SAINT LEO, Florida—When the 348 competitors toe the starting line at the 2021 NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country Championships on The Abbey Golf Course early Saturday morning in Saint Leo, Florida, they will be doing so with gratitude. The event was cancelled last year, making every runner wonder if they should keep chasing their collegiate cross country dreams.
 
Runners like Chico State's Matthew Herrera, who told Landon Negri in a wonderful article for DyeStat that can be read by CLICKING HERE: "For so long, during the midst of the pandemic, I thought this day would never come. So really, (I'm) just going into this race with a ton of gratitude that I was granted a season and stayed healthy over the course of the pandemic."
 
Some members of the team—like Herrera—would have exhausted their athletic eligibility in 2020–21, but chose to stick around for another year to compete. Others, like redshirt freshmen Brayden McLaughlin and Charlie Giannini had to wait until their third years at Chico State to run in a Chico State cross country uniform. Some chose to attend graduate school and continue competing, while others lost one or two full seasons of competition. Rory Abberton, for instance, was a redshirt freshman when he competed for the Wildcats at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Now on the doorstep of graduating, he plans on this season (his second in uniform) being has last. And those are just some of the team's stories.
 
The Wildcats hope to give all of their stories a happy ending Saturday. The race will start at 6:45 a.m., Pacific time. Links to streaming video, live results and more are available on the cross country schedule page and calendar section of the homepage. Making its nation-leading 23^rd consecutive NCAA Championship Final appearance, Chico State is running for its 10^th podium finish (top four) and 23^rd top-10 placing.
 
Chico State is one of three programs making its 23^rd straight championships appearance, joining Adams State and Western Colorado. Only Chico State and Adams State can claim top-15 NCAA Championships finishes every season since 1999.
 
The Wildcats have also finished among the top four eight times in the past 17 years, including a third-place finish at the 2019 Championships. That finish tied for the highest in the history of the program. The Wildcats also finished third in 1969, 2005, 2008 and 2019, and also finished on the podium in fourth place in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2016.
 
Herrera, Abberton and Jack Emanuel are the only holdovers from the 2019 NCAA Championships roster. Emanuel, who finished 30^th to earn All-America recognition, has a chance to become the 13^th athlete in the program's history to earn a second All-America honor.
 
2021 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships Information
Saturday's men's race is scheduled to begin at 6:45 a.m., Pacific (following the women's at 5:30 a.m.). It will feature 34 teams comprised of seven student-athletes apiece, along with 24 individuals. The top four teams will reach the NCAA Championships awards ceremony podium, and the top 40 individual finishers will earn All-America honors.
 
USTFCCCA Rankings–Top 10
  1. Colorado School of Mines
  2. Grand Valley State
  3. Adams State
  4. Augustana (S.D.)
  5. Wingate
  6. Colorado Christian
  7. Chico State
  8. Lee
  9. UC-Colorado Springs
10. Missouri Southern


Chico State Competitors (7 yet to be determined, +1 alternate)
Rory Abberton
Omar Alvarez-Hernandez
Cameron Duquette
Matthew Herrera
Jack Emanuel
Charlie Giannini
Brayden McLaughlin
Dylan White
 
NCAA Championships History
Emanuel–126^th in 2018; 30^th in 2019
Abberton–42^nd in 2019
Herrera–137^th in 2019
 
2021 Postseason Results
McLaughlin–3^rd at Regional Championships; 1^st at CCAA Championships
Giannini–7^th at Regional Championships; 10^th at CCAA Championships
Herrera–12^th at Regional Championships; 12^th at CCAA Championships
Abberton–13^th at Regional Championships; 7^th at CCAA Championships
Alvarez-Hernandez–15^th at Regional Championships; 11^th at CCAA Championships
Emanuel–18^th at Regional Championships; 4^th at CCAA Championships
White–38^th at Regional Championships; 5^th at CCAA Championships
Duquette–DNR at Regional Championships; 8^th at CCAA Championships
 
