Gary Towne is in his 28th year as Chico State men’s and women’s cross country head coach, as well as serving as the distance coach for the Wildcats’ track & field teams. His success spanning parts of four decades speaks for itself—Towne has developed one of the top men’s and women’s cross country programs in the United States, coaching 306 All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) runners, 217 All-Region runners and 74 All-Americans.
All told, 43 of Towne’s Chico State cross country teams have finished in the top 10 nationally (18 of his women’s teams and 25 men’s teams) and boast 36 CCAA conference titles. Towne himself has been named the conference’s Cross Country Coach of the Year 34 times, and West Region Coach of the Year 24 times by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Towne has also been a huge asset to the fortunes of the Chico State men’s and women’s track teams, coaching 103 All-America distance runners over the past 26 seasons, including national champions Scott Bauhs (10k in 2007, 5k in 2008), Charlie Serrano (5k, 2007) and Sarah Montez (3k, 2008). Towne has helped the Wildcats win 25 CCAA team track & field championships and rack up eight national top 10 finishes. He has received six USTFCCCA West Region Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year awards (2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018), and earned National Assistant Track & Field Coach of the Year honors in 2008 and 2009.
The 2022 season extended Towne’s legacy and Chico State’s cross country success. The Wildcat men won their 20th straight CCAA championship, stretching the program’s conference record for consecutive titles, regardless of sport. That was followed by a victory in the NCAA West Regional (the ’Cats’ sixth in a row and 17th regional win since 2002), and a fifth place effort at the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships in Seattle, Washington, with Rory Abberton bringing home All-America honors. Abberton was named the CCAA Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, while Towne earned his 14th consecutive CCAA Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year award and USTFCCCA Men’s Coach of the Year for the sixth straight season.
The Chico State women finished second in the 2022 CCAA Cross Country Championships and second at the NCAA West Regional (the program’s 15th consecutive top three regional finish and 21st in the last 22 seasons), resulting in the Wildcats reaching the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the 22nd straight season, where they finished 12th in the nation. Marissa D’Atri finished 14th overall to earn All-America honors for the ’Cats.
Towne took over Chico State’s cross country program in the fall of 1996, and in ’97 the women’s squad qualified for its first trip to the NCAA Championships. Before the men’s team’s No. 6 ranking in 1999, only one Wildcat cross country squad had qualified for national competition in the previous 30 years. Both men’s and women’s teams have gone on to qualify for the NCAA Championships every year since 1999.
While getting the most out of his athletes on the track and on the trails, Towne stresses academic success and is proud of the fact that nearly 100 percent of his student-athletes have graduated from college and moved on to become successful in the working world. Another aspect of the Chico State cross country program Towne is particularly proud of is the team’s family atmosphere.
“Once a part of the Wildcat family, you’re a part forever,” he says.
It’s not uncommon to see dozens of Wildcat alumni make trips across the country to cheer on the current teams in competition. In fact, nearly 500 Chico State alumni and fans made the trek to Sacramento to cheer on the Wildcats at the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Towne received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Chico State in 1991. He earned a master’s in physical education from Chico State in 1996.
Towne is married to Roxanne, a probation officer for Butte County.
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Kyle Medina
Assistant Cross Country Coach
530-898-4955
E-mail: |
Of all the new additions that Gary Towne has brought to the Chico State men’s and women’s cross country programs this fall, the most significant may very well be to his coaching staff. Kyle Medina—one of the most decorated distance runners in Wildcat history—has returned to Northern California to serve as assistant coach for the 2022 season.
Since starring for Chico State in both cross country and track & field, Medina has built an impressive coaching résumé. Before re-joining the Wildcats, he served as an assistant at Azusa Pacific University, playing a large role in the Cougars’ cross country and track & field programs. From May 2019 to May 2020, Medina coached at San Bernardino Valley College.
In addition to coaching at the collegiate level, Medina created a small remote-based coaching company called Simple Athletics, aimed at helping individuals and teams become the best versions of themselves through running and a simplified look at the day-to-day process. Through Simple Athletics, Medina helped guide Melissa High School (Texas) to a runner-up finish at the 2020 Texas 4A State Cross Country Championships.
As Chico State fans already know, Medina is one coach that can back up his running philosophies. Competing for the Wildcats from 2014–2018, Medina racked up a staggering amount of award-winning accomplishments in both cross country and track & field.
In cross country, Medina earned three All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) honors, and in 2017 won the conference’s cross country championship. As a result, he was named CCAA Runner of the Year. Medina was a three-time All-West Region selection, and turned in All-America performances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Medina was just as successful in track & field. A six-time All-CCAA performer, he won the conference’s 1,500m championship three times and was twice named the CCAA Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year. During the 2018 season, Medina was named the CCAA Men’s Athlete of the Year (an award that included all conference sports) and earned Senior Male Athlete of the Year honors from the
Chico Enterprise-Record. He amassed six United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-West Region awards, and delivered six All-America efforts at the NCAA Track & Field Championships, finishing as the national runner-up in the 1,500m (2016 and 2017) and the 3,000m steeplechase (2018).
Medina is also a prominent figure in the Chico State record books. He holds the Wildcats record in both the 1,500m (3:41.80 in 2016) and the 3,000m steeplechase (8:34.83 in 2018), and is second in program history in the 5,000m run (13:54.87 in 2017).
After graduating from Chico State, Medina competed at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, finishing 15th in the steeplechase. He then moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he trained and competed professionally as part of Tinman Elite, helping the team win the 2018 Club Cross Country Championships. Medina also qualified for the 2019 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the steeplechase.
As a prep runner, Medina was a standout in both cross country and track at Ventura High School. On the oval, he competed in both middle- and long-distance events. He finished in the top three in back-to-back years at the CIF Southern Section Finals 800m run, and recorded Top 10 performances in the 800m at the Southern Section Masters Meet in 2012 and 2013.
Medina received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at Chico State in 2018, and earned his master’s degree in academic administration from San Diego’s National University in 2022.
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Scott Krutzfeldt
Graduate Assistant Cross Country Coach
530-898-4955
E-mail:
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