For more than two decades, the Chico State cross country program has forged a reputation for attracting top talent, embracing the hard work required to be a champion, and reaping the rewards via conference and regional titles almost too numerous to count. Head Coach Gary Towne has been at the center of that winning culture for over a quarter of a century, and with the Wildcat men taking top honors at last week's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) cross country championship, Towne has once again been honored by his peers by being named the 2021 CCAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
 
The honor, determined by voting of CCAA cross country coaches, comes on the heels of Chico State winning its 19th straight men's cross country crown, extending the program's conference record for consecutive titles, regardless of sport. Under Towne's tutelage, the 2021 edition of the Wildcat men's cross country team is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation and No. 1 in the West Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
Towne is certainly no stranger to collecting postseason hardware. He has now won the CCAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year Award 17 times, and has been the recipient in every season (save the COVID-cancelled 2020 campaign) since 2008.
 
With 15 CCAA Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors also on his résumé, Towne has racked up a staggering total of 32 conference Coach of the Year awards since 2002.
 
Towne has also been named NCAA West Region Cross Country Coach of the Year 19 times during that stretch—14 with the Wildcat men's team, and five with the women's team.
 
Towne and his Wildcat harriers are not wasting time reveling in their most recent successes. Both the men's and women's cross country teams are currently hard at work preparing for the NCAA Championship West Regional, taking place Saturday, November 6 at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon.