Oct. 12, 2009

Courtesy of Chico State

SAN FRANCISCO – When a program boasts as much talent and history as the Chico State men’s cross country program does, good runners often find themselves in an unfamiliar place – outside of the team’s scoring runners, or even on the side of the trail rooting their teammates on. But Friday night at the San Francisco State Invitational, Alex Sharp, Miles Dunbar, Julio Jimenez, Joshua Linen, and Donald Truesdell got their time to shine.
 
The third-ranked Wildcats’ fivesome ran to a fourth-place finish at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park, finishing ahead of Division I programs Santa Clara and San Jose State in the process. The Wildcats finished with 108 points, behind Alaska Anchorage (52), Western Oregon (56), and Humboldt State (58).
 
Sharp led the way with his 12th place finish, while Dunbar came in 21st, Jimenez 25th, Linen 38th, and Truesdell 58th. They each finished in the top half of the 118-runner field. Sharp crossed the line at the end of the eight-kilometer course in 25:55. Dunbar finished in 26:22, Jimenez in 26:25, Linen in 26:50, and Truesdell in 27:27.

Chico State’s next race – the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships in McKinleville – marks the beginning of the postseason. The Wildcats will be gunning for their eighth straight CCAA title.