze (25:13.4)
11. Rory Abberton (25:16.7)
13. Raymond Lopez (25:18.5)
14. Wyatt Baxter (25:18.9)
15. Jack Emanuel (25:24.3)
17. Luis Ortega (25:36.2)
18. Zachary Chamberlain (25.42.6)