AZUSA, Calif. — With one final meet to sharpen marks before the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship selections, the Chico State men's team delivered its strongest collective performance of the spring. Competing at the Franson Last Chance Meet hosted by Azusa Pacific, the Wildcats produced a flurry of personal bests, NCAA provisional marks, and program top-10 performances that could carry them to nationals.
Damian Garcia added another headline-worthy effort to his remarkable season. The CCAA Runner of the Meet broke the school record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:39.47, the fastest in Chico State history and one of the top marks in the nation this year. His new time in the third fastest in the nation, further solidifying his chances his name will be called for nationals. He also clocked a personal-best 1:50.09 in the 800 meters—ranking him eighth all-time on the program list.
The Wildcats' 4x400-meter relay squad of Trey Suffredini, Brody Staley, Quincy Patton, and Vincent Rinaldi ran 3:08.13, finishing fourth overall and registering the second-fastest time in school history. The 4x100-meter team of Willshawn Rusthon-Grisby, Rinaldi, Staley, and Jack Haas clocked 41.36, now eighth on Chico State's all-time list.
In the 400-meter hurdles, Giovanni Larrea posted a personal-best 52.45, which ranks fifth all-time at Chico State and improves his standing among 2025 NCAA provisional qualifiers. His time is now 35th best in NCAA Division II.
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Anders Beil ran 9:18.95, landing at ninth all-time for the Wildcats. Adrian Hipolito added a strong performance with a time of 9:33.35. In the 10,000 meters, Brayden McLaughlin ran 30:47.08, capping a consistent season that included a No. 4 all-time mark earlier this spring.
Reigning CCAA Field Athlete of the Meet Chance Hefter continued his postseason dominance. He placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 17.44m—the fifth-best mark in program history—and added a 47.38m effort in the discus, placing him 10th all-time at Chico State. His performance in the shot put over the week put him 25th in the nation.
In the pole vault, Justin Craven cleared 4.95m, tying him for seventh all-time and adding another NCAA provisional mark to Chico State's tally.
The Wildcats now await the official announcement of NCAA Championship qualifiers on Tuesday, May 13. With several athletes posting top national marks, Chico State is poised to send a strong contingent to nationals.
