With nearly every member of the roster set to return following last season's spectacular campaign—highlighted by a conference championship, regional championship, and eight-place NCAA Championship campaign—Chico State men's cross country head coach Gary Towne was not concerned with how large his 2022-23 signing class would be. Instead, he was focused on finding a few promising preps with exciting potential. Mission accomplished.
 
In Chico High School's Mario Giannini, Pitman High School's Damian Garcia, and Gilroy High School's Nicholas Guzman, Towne landed three of Northern California's top distance talents.
 
"Mario, Damian, and Nicholas have all shown me that they will be a great part of our future successes and I can't wait to get started with them," Towne said. "This year's class is a small one, but that was by design. The goal was to bring in a few really talented high school seniors and we definitely achieved that goal."
 
The Wildcats are coming off their 19^th consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association title and fifth West Region crown in a row. The hope is that the signings of Giannini, Garcia, and Guzman will help lead to an extension of those impressive streaks while continuing the program's NCAA Championship pursuit.
 
"These three possess great promise," Towne said. "As they develop, they have the ability to impact the program in a lot of positive ways."
 
Following is a brief biography of each of the three, listed alphabetically, along with a quote from Towne: 
 
Damian Garcia (Fr., Pitman High School, Turlock)  
The Sac-Joaquin Section Champion and 24^th-place finisher at the State Championships, Garcia was also a winner at the Central California Conference Athletic League and Sac-Joaquin Subsections. Garcia posted a winning time of 16:01 at the section championships at Willow Hills Reservoir, and covered the 5,000-meters at Woodward Park, home of the state championships, in 15:57. On the track Garcia emerged as an 800-meter standout after obliterating the 2 minute barrier for the first time with a 1:54 PR while winning his County Championship. He went on to eclipse the two-minute barrier 10 times, including a 1:56 third-place finish at the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships and a 1:55 clocking at the state meet. Garcia also posted a personal-best 1,600-meter time of 4:16.
 
"Damian's emergence during his senior year was so much fun to follow from the outside. His great championship season run in cross country really caught our eye, and his middle distance chops on the track were very surprising. I am eager to see what Damian can do as he develops and matures in college. He has a real gift to the sport and I'm excited to add him to a talented training group and watch him grow." – Gary Towne
 
 
Mario Giannini (Fr., Chico High School)  
During a senior season in which he established himself as one of the best distance runners in North Section history, Giannini broke the Bidwell Park course record while winning the Eastern Athletic League title and posted the third fastest time in history on the North Section Course, 15:29, to win the section championship. Giannini, who joins his brother Charlie (an All-CCAA and All-West Region runner for the Wildcats in 2021) on the Chico State roster, concluded his senior campaign with an eighth-place finish at the CIF State Championships, crossing the line in 15:24. On the track, Giannini smashed two longstanding Chico High School records, recording times of 4:12.1 in the 1,600 meters and 9:00.5 in the 3,200 meters. The 3,200-meter personal best was good enough to win the North Section title, break the North Section Championship meet record, and rank third fastest ever by a North Section athlete. His 1,600-meter personal-best was good enough to earn him the North Section Division I title and rank fourth in section history.  
 
"I can't properly express just how excited I am about Mario's decision to come to Chico State. Those who know the Giannini family know they're outstanding people, and we're so excited to add another member of their great family to our Wildcat Family. Mario has such a great skill-set, which includes a massive physical gift, toughness, and a sense of humility, all of which make him such an exceptional student-athlete. I have no reservations in saying that Mario is going to be a great collegiate runner and we can't wait to get started with welcoming him into the fold." – Gary Towne
 
 
Nicholas Guzman (Fr., Gilroy High School)
A top-three finisher from the first cross country race of his senior season through the Central Coast Section Championships, Guzman posted five wins in nine races overall. He placed second in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Championship, third in the Central Coast Section Championship, and 30^th at the CIF State Championships in a time of 16:00.3. On the track, Guzman possesses personal-record times of 4:25 in the 1,600 meters and 9:30 in the 3,200 meters.
 
"Nicholas visited Chico in the fall and really liked the fit, both athletically and academically. He talked a lot about how he wanted to be surrounded by good runners, so that he could grow and develop. When an athlete picks our school and program for the right reasons, the results are usually a success, so I'm very excited to see what the future has in store for Nicholas."
 

Chico State's cross country team opens the 2022 campaign on September 24 at the Cougar Challenge, hosted by Cal State San Marcos.