2027 Women's Track & Field Roster
Biography
Click here to view Melissa Barajas' TFRRS profile
As a Junior - TF (2026)
- Appeared in four meets
- Recorded a personal best of 18:29.71 in the 5000m at the Johnny Mathis Meet
- Clocked a new best in the 1500m of 5:07.67 at the Wildcat Invite
As a Junior - XC (2025)
- Raced in three meets
- Clocked a career-best 6K time of 23:27.9 at the Mike Johnson XC Classic
As a Sophomore - TF (2025)
- Appeared in two meets
- Competed in the 1500m
As a Sophomore - XC (2024)
- Raced in one meet at the SF State Invitational
As a Freshman - TF (2024)
- Appeared in three meets
- Competed in the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m
- Recorded season bests of 5:29.18 in the 1500m, 11:53.92 in the 3000m and 19:51.04 in the 5000m
As a Freshman - XC (2023)
- Raced in two meets, both in the 6K
- Ran a season-best 23:55.3 at the Cal State San Marcos Cougar Challenge
Academic Honors
- 2025-26 CCAA All-Academic
Pre-Chico Days
- Developed into one of the top cross country prospects in the Sac-Joaquin Section at Modesto High School
- Two-time All-Central California Athletic League selection in both cross country and track & field
- During her senior year, finished in the top five in every cross country race she ran leading up to the state championships
- Won the CCAL cross country title and finished fourth at the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships
- Qualified individually for the 2021 CIF State Cross Country Championships
- On the track, recorded personal best times in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m during her senior year
- Won the 2022 CCAL 3200m title and placed second in the league in the 1600m
- Concluded the season with a fourth place finish in the 3200m at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championships
- Named Modesto High's Most Valuable Panther Runner in cross country and track & field
Personal
- Born July 11 in Modesto
- Daughter of Manuel and Nila
- Has one younger brother, Emanuel
- Her mother is her hero because "she taught me how to be confident in everything I do because it is key to becoming successful. She is also a strong minded woman."
- The person she most admires in the sports world is Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge because "he is humble and a hard worker. He also rose from nothing and became one of the greats."
- Chose Chico State because "I fell in love with the beautiful trees on campus, as well as the rich running culture."
- Her greatest moment in sports so far was "coming back from sickness my redshirt year and getting back into the sport and feeling like myself again."
- An interesting thing about her is she is the first in her family to attend a four-year college
- Outside of cross country, her best talent is that she can touch her nose with her tongue
- Learned how to play the ukulele
- When she has spare time, she loves to go on coffee runs with her friends and spend time with her family
- On her bucket list is to travel the world
- The best advice she received was from her high school coach, Nic Hesse: "I am my own competition always."
- Majoring in Exercise Physiology with aspirations to become a registered nurse
Historical Player Information