Team Rankings
USTFCCCA: No. 7
 
Team NCAA Championships History
2019–3rd
2018–7th
2017–9th
2016–4th
2015–6th
2014–14th
2013–6th
2012–5th
2011–4th
2010–5th
2009–8th
2008–3rd
2007–6th
2006–4th
2005–3rd
2004–4th
2003–4th
2002–5th
2001–9th
2000–8th
1999–6th
1995–10th
1973–6th
1972–15th
1969–3rd
 
Top Individual Chico State NCAA Championships Finishers
Athlete Finish Year
Scott Bauhs—1^st—2008*
Isaac Chavez—3^rd—2011*
Scott Bauhs—3^rd—2006*
Kyle Medina—4^th—2017*
Isaac Chavez—5^th—2010*
Will Reyes—6^th—2016*
Charlie Serrano—6^th—2006*
Brent Handa—7^th—2010*
Isaac Chavez—8^th—2013*
Patrick Boivin—9^th—2004*
Will Reyes—10^th—2015*    
Michael Daily—10^th—1969*
Kyle Medina—11^th—2016*
Patrick Boivin—11^th—2005*
Chris Eggers—11^th—2002*
Isaac Chavez—13^th—2012*
Bob Darling—14^th—1969*
Jimmy Elam—15^th—2009*
Patrick Boivin—15^th—2003*
Steven Martinez—17^th—2015*    
David Braund—18^th—2001*
Adrian Sherrod—19^th—2011*    
Brendan Scanlon—20^th—2007*
Tyler Graff—20^th—2003*
Patrick Boivin—20^th—2002*
James Estes—21^st—1969
Johnny Sanchez—22^nd—2014*
Mark Shuman—23^rd—1973
Johnny Sanchez—23^rd—2013*
Angel Marquez—23^rd—2008*
Scott Bauhs—24^th—2004*
Daniel Embaye—25^th—1999
Eric Ricketts—26^th—1995*
Adrian Sherrod—27^th—2012*
Jose Alfredo Saenz—27^th—1999*
Joel Martinez—27^th—2003*
Joel Martinez—27^th—2004*
Scott Bauhs—29^th—2005*
Jack Emanuel—30^th—2019*
Antonio Miramontes—30^th—2006*
David Braund—30^th—1999*
Beau Rogers—32^nd—2008*
Kyle Medina—34^th—2015*    
Charlie Serrano—34^th—2005*
Johnny Sanchez—34^th—2011*
Dayne Gradone—35^th—2011*
Michael Wickman—35^th 2008*
Teddy Kassa—37th—2018*
Wyatt Baxter—39^th—2018*
Jhavahn Holston—40^th—2018*
 
* - Denotes All-American
(Note-Emanuel… is attempting to earn his second All-America honor Saturday, a feat accomplished by only 13 athletes in the program's history.)
 
NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country Championships History
Most NCAA Championship Finals appearances
    1. South Dakota State–45#
    2. Minnesota State Mankato–43
    3. Edinboro–42*
    4. Central Missouri–30*
    5. Western (State) Colorado–29*
  T6. Adams State–28*
  T6. Southern Indiana–28*
    8. Chico State–26*
    9. North Dakota State–25#
  10. Southeast Missouri State–23#
 
Most NCAA Championship Finals Top-10 Finishes
    1. South Dakota State–28#
    2. Adams State–27*
    3. Western (State) Colorado–26*
    4. Minnesota State Mankato–25
    5. Chico State–23*
 
Most NCAA Championship Finals Top-5 Finishes
    1. South Dakota State–28#
    2. Adams State–26*
    3. Western (State) Colorado–23*
    4. Minnesota State Mankato–16
    5. Grand Valley State–14*
  T6. Edinborough–12*
  T6. Chico State–12*
 
Most NCAA Championship Podium Finishes (top 4)
    1. Adams State–26*
    2. South Dakota State–23#
    3. Western (State) Colorado–21*
 T4. Edinborough–11*
 T4. Grand Valley State–11*
 T6. Edinborough–9*
 T6. Chico State–9*
 T6. Abilene Christian–9#
 
#—No longer a Division II program
*—Participating in 2021 NCAA Division II Championships