For more than two decades, Chico State men's cross country head coach Gary Towne has made a science of having his team primed and peaking in the postseason. This year is no different. Just two weeks after locking down the program's 20th straight California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title, the Wildcats are in Billings, Montana to compete with the best of the West Saturday at the NCAA West Regional, hoping to earn a bid to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
 
The men's 10k race at Amend Park begins at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Fans can keep up with the results online, with the link available on the Wildcat Athletics website and the men's cross country home page. The weather forecast for Saturday calls for sunshine but extremely cold temperatures expected to be in the low 20s.
 
Saturday's top three West Region teams will automatically qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships and the chance to compete for the national title December 2 at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Washington. The top 25 individual finishers will earn All-West Region honors.
 
If Chico State achieves that top three finish, the Wildcats men's cross country team—which enters the NCAA West Regional ranked No. 1 in the West and No. 5 in the nation—will reach the national finals for the 23rd consecutive season.
 
Towne's "magnificent seven" that will line up for Saturday's 10k West Regional race include Rory Abberton, Omar Alvarez-Hernandez, Cameron Duquette, Jack Emanuel, Daniel Hernandez, Bryaden McLaughlin, and Joshua O'Neill.
 
Abberton enters the competition as the CCAA men's cross country champion and Runner of the Year; last season he finished 13th at the West Regional.
 
Alvarez-Hernandez also turned in an All-West Region performance in 2021 (finishing 15th) and is fresh off an eighth place showing at the CCAA Championships.
 
Duquette placed fourth November 5 to earn his second All-CCAA honor is as many years.
 
The most experienced postseason runner of the group, Emanuel has racked up four All-CCAA and a pair of All-West Region cross country awards, and has shined on the national stage with All-America performances in 2019 and 2021.
 
Hernandez earned his first postseason cross country honor two weeks ago, when he placed ninth at the CCAA Cross Country Championships.
 
McLaughlin finished fifth at the November 5 conference meet to earn the second All-CCAA award of his Chico State career. He'll be looking to add a second All-West Region honor to his resume, and a chance to earn his second All-America award.
 
O'Neill just missed earning All-CCAA honors at the conference meet two weeks ago, finishing 17th overall.
 
36th Annual Pacific Association Cross Country Championships
 
Several other Chico State men's cross country runners will be competing this Sunday at the Pacific Association Cross Country Championships, hosted by the Northern California/Northern Nevada Association of USA Track & Field.
 
The six-mile run will take place at 11 a.m. at Lindley Meadow in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Final results will be posted online, with the link available on the Wildcat Athletics website and on the men's cross country schedule page.
 
The five Wildcats scheduled to compete Sunday are Charlie Giannini, Jack Hacker, Brian Hastings, Travis Selby, and Bennett Woodward.