Feb. 22, 2002
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State freshman Shayla Balentine set a Mountain West Conference record and NCAA provisional mark in the pole vault on Friday at the 2002 McLeodUSA MWC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The event is being held at Cadet Fieldhouse on the Air Force Academy campus.
Balentine's first-place mark of 3.84 meters (12-07.25) surpassed the previous MWC record of 12-03.50 set by Brigham Young's Sara Higman at the 2000 league meet. Balentine's vault is her second NCAA provisional mark this season, with the previous being a 3.90 meter (12-09.25) school-record mark set on Jan. 14 at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.
SDSU senior Tricia Gutierrez and junior Jesika Englebretsen placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the pole vault, scoring identical marks of 3.69 meters (12-01.25). Gutierrez placed fourth based on fewer misses.
Aztec junior Melinda Smedley finished third in the prelims of the 200-meter dash with a time 24.65. Smedley and sophomores Jillita Griffin and Tonette Dyer placed sixth (7.68), seventh (7.69) and eighth (7.73), respectively, in the 60- meter dash prelims.
Junior Jini Hogg came in fifth in the 400-meter dash prelims with a time of 56.59 and junior Jennifer Stakiw finished eighth (2:18.70) in the 800-meter run prelims.
SDSU is in sixth place with 23 points. Brigham Young leads the eight league schools with 60 points. Colorado State (50) and Utah (39.5) round out the top three.
The championships conclude tomorrow with competition getting underway at 12:30 p.m. (MST).