Experience was the buzzword for last season's Chico State women's cross country team. Most of the team members were experiencing the postseason for the first time, and still others were experiencing collegiate racing for the first time. Now, with a little experience in their rearview mirrors, the Wildcats are looking forward to seeing what they can do in 2022.
They open the 2022 season at the Cal State San Marcos Cougar Challenge Saturday morning at 9:15. The Wildcats open the season ranked No. 17 in the nation, No. 3 in the West Region, and a slight favorite to return to the top of the podium at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.
All-CCAA finishers Gracie Dupuis (3
rd), Hannah Ryan (5
th), and Marissa D'Artri return, along with All-West Region competitor Katie Hawley, to lead the way. However, an exciting crop of youngsters are also looking to make a splash in their Wildcat debuts.
The action will be broadcast on the CCAA Network and a live results page is also available. Links can be found at
www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the cross country schedule pages. Access to the live video stream requires a subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event, home and away, on the network.
Saturday's 6,000-meter race will take place on the Cal State San Marcos campus and features 19 teams, including four teams ranked among the West Region's top 10. Joining Chico State on that list are: No. 2 Stanislaus State (No. 12 in the nation); No. 6 Azusa Pacific; and No. 7 Cal State San Marcos.
NCAA Division III No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 10 Pomona-Pitzer are also in the field, along with NAIA No. 13 Embry-Riddle, NAIA No. 15 Westmont, and Chico State's fellow CCAA competitors Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State LA, and Cal State San Bernardino.
Chico State and Stanislaus State each received five first-place votes in the preseason CCAA coaches poll, but the Wildcats edged the Warriors in the overall tally 109-103. Last season, Stanislaus State snapped the Wildcats' 12-year run atop the conference on the same course they will compete on Saturday.
