May 2, 2002
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This Week
The San Diego State track and field program continues its season on Sunday by traveling to Irvine for the Steve Scott Invitational. The event will be held at UC Irvine's Anteater Stadium. Field events begin at 8:30 a.m., with the first running event scheduled for 9:20 a.m. Nearly 400 competitors are scheduled to participate in the meet.
SDSU Lately
Noting the Oregon Invitational
* A 1-2-3-4 finish in the 100-meter dash and a 1-2 finish in the 200 meters highlighted SDSU's competition at Saturday's Oregon Invitational.
* The Aztecs sweep of the top-four spots in the 100 meters was performed by Tonette Dyer (12.14), Melinda Smedley (12.17), Jillita Griffin (12.27) and Jini Hogg (12.55). Dyer and Smedley placed 1-2 in the 200 meters, with times of 24.30 and 24.46, respectively.
* Other highlights came courtesy of Leslie Miller's first-place time of 14.06 in the 100 hurdles. She also placed second in the 400 hurdles (1:01.14).
* The Aztecs' 4x100 relay team of Hogg, Dyer, Ryan Peters and Smedley took the top spot in their event, racing to a time of 45.89.
* Hollan Givens clocked in third in the 400 meters (56.91) and Alicia Stewart second in the 5,000 meters (18:14.41).
Looking Ahead
On May 11, the squad wraps up the regular season at the Oxy Invite, in Los Angeles. The MWC Outdoor Championships will be held May 15-18 in Colorado Springs.
Leader Board
With the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships just two weeks away, several SDSU athletes are listed among the league's top times and marks this season. Five of the conference's 10-best marks in the 100 meters are held by Aztecs, with Tonette Dyer holding the second best (11.77). Dyer also has the league's second-best time in the 200 meters (23.41), Melinda Smedley the third best (23.99) and Jini Hogg the fourth fastest (24.09). Dyer also has the fastest clocking in the 400 meters (52.48). Leslie Miller holds the No. 3 spot in both the 100 and 400 hurdles, with times of 14.00 and 1:00.04 respectively. Miller also holds the league's highest-point total in the heptathlon (5,472). SDSU's 4x100 relay squad has the fastest time in the league (44.77), with the 4x400 quartet being listed second (3:36.82). Pole vaulters Shayla Balentine and Patricia Gutierrez are 1-2, respectively in that event. Alicia Stewart and Allison Brown are 2-3 in the 3,000 meters.
Under Consideration
The Aztecs' NCAA provisional mark in the 4x400 at the Mt. SAC Relays is the 12th consideration mark set by SDSU this season. The Aztecs' "A" relay squad had already set qualifying marks in the 4x100 and 4x400 at the Cal-Nevada meet in March. Tonette Dyer, a member of both those relay squads, ran an NCAA provisional mark in the 200 meters at the UNLV Desert Classic. Dyer also raced to a provisional time of 53.37 in the 400 meters at the Cal-Nevada Championships and set another in the 400 (52.48) at Mt. SAC. Three SDSU pole vaulters, Shayla Balentine, Patricia Gutierrez and Jesika Englebretson, have cleared a provisional mark at least once this season. Leslie Miller's 5,472 points in the heptathlon at Mt. SAC was also a provisional mark.
Among The National Leaders
Several Aztecs are listed among the top times and marks in the nation this season. Tonette Dyer's time in the 200 meters (23.41) and 400 meters (52.48) are the 10th and sixth best this season. The team's time in the 4x100 (44.77) is the 20th fastest, to go along with the 19th best in the 4x400 (3:36.82). Shayla Balentine's 13-0.25 mark in the pole vault is 15th best. Leslie Miller's 5,472 points in the heptathlon ranks her seventh.
Aztec Honors
Leslie Miller's performance in the heptathlon at at Mt. SAC earned her Mountain West Conference player of the week honors. This is Miller's first career athlete of the week award. She is the third Aztec to be honored by the league this season, with sprinter Tonette Dyer being recognized earlier this month and pole vaulter Patricia Gutierrez being selected during the indoor season.
Vaulting To Success
Freshman Shayla Balentine recorded her seventh NCAA provisional qualifying mark of the season in the pole vault at the All-Women Invite on April 13. Her first-place mark of 3.97 meters (13-00.25) at the Aztec Classic on March 23 was her fourth NCAA provisional vault in as many meets and tied her best this season. The 13-00.25 mark places her second all-time in SDSU's record book. The mark also puts her atop the Mountain West Conference's list of bests in the event this season. Included in her four-meet NCAA mark streak is winning the MWC's indoor title at the league championships in February with a MWC record vault of 3.84 meters (12-07.50). Earlier in the indoor season she set the SDSU indoor record in the vault with a 3.90 meter (12-09.50) mark at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno.