CHICO, Calif. — After an impressive regular season that saw the Chico State women's cross country team establish itself among the nation's best, the Wildcats will turn their attention to the postseason Saturday as they pursue a fourth consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship.
Ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the West Region, Chico State will enter Saturday's 6,000-meter championship race at Cal State San Bernardino as the favorite to claim its 20th conference team title in program history. The women's race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on the CSUSB Cross Country Course, which will host the conference championship for the first time since 2018.
The Wildcats have given plenty of reasons for optimism throughout the fall, opening their season with a convincing victory over a predominantly Division I field at the Saint Mary's Invitational before turning in an impressive third-place finish at Oregon's Bill Dellinger Invitational. Competing with just six athletes and without one of their top runners, Chico State finished behind only No. 7 Division I Oregon and the University of Victoria, Canada's top-ranked university program. The Wildcats then closed out their regular season with another victory at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, defeating several Division I programs and their closest conference rival, Stanislaus State.
Despite Chico State's impressive results, the Wildcats will face stiff competition in their pursuit of another conference crown, particularly from nationally ranked No. 13 Stanislaus State and No. 29 Cal Poly Pomona.
The Warriors have established themselves as Chico State's primary conference challenger in recent seasons, finishing runner-up at each of the past three CCAA Championships. Last year's battle was particularly competitive, with Chico State scoring just 25 points to Stanislaus State's 39, as the two programs combined to claim 11 of the top 12 individual finishes. Both teams carried that success onto the national stage, with Chico State finishing 8th at the NCAA Championships and Stanislaus State placing 12th.
Stanislaus State has continued that momentum in 2026, finishing among the top two teams in each of its three regular-season competitions, including a victory at the Kim Duyst Twilight Invitational. The Warriors provided Chico State with its strongest Division II competition at the Bronco Invitational on October 17, finishing second with 77 points to the Wildcats' 46. Stanislaus placed all five scoring runners among the top 27 overall, with just 39 seconds separating its first and fifth finishers.
While that tightly packed scoring group makes the Warriors a formidable challenger, the Wildcats possess a significant advantage in depth. At Bronco, nearly a minute separated Stanislaus' fifth and sixth runners, compared to just four-tenths of a second between Chico State's fifth and sixth finishers. The difference leaves the Warriors with considerably less room for error should one of their leading runners struggle, while Chico State has several additional athletes capable of stepping into scoring positions. With both programs expected to occupy much of the front of Saturday's field, that depth could prove decisive in determining the conference champion.
Cal Poly Pomona will also look to challenge for a place near the top of the team standings. Although the Broncos finished third at last year's CCAA Championships with 85 points, they went on to finish second behind Chico State at the NCAA West Regional before placing 16th at the national championships. Pomona returns five athletes from that national championship lineup and has demonstrated its depth again this fall, including a strong showing at the Coyote Challenge on the same San Bernardino course that will host Saturday's championship.
For Chico State, Saturday represents another opportunity to add to one of the most successful championship traditions in CCAA history. Since joining the conference in 1998, the Wildcats have claimed 19 women's team titles, including 16 of the past 20 championships. A victory this weekend would give Chico State its 20th conference crown and fourth consecutive title, further extending a remarkable run of success under longtime head coach Gary Towne.
Chico State's Championship Lineup
Leading Chico State's ten-woman championship lineup is Della Molina, who returns to the conference championships for the first time since winning the individual title in 2024. The seven-time All-American sat out the entire 2025 cross country season but has picked up right where she left off this fall, opening her campaign with a third-place finish at the Saint Mary's Invitational before finishing second overall at Bronco in 20:25.0. Molina also enters the postseason following an impressive outdoor track season that saw her finish 5th nationally in the 10,000 meters, earning first-team All-America honors.
Joining Molina at the front of the Wildcats' lineup are Megan Malloy and Paulina Martins, both of whom have established themselves among the top distance runners in Division II. Malloy finished 4th at last year's CCAA Championships before placing 6th at the NCAA West Regional, while Martins earned CCAA Freshman of the Year honors following a 5th place conference finish and 9th place regional performance. Both went on to earn All-America honors on the track this spring, with Malloy placing 11th nationally in the 10,000 meters and Martins 9th in the 5,000.
The duo has continued that momentum this fall, highlighted by their performances at Oregon's Bill Dellinger Invitational, where Malloy finished 8th in 20:48.7 and Martins followed in 11th at 20:57.3. Two weeks ago at Bronco, they crossed the line just seconds behind Molina, with Malloy finishing 4th in 20:28.7 and Martins 5th in 20:29.5. Just 4.5 seconds separated Chico State's leading three finishers, giving the Wildcats multiple athletes capable of challenging for the individual conference crown.
Behind that trio, Chico State returns another accomplished group of postseason veterans in Olivia Beschorner and Sienna Bianchi, along with Kira Forsberg. All three earned All-CCAA and All-West Region honors last fall, helping the Wildcats capture both championships before advancing to the NCAA Championships.
Beschorner, the 2025 CCAA steeplechase champion, has continued her impressive progression this season, most recently finishing 19th overall at Bronco in 21:00.1. Bianchi, who qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 1,500 meters this spring, placed 9th at last year's conference cross country championships and 11th at the West Regional. Forsberg, meanwhile, was named the 2025 CCAA Newcomer of the Year after placing 6th at conference and 21st at regionals. The three have remained closely matched throughout the fall, with Forsberg and Bianchi finishing just four-tenths of a second apart at Bronco in 21:08.3 and 21:08.7, respectively.
Also returning to the postseason lineup is Catherine McGuire, who opened the fall with an impressive 12th-place finish at Saint Mary's, running 21:06.1 over the 5.95-kilometer course. McGuire was also part of Chico State's six-woman squad at the Bill Dellinger Invitational, where she finished 56th in 21:56.6 against a strong field of Division I competition.
Isabel Rosales has also emerged as a valuable member of the Wildcats' lineup. After recording a 17:03 personal best on the track in the 5,000 meters this spring, Rosales has continued to improve throughout the cross country season. She was Chico State's top finisher at the San Francisco State Invitational, taking third overall in 21:48.1, before lowering her 6,000-meter time to 21:28.2 at Bronco, where she placed 37th.
Rounding out the Wildcats' championship squad are Maya Schiro and Lucy Varela, who have made an immediate impact in their first cross country seasons at Chico State. True freshman Maya Schiro, who finished 5th at the 2025 State Cross Country Championships, has made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season. She placed 5th overall at the San Francisco State Invitational in 21:58.7 before improving to 21:46.1 at Bronco. Varela, a transfer from Northern Colorado, finished 8th at San Francisco State in 22:09.5 before clocking 21:36.1 at Bronco, finishing 44th overall.
With five returning All-CCAA performers, a former individual conference champion, and a promising group of younger athletes continuing to develop, Chico State brings an experienced and talented squad into Saturday's championship. The Wildcats' combination of front-running talent and strength throughout the lineup has been a defining characteristic of their success this fall.
Individual Championship Contenders
Beyond the team championship battle, Saturday's race features an exceptionally talented individual field, with several NCAA All-Americans, a former national champion, and a national runner-up among the athletes vying for the conference crown. Chico State's Della Molina enters as the only former CCAA individual cross country champion in the field, but teammates Megan Malloy and Paulina Martins have emerged as legitimate title contenders themselves. With talented challengers from Stanislaus State, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal Poly Humboldt, the race for the individual championship could be among the most competitive in recent conference history.
Among the leading contenders are:
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Della Molina — Chico State
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:25.0 | 5,000m: 16:16.87 | 10,000m: 34:06.18
The 2024 CCAA individual cross country champion returns seeking her second conference crown. A seven-time All-American across cross country and track, Molina finished 5th nationally in the 10,000 meters this spring and has twice earned cross country All-America honors. After missing the 2025 XC season, she has reestablished herself among Division II's best this fall, leading the conference with a 20:25.0 performance at Bronco and earning two CCAA Runner of the Week awards.
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Megan Malloy — Chico State
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:28.7 | 5,000m: 16:48.76 | 10,000m: 34:34.54
Malloy enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 cross country campaign, finishing 4th at conference and 6th at the NCAA West Regional. She followed that success with an 11th-place national finish in the 10,000 meters this spring, earning second-team All-America honors. This fall, she was named CCAA Runner of the Week following an 8th place finish at Oregon's Bill Dellinger Invitational and enters the postseason having finished just 3.7 seconds behind Molina at Bronco.
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Paulina Martins — Chico State
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:29.5 | 1,500m: 4:26.55 | 5,000m: 16:26.19
The reigning CCAA Cross Country Freshman of the Year has quickly established herself among the nation's top distance runners. Martins placed 5th at last year's conference championships and 9th at the West Regional before capturing the CCAA 1,500-meter title this spring. She went on to finish 9th nationally in the 5,000 meters, earning second-team All-America honors. Her combination of middle-distance speed and distance strength makes her a dangerous championship contender, particularly after finishing just eight-tenths of a second behind Malloy at Bronco.
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Annie Wild — Stanislaus State
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:25.2 | 1,500m: 4:19.67 | Mile: 4:39.92
Few athletes in Saturday's field can match Wild's championship résumé. The 2025 NCAA Division II indoor mile national champion returned to finish third nationally in the event this spring, adding to her 5th place finish in the outdoor 1,500 meters in 2025. Wild is equally accomplished in cross country, having finished runner-up at last year's CCAA Championships before placing 7th at the West Regional and 24th at nationals to earn All-America honors. Her exceptional finishing speed and postseason experience make her one of the most formidable challengers.
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Kekaihulali Halpern — Stanislaus State
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:34.9 | 800m: 2:12.76 | 1,500m: 4:33.56
A transfer from Saint Martin's University, Halpern has made an immediate impact in her first season with the Warriors. She was named the 2025 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in cross country after finishing 10th at the conference championships and later placed 4th in the 1,500 meters at the 2026 GNAC Track Championships. Halpern enters Saturday with considerable momentum after leading Stanislaus State at Bronco, finishing 6th overall in 20:34.9, just 9.9 seconds behind Molina.
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Miranda Palacios — Cal Poly Pomona
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:41.7 | 5,000m: 17:22.02 | 3,000m Steeplechase: 10:51.31
Palacios has emerged as one of the conference's strongest individual performers this fall. A 2025 cross country All-West Region selection, she placed third in the steeplechase at this spring's CCAA Track Championships and has since enjoyed a breakthrough cross country campaign. Her 20:41.7 at the UC Riverside Invitational ranks second in Cal Poly Pomona history, while her victory at September's Coyote Challenge gives her the distinction of having already won a race on the same course that will host Saturday's championship.
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Isabel Perez-Zoghbi — Cal Poly Humboldt
Personal Bests: 5K XC: 16:59.3 | 800m: 2:02.95 | 1,500m: 4:23.45 | 3,000m Steeplechase: 10:29.34
Perhaps the biggest dark horse in Saturday's field, Perez-Zoghbi possesses one of the most impressive track résumés among the contenders. She finished second nationally in the outdoor 800 meters and third indoors in 2026, becoming the first Humboldt track athlete to earn All-America honors in both seasons. She also captured CCAA titles in the 800 meters and steeplechase this spring. After placing 15th at last year's cross country conference championship, Perez-Zoghbi has demonstrated significant improvement, most notably running 16:59.3 for 5K at the Charles Bowles Invitational in October. Having competed just once this cross country season, her current form remains uncertain, but her outstanding speed and versatility make her a serious threat to the favorites.
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Stevie Holguin — Stanislaus State
Personal Bests: 6K XC: 20:41.4 | 3,000m: 10:10.81 | 5,000m: 17:03.40
Holguin opened the 2026 season as one of the conference's hottest runners, earning back-to-back CCAA Runner of the Week honors. She finished 6th at the USF Invitational against a predominantly Division I field before winning the Kim Duyst Twilight Invitational in a personal-best 20:41.4. Although she was the Warriors' 5th finisher at Bronco, Holguin's early-season success and ability to lead a nationally ranked team make her another athlete capable of challenging near the front.
Of course, cross country rarely follows a script, and Saturday's individual champion is far from guaranteed to emerge from the list of favorites. Chico State boasts several additional accomplished runners, including Sienna Bianchi, who qualified for the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 1,500 meters with a personal best of 4:26.83; Olivia Beschorner, the 2025 CCAA steeplechase champion with a 10:38.00 personal best; and Kira Forsberg, the reigning CCAA Cross Country Newcomer of the Year, who has clocked 16:52.35 in the 5,000 meters and 35:17.00 in the 10,000.
Stanislaus State's Izzy Soto, a 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field All-American, placed 7th at last year's conference cross country championships. The Warriors also feature true freshman Natalie Arriaza, who ran 10:20.34 for 3,200 meters at the California high school state championships this spring before finishing 17th overall at Bronco in 20:56.4. Cal Poly Pomona's Galilea Jimenez brings impressive track credentials of her own, having run 16:55.12 in the 5,000 meters and 10:54.70 in the steeplechase, while teammate Alondra Arias is a two-time cross country All-West Region honoree with a 16:55.78 track 5,000-meter personal best. Cal State Monterey Bay's Rachel Hoops, an NCAA provisional qualifier and school-record holder in the 800 meters at 2:09.89, is another athlete capable of making an impact.
For Chico State, Saturday marks the beginning of a postseason the Wildcats hope will extend well into December. After spending the fall testing themselves against some of the nation's top competition, the Wildcats will look to carry that momentum into championship racing, beginning with Saturday's 11 a.m. 6K at the CSUSB Cross Country Course. From there, Chico State will turn its attention to the November 21 NCAA West Regional in Sacramento, where a berth to the national championships will be on the line.
