April 29, 2001
IRVINE, Calif. - Sometimes it all just comes together.
The San Diego State women's track and field team roared back from 10th place after Saturday's opening day of competition, combining for 102 points Sunday to win the 2001 Cal/Nevada State Championships with a final team score of 110. It was first win ever in at the Cal/Nevada meet for the Aztecs, who outdistanced the likes of California (83.66 points), Nevada (59 points) and UCLA (58.67 points), which placed second, third and fourth, respectively.
"It takes a joint effort (to win a meet like this)," said SDSU head coach Rahn Sheffield, who was named Women's Coach of the Year by the Cal/Nevada Coaches Association following the meet. "You can't have any breakdowns because if someone steps down, two have to step up. Most of all it takes mental stability, courage and determination. You only get that through training and preparation and this team show that they were prepared to win today."
The Aztecs, who had 10 athletes advance out of Saturday's preliminaries into Sunday's finals, came away with three individual wins on the day, including a season-best 54.40 in the 400 meters by Women's Athlete of the Meet and SDSU senior Promise Mose. Mose also place second in the 200 meters, clocking a time of 24.15 and led the Aztecs to a victory in the 4x100-meter relay (45.57) and a second-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay (3:40.38). Both relay times were season-bests for SDSU as well as the sixth fastest times in Aztec history in each event.
Junior Daveetta Shepherd, who was also a member of SDSU's 4x100-meter relay squad, produced the Aztecs' other victory, capturing the 100-meter hurdles with a season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 13.54.
Senior Aja Frary, who tallied SDSU's only points on Saturday with her second-place finish in the long jump, moved into ninth-place in the Aztec record books in the 400-meter hurdles with her second-place time of 60.58 Sunday.
Other notable running performances on the day were turned in by sophomore Melinda Smedley, who placed fourth in the 100 meters and third in the 200, senior Marisa Robinson, who took second in the 100-meter hurdles, and junior Kylie Edwards, who finished sixth in the 800 meters and third in the 1500.
The Aztecs also got points from their field squad. Senior Aimee upped her SDSU and Mountain West Conference record in the pole vault to 13-02.25 to finish second in that event, while senior Marisa Taylor turned in a career-long leap of 40-00.50 to take fifth in the triple jump.
"It's always incredible when you have the whole team step it up," Sheffield added. "Coming into a meet like this, competing against the likes of UCLA and Cal, you have to have a goal and each athlete had the same goal today.
"Winning is not always about scholarships and money because you are not going to be judged by what you have in your pocket when your standing on that starting line. You are going to be judged by your character and your willingness to compete and we had plenty of both today."
The San Diego State women's track and field team continues its 2001 outdoor season on Saturday, May 6, when the Aztecs travel to Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays. SDSU also hosts the 2001 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, may 16-19 at the Choc Sportsman Oval on the SDSU Sports Deck.
Day 2 Agate (SDSU results only)
Sunday, April 29, 2001
Cal/Nevada State Championships
Irvine, Calif.
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
1. San Diego State, 110, 2. California, 83.67, 3. Nevada, 59, 4. U C L A, 58.67, 5. CS Northridge, 51, 6. CS Sacramento, 46, 7. UC Davis, 40.50, 8. UNLV, 39, 9. UC Santa Barbara, 38, 10. Fresno State, 36, 11. Cal Poly SLO, 34, 12. Stanford, 30.33, 13. UC Irvine, 24, 14. Long Beach, 22.50, 15. CS Dominguez Hills, 22, 16. Cal State LA, 20, 17. CS Fullerton, 13, 18. CS Stanislaus, 11.33, 19. Claremont Mudd, 8, 19. San Francisco State, 8, 21. Sonoma State, 6, 21. Pomona-Pitzer, 6, 23. UC San Diego, 5, 24. CS Bakersfield, 3, 25. UC Riverside, 1.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
100 - 4. Melinda Smedley, SDSU, 11.93, 5. Daveetta Shepherd, SDSU, 11.99. 200 - 2. Promise Mose, SDSU, 24.15, 3. Melinda Smedley, SDSU, 24.19. 400 - 1. Promise Mose, SDSU, 54.40. 800 - 6. Kylie Edwards, SDSU, 2:11.62. 1500 - 3. Kylie Edwards, SDSU, 4:29.00. 5000 - 12. Alicia Stewart, SDSU, 18.49.41, 15. Maria Moreno, SDSU, 19:07.19, 18. Sophia Hawker, SDSU, 19:23.05. 100 Hurdles - 1. Daveetta Shepherd, SDSU, 13.54. 2. Marisa Robinson, SDSU, 13.68, 7. Aja Frary, SDSU, 14.33. 400 Hurdles - 2 Aja Frary, SDSU, 60.58 4x100R - 1. SDSU, 45.57. 4x400R - 2. SDSU, 3:40.38. Pole Vault - 2. Aimee Crabtree, SDSU, 13-02.25. Triple Jump - 5. Marisa Taylor, SDSU, 40-00.50.