PUEBLO, Colo. — Day two of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships saw the Chico State men's team deliver two standout performances as senior Hunter Dougherty earned All-America honors in the steeplechase, and the Wildcats' 4x400-meter relay squad secured a spot in Saturday's national final.

After a composed run in Thursday's preliminaries to advance, Dougherty once again started at the back of the field in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final. By the 600-meter mark, he had worked up to 10th place, then held steady in eighth for two laps. On the bell lap, he surged forward, passing two competitors and crossing the line in sixth place with a time of 9:04.63. The performance makes Dougherty the 11th All-American in program history in the steeplechase and the first since 2018.

Later in the evening, the 4x400-meter relay team of Brody Staley, Quincy Patton, Vincent Rinaldi, and Trey Suffredini lined up for their semifinal heat. Needing a top-two automatic bid from your heat race or a fast enough time to advance, the Wildcats clocked a combined 3:07.82—edging Northwest Missouri State by just 0.01 seconds for fourth in the heat. Once the second heat concluded, Chico State's mark held up, earning the group a spot in the NCAA final.

Saturday's championship finale will feature three events for the Wildcats, weather permitting. Heavy winds, rain, and potential lightning are forecast in the Pueblo area, but as of Friday night, the schedule remains unchanged. Damian Garcia will lead off the final day in the 1,500-meter final at 4:45 p.m., followed by Della and Iresh Molina from the women's team—who each earned All-America honors in the 10,000 meters—competing in the 5,000 meters at 7:05. The 4x400-meter relay squad will close out the NCAA Championships at 8:05 p.m.