May 25, 2001
SAN DIEGO - Three Aztecs will reach for the pinnacle of collegiate track and field next week when the NCAA holds its 2001 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Oregon's venerable Hayward Field in Eugene. San Diego State received confirmation today that senior pole vaulter Aimee Crabtree, senior heptathlete Aja Frary and junior 100-meter hurdler Daveetta Shepherd will compete at the championships, May 30-June 2.
Shepherd, who placed second at the recently-completed Mountain West Conference championships on SDSU Sports Deck, will be the first Aztec to compete when the 100-meter hurdles trials begin on Thursday, May 31st, at 4:30 p.m. The semifinals in the 100 hurdles will be held on Friday, June 1st, at 5:45 p.m., with the finals slated for Saturday, June 2nd, at 5:10 p.m.
A transfer from Barton County Community College in Kansas but a native of Richmond, Calif., Shepherd posted four NCAA provisional qualifying 100 hurdles times this year, including a season-best 13.19 during qualifying at the Mountain West championships.
Frary and Crabtree will both begin competing on Friday, June 1st, with the heptathlon starting at 2 p.m. and the pole vault trials and finals kicking off at 5 p.m. Competition in the heptathlon concludes on Saturday, June 2nd, at 2 p.m.
The 2001 Mountain West Conference heptathlon champion and the SDSU and MWC record holder in that event, Frary twice scored over 5600 points this season, including a career-high and NCAA automatic total of 5657 on April 20th at the Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Relays. That point total stood as the best in the nation this year on the collegiate level until May 11th, when a pair of Arkansas athletes scored over 5700 points at the Southeastern Conference Championships. Frary enters the NCAA championships ranked fifth nationally.
Crabtree, a 1999 All-American in the pole vault and the 2001 Mountain West Conference Outdoor champion, set the San Diego State and MWC record in that event this season when she cleared 13'-2.25" on April 29th at the Cal-Nevada State Championships. Crabtree vaulted a lifetime-best 13'-10" during the 2000 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials last June in Sacramento.
Event Athlete Rank Qual. Mark Competition Date/TimePole Vault Aimee Crabtree 20th 13'-2.25" June 1, 5 p.m.Heptathlon Aja Frary 5th 5,657 points June 1-2, 2 p.m.100-Meter Hurdles Daveetta Shepherd 12th 13.19 May 31, 4:30 p.m. (trials)