Led by top-five finishes from juniors Jini Hogg and Jennifer Stakiw the San Diego State track team got its 2002 indoor season underway on Saturday with a seventh-place finish in the 14-team Wolf Pack Invitational. The event was held at the Reno Livestock Events Center.
Hogg was the highest placing Aztec of the day, coming in fourth with a time of 58.71 in the 400-meter dash. Stakiw raced to a fifth-place time of 5:25.49 in the mile.
Competition in the 55-meter dash saw three Aztecs finish in the top-15. Junior Melinda Smedley finished 13th and sophomore Tonnette Dyer 14th with times of 7.23 and 7.25, respectively. Sophomore Jillita Griffin tied for 15th (7.34).
Smedley finished ninth (59.45) and Dyer 11th (59.59) in the 400-meter dash ahead of sophomore Lynnae Samuels' 15th-place time of 59.77. Samuels also finished eighth (8.43) in the 55-meter low hurdles.
Highlights in the field events came courtesy of senior Tricia Gutierrez and freshman Shayla Balentine in the pole vault. Gutierrez had her second NCAA provisional mark of the season, with a 3.82-meter (12-06.25) vault. On Jan. 12, Gutierrez vaulted 3.90-meters (12-09.50). Balentine finished third, clearing a height of 3.72 meters (12-02.25).
SDSU scored 23 points on the day and finished a spot ahead of Sacramento State (22) and a place behind Cal Poly (28). Host school Nevada won the event with 103 points. New Mexico (64.75) and California (62.50) rounded out the top three.
SDSU continues its indoor season next week by traveling to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the Northern Arizona Invitational.
Women's College Track and Field
Wolfpack Invitational
Reno, Nev.
Feb. 2, 2002
Track Events Team Scores
Nevada, 103, 2. New Mexico, 64.75, 3. California, 62.50, 4. Southern Utah, 55, 5. UNLV, 42.25, 6. Cal Poly, 28, 7. SDSU, 23, 8. Sacramento State, 22, 9. Cal State Los Angeles, 15, 10. Cal State Stanislaus, 12, 11. Stellar Athletics, 10, 12. San Francisco State, 8, 13. UC Davis, 7.50, 14. Shasta College, 1.
SDSU Finishers
55-Meter Dash
13. Melinda Smedley, 7.23
14. Tonette Dyer, 7.25
26. Ryan Peters, 7.48
32t. Lynnae Samuels, 7.57
32t. Shayla Balentine, 7.57
400-Meter Dash
4. Jini Hogg, 58.71
9. Melinda Smedley, 59.45
11. Tonnette Dyer, 59.59
15. Lynnae Samuels, 59.77
17. Hollann Givens, 59.95
21. Leslie Miller, 60.18
28. Ryan Peters, 61.38
33. Alisha Lasswell, 61.75
Mile
5. Jennifer Stakiw, 5:25.49
55-Meter Hurdles
8. Lynnae Samuels, 8.43
High Jump
16. Alisha Lasswell, 1.58m (5-02.25)
24. Leslie Miller, 1.48m (4-10.25)
Pole Vault
2. Tricia Gutierrez, 3.82m (12-06.25)
3. Shayla Balentine, 3.72m (12-02.25)
Shot Put
12. Candace Hill, 12.93m (42-05.25)
22. Leslie Miller, 11.50m (37-08.75)
Weight Throw
16. Candace Hill, 13.08m (42-11.00)