SUNNYVALE, Calif. — With several of their top runners sitting out Saturday's Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, the Chico State men's cross country team entered its final regular-season competition with a different look but the same expectations.
Behind a strong performance from junior Sergio Cuartas III and a tightly packed scoring five, the Wildcats captured the men's 8,000-meter invitational team title with 46 points, finishing comfortably ahead of host Santa Clara (78), Nevada (84), and Pepperdine (115) in a field of 22 scoring teams. The victory was particularly impressive considering Chico State rested several of its usual front runners, including Mario Giannini, Damian Garcia, and Sean Alliegro, giving other Wildcats an opportunity to take on larger roles against a competitive field featuring numerous Division I programs.
For head coach Gary Towne, the decision presented an opportunity to test his team's depth and challenge athletes who have spent much of the season competing behind the Wildcats' established leaders.
"I kind of like scenarios like that sometimes," Towne said. "It gives different people the opportunity to shine."
Cuartas answered the challenge by leading the Wildcats with an eighth-place overall finish in 23:47.0, earning fourth among scoring runners. The junior, who finished 23rd at last week's Bill Dellinger Invitational, assumed the team's leading role Saturday and helped set the tone for another strong collective performance. Behind him, junior Michael Torres continued to establish himself as one of Chico State's most reliable contributors, finishing 13th overall in 24:00.7. SeniorMatthew Gordon followed in 16th (24:08.5), with freshman Alijah Murillo taking 18th (24:11.4) and Stephan Chapdelaine completing the scoring five in 19th (24:13.9). Just 26.9 seconds separated Chico State's five scorers, with all five placing among the top 19 finishers. The Wildcats' depth extended even further, as Joseph DePascale (24th, 24:20.7) and Charlie Brennan (31st, 24:25.8) gave Chico State seven of the first 31 runners across the line.
For Torres, the victory reflected the confidence shared throughout the Wildcats' roster, regardless of which athletes were competing.
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| Michael Torres at the finish |
"We're here to represent, no matter who we have on the line with us. We're a great team. We're a great group of guys, and any one of us can get the job done," Torres said.
That confidence carried into Saturday's race, where Torres remained competitive near the front of the field as the pack began to separate around the three-mile mark. Over the final two miles, he found himself locked in a four-man battle for position, drawing motivation from the opportunity to gain valuable places for the Wildcats in the team standings.
"I really wanted to duke it out with them," Torres said. "Like Mario said before, winning the individual battles is what's most important."
The performance continued an encouraging stretch for Torres, who has emerged as an increasingly reliable contributor to the Wildcats' scoring lineup. After finishing as Chico State's fifth runner at Dellinger the previous week, he stepped into the No. 2 position Saturday and delivered another strong result.
Towne was particularly pleased with the junior's development, noting that his continued success reflects more than simply improving fitness.
"Michael is such a great story in the making," Towne said. "I'm really proud of the level that he's running at, but maybe more proud of how he's emerging as a consistent, good runner."
For Torres, whose connection to Chico State cross country stretches back to his childhood, representing the Wildcats carries a meaning that extends well beyond any individual race. Having grown up around the program and the athletes who helped establish its tradition of success, Torres now finds himself wearing the same uniform as the runners he once admired. Many of those former Wildcats remain part of his support system, offering encouragement as he works to establish his own place in the program's history.
"I have 20 years of Chico behind me every time I step on the line," Torres said. "It's not pressure. It's inspiration. We stand on the shoulders of giants."
That pride in the program was evident throughout Saturday's performance, as several Wildcats took advantage of their opportunities to contribute. Among them was Chapdelaine, who continued his strong progression with what Towne considered his most complete collegiate cross country performance. After sitting around 25th place late in the race, Chapdelaine closed aggressively over the final two minutes to climb into 19th and secure the Wildcats' fifth scoring position.
Towne noted that while Chapdelaine has developed a reputation for strong finishes, Saturday's race demonstrated an improvement in his ability to stay competitive throughout the entire distance.
"I felt like today was a more complete race, and he still closed well," Towne said. "He's making some good steps forward."
The Wildcats also received strong performances farther down their lineup, with Peter Kendall (52nd, 24:46.7), Andrew Stevens (56th, 24:48.8), Preston Mullen (64th, 24:51.7), and Adrian Hipolito (67th, 24:53.4) all finishing within seven seconds of one another.
While the invitational squad demonstrated Chico State's ability to win without several of its established leaders, the men's open race provided another example of the program's depth.
Competing in considerably warmer conditions later in the morning, the Wildcats collected their second team victory of the day with 50 points, defeating runner-up Clovis Community College (92) and third-place Cal Poly Humboldt (131).
Freshman Joshua Guzman led the charge, finishing sixth overall in 25:17.6 to earn third among scoring runners. Coming off an 11th-place finish at the San Francisco State Invitational the previous week, Guzman continued his freshman campaign by leading a Chico State lineup that entered Saturday's race with relatively few runners. Guzman focused on staying engaged with the runners around him and finishing aggressively, looking to gain as many positions and seconds as possible over the closing stages. With temperatures climbing as the morning progressed, he acknowledged that the conditions proved more difficult than expected, making Towne's emphasis on staying present throughout the race particularly important. Behind Guzman, freshman Zion Ortiz finished 11th overall (26:02.0), followed closely by junior Wesley Selby in 13th (26:04.1). Freshman Jackson Stream added a 19th-place finish (26:15.8), while Rowan Henry completed the scoring five in 22nd (26:17.6). Brady Bliesner finished just two places behind Henry in 24th (26:19.3), giving the Wildcats six runners among the top 24 finishers. Garrett Fenske rounded out Chico State's finishers in 93rd (27:42.5).
For Towne, the open race presented a different challenge from the invitational. With a smaller lineup and temperatures rising, the Wildcats had less room for error and needed contributions from throughout their roster.
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| Joshua Guzman mid-race |
"My main message to those guys before the race was that it was going to be hard out there," Towne explained. "It's going to get difficult because 8Ks are difficult, and it's going to be hot in that second half."
Despite the circumstances, the Wildcats responded by placing five scoring runners among the top 22 overall and securing a 42-point victory. Towne was particularly encouraged by their ability to work through the difficult portions of the race and contribute to a team result.
The performances also reflected a larger strength of the Chico State program, where athletes competing farther down the roster play an important role in pushing those at the front.
Torres, who remained at the course to watch his teammates compete in the open section, emphasized that the program's success extends well beyond the individuals who typically receive the most attention.
"There are some phenomenal runners that may not get the spotlight as much because they're 15 or 16 deep, but they're doing the same work as everyone else," Torres said.
Chico State's victories in both men's races were part of a program-wide sweep, as the Wildcat women also captured the invitational and open team titles. For Torres, the shared success reflected the close relationship between the two squads, whose accomplishments have provided mutual motivation throughout the season.
"The women are a dominating force. We're all teammates, and we're all rooting for each other. There's always inspiration from them, seeing the work that they put in and the way that they run races," Torres said.
For Towne, the four victories highlighted the collective strength of a program that has demonstrated its depth across multiple lineups throughout the regular season.
"Cross country is a team sport," Towne said. "To come away from a big meet like that with all four wins is definitely something that I'm proud of, and I hope they are as well."
The Wildcats will now turn their attention to the postseason, beginning November 7 at the CCAA Championships, hosted by Cal State San Bernardino. There, Chico State will look to defend its conference crown and continue its pursuit of another successful championship campaign.
