MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Chico State women's cross-country team made waves at the 2025 CCAA Championships, repeating as the conference title winners against strong rivals. In similar fashion on Saturday, the 'Cats made an emphatic statement at the NCAA West Regionals, capturing their tenth regional championship in program history — and doing so by a staggering margin.

With six of seven runners finishing among the top 25 and earning All-West Region, Chico State dominated the field, finishing 46 points ahead of second-place Cal Poly Pomona.

Iresh Molina led the way for the Wildcats, earning a career-best second-place finish with a personal-record 6K time of 20:32.6. The CCAA medalist maintained a strong pace with the lead pack — surrounded by runners who towered over her smaller frame — before pulling ahead with 1,000 meters to go. Molina crossed the line just three seconds behind Biola's Bethany Mapes, whose powerful final kick secured the individual title, and held off two runners close behind in a thrilling photo finish.

Megan Malloy followed closely, securing a career-best sixth place in 20:43.0. The junior kept the leaders in sight throughout the race, staying within striking distance and crossing the line just ahead of Stanislaus State's Annie Wild.

Freshman Paulina Martins continued her breakout season, earning her first career top-10 finish at a regional championship. Her time of 20:52.2 placed her ninth overall — and she was the only first-year runner among the top 15 finishers.

The duo of Sienna Bianchi and Olivia Beschorner finished 11th and 12th, respectively, with Bianchi edging her sophomore teammate by just four-hundredths of a second in 20:59.0. Bianchi's performance marked a new personal best and an improvement of 41 places from last year, while Beschorner displayed remarkable strength in her first West Regional appearance.

Rounding out the scoring, Kira Forsberg shone with a 21st-place finish, recording a personal best of 21:09.1 in her first career West Regional race. Jasmine Fletcher also notched a personal record, running 21:25.0 for 36th place in her second NCAA West Regional appearance.

The Chico State women's cross-country team will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin to compete in the NCAA DII National Championships on November 22nd after punching their ticket in Monmouth. 
 

Top Chico State Finishers

* - Personal Best (6K)

Top Five Teams

1. Chico State* (40) | (2,6,9,11,12,21,36)
2. Cal Poly Pomona* (86) | (3,10,20,24,29,89,177)
3. Western Washington* (140) | (16,17,23,35,49,50,61)
4. Biola (163) | (1,27,37,42,56,68,83)
5. Stanislaus State (182) | (7,30,33,52,60,67,93)

*- Qualified for NCAA DII National Championships (Kenosha, Wisconsin)

Notable Milestones

- All seven runners recorded personal best 6K race times.
- This is the 25th straight year that both the women's and men's cross-country teams have qualified for the national championships.
- The Chico State women's cross-country team has qualified for the NCAA National Championships 28 times in it's history. 
- Iresh Molina claimed her fourth straight All-West Region finish (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025).

Team Results

1. Chico State (CCAA) 
2. Cal Poly Pomona (CCAA)
3. Western Washington (GNAC)
4. Biola (PacWest)
5. Stansialus State (CCAA)
6. Point Loma (PacWest)
7. Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
8. CUI (PacWest)
9. Simon Fraser (GNAC)
10. Vanguard (PacWest)
11. Central Washington (GNAC)
12. Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)
13. San Marcos (CCAA)
14. Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
15. Fresno Pacific (PacWest)
16. CSUMB (CCAA)
17. Western Oregon (GNAC)
18. Azusa Pacific (PacWest)
19. Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
20. Cal Poly Humboldt (CCAA)
21. Cal State East Bay (CCAA)
22. CSUSB (CCAA)
23. San Francisco State (CCAA)
24. Hawaii-Hilo (PacWest)
25. MSU-Billings (GNAC)
26. Saint Martin's (GNAC)
27. Chaminade (PacWest)
28. Cal State LA (CCAA)