HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Head coach Gary Towne has continued to search for greater competition to line up his Wildcats against, finding one of the strongest fields at the Charger Invitational, where his squad showcased their strength. 

Finishing as the runners-up in a 35-team field, the No.12 Chico State women's cross country team combined for a team score 67. Pittsburgh State bested the 'Cats by the slimmest margin with a top score of 62. No. 27 Cedarville was the next best score in third with a 97-team cumulative.

Once again, the leaders for the Wildcats were sisters Della and Iresh Molina, finishing in a staggered 2nd and 3rd, one of their best finishes against a field of 98 other runners. Della crossed in second, with a time of 20:41.40; the Chico native was only 2 seconds behind the individual winner, Corinne Lynch, from Cedarville. 

Iresh was four seconds behind her sister in third, clocking a time of 20:45.70. 

Also finding a top ten finish was newcomer Marbella Flores, who has had an incredible season in her inaugural year with the Wildcats, finishing in 9th with a time of 21:14.90. She ran a strong PR race, finding a personal best by over 35-seconds.

Sienna Bianchi was the 25th finisher in Alabama, clocking a solid personal best time of 21:41.8. Crossing the finish line just behind her teammate, Jasmine Fletcher finished in 31st with a PR of 21:51.0.

Closing out the scoring was Sophie Pelletier (39th) and freshman Kaya Scuba (40th). In the second race of her collegiate career, Scuba clocked a time of 22:00.7 and helped boost the team into the second spot.

Looking forward, the Wildcats will turn their attention to defending their CCAA Championship title as they toe the line in Fresno at the 2024 CCAA Women's Cross Country Championships, hosted by Sonoma State. Last year, the Wildcats dominated the course, with five runners finishing with All-CCAA honors, hoping to claim another title to add to the trophy case.