May 24, 2002
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Championship Time
Three members of the San Diego State track and field team head to Baton Rouge, La., for the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The event runs May 29-June 1 and will be held at Louisiana State's Bernie Moore Track Stadium. Representing SDSU at the meet will be junior heptathlete Leslie Miller, sophomore sprinter Tonette Dyer and freshman pole vaulter Shayla Balentine.
The Schedule
The heptathlon competition will be spread out over the first two days of the meet. On Wednesday, Leslie Miller will compete in the 100 hurdles (4 p.m.), high jump (4:45 p.m.), shot put (6:45 p.m.) and 200 meters (8:00 p.m.). The hep will conclude on Thursday with the long jump (4:40 p.m.), javelin (5:45 p.m.) and the 800 meters (7:30 p.m.). Shayla Balentine will compete in the pole vault on Wednesday, with competition starting at 6:30 p.m. Tonette Dyer will compete in the prelims of the 400-meter dash at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The 400 meter finals will be held Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
SDSU Lately
SDSU finished in third-place at the Mountain West Conference Championship, scoring 119.33 points. The Aztecs scored 105.33 points on the final day of the competition and moved up three places in the team scoring category. SDSU's Leslie Miller won the heptathlon, Shayla Balentine was crowned pole vault champion and Melinda Smedley took the top spot in the 100 meters. The program's 4x100 relay squad captured its event, racing to a school-record clocking of 44.52, bettering the time of 44.77 set by another Aztec quartet this season.
A Year Ago
SDSU was represented in the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Championships by hurdler Daveetta Shepherd and heptathlete Aja Frary. Both turned in All-America performances. Shepherd placed among the top-eight American entrants in the 100-meter hurdles, while Frary's third-place heptathlon total of 5,751 points was both an SDSU and Mountain West Conference record.
Coaching Staff
The Aztecs are led by head coach Rahn Sheffield, who is in his 11th season with the Aztec program. Sheffield is assisted by Jennifer Nanista, Richard Fox and Kristi McGihon. Nanista oversees the team's distance corps, Fox works with the pole vaulters and McGihon handles the jumps.
Vaulting To Success
Freshman Shayla Balentine has recorded six NCAA provisional qualifying marks during the outdoor season. Her outdoor conference meet- winning height of 13-1.50 is the best by an Aztec this season and is a MWC meet record. The 13-1.50 mark places her second all-time in the SDSU record book. Her first-place mark of 13-00.25 at the Aztec Classic on March 23 was her fourth NCAA provisional vault in as many meets. That streak includes winning the MWC's indoor title at the league championships in February with a conference-record vault of 12-07.50. Earlier in the indoor season, she set the SDSU indoor record in the vault with a 12-09.50 mark at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno. Balentine was featured in the January 2002 issue of Track and Field News as a prize recruit.
In The Hep
Representing SDSU in the heptathlon competition will be Leslie Miller. The junior enters the event with the highest point total among MWC athletes this year. Her score of 5,472 points at Mt. SAC in April qualified her provisionally for nationals and is the eighth-best mark in the nation this year.
Sophomore Sensation
Sophomore transfer Tonette Dyer has recorded 12 top-3 finishes this season (two in the 100 meters, six in the 200 meters and four in the 400 meters). Included in that number are victories in the 200 and 400 at the Cal-Nev Championships, in the 100 and 200 at the Oregon Invitational and in the 400 at Mt. SAC. Nationals serve as a homecoming for Dyer, who hails for Shreveport.
Athlete Biographies
Shayla Balentine
Freshman, 5-6
Pole Vault
Los Osos, Calif.
Morro Bay High School
One of the nation's most promising young pole vaulters... Featured in the January 2002 issue of Track and Field News as a prize recruit.
2002:
Won both the Mountain West Conference indoor and outdoor pole vault titles... Her league winning height of 12-7.50 in the indoor championships is a MWC record... Clearance of 13-1.50 at the outdoor championships is the best by an Aztec this season and is a MWC meet record... The 13-1.50 mark places her second all-time in the SDSU record book... Has five first-place finishes in the vault and has placed below second only three times... Has vaulted six NCAA provisional marks during the outdoor season... Set the SDSU indoor record in the vault with a 12-9.50 mark at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno in January.
High School:
Four-year varsity letterwinner at Morro Bay High School in Morro Bay, Calif. ... California state meet pole vault champion... Holds the national high school record of 13-8.00 in pole vault... Also competed in the sprints and jumps at Morro Bay High... Team Most Valuable Player.
Personal:
Shayla Rose Balentine was born Aug. 8, 1982, in Victorville, Calif. ... Daughter of Michele West... Enjoys surfing and worked in a surf shop this past summer... Major is undeclared... Has aspirations to compete in the Olympics.
Balentine's 2002 Outdoor Pole Vault Performance Chart
Mark Meet Finish12-05.50 Ben Brown Invitational (Mar. 9) 1st13-00.25 Aztec Classic (Mar. 23) 2nd12-02.00 Cal-Nevada Championships (Mar. 29) 1st (Prelims)12-02.00 Cal-Nevada Championships (Mar. 30) 4th12-08.00 UNLV Desert Classic (Apr. 6) 1st12-06.75 All-Women Invitational (Apr. 13) 1st, Section 111-11.75 Mt. SAC Relays (Apr. 18-20) 7th12-09.50 Steve Scott Invitational (May 5) 5th13-01.50 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 18) 1st (Finals)
Tonette Dyer
Sophomore, 6-0
Sprints (400-Meter Dash)
Shreveport, La.
Woodlawn High School
Louisiana-Monroe
Transferred to San Diego State after spending a season at Louisiana- Monroe... A native of Shreveport, La., Dyer attended Woodlawn High School.
2002:
Has recorded 12 top-3 finishes this season (two in the 100 meters, six in the 200 meters and four in the 400 meters)... Included in that number are victories in the 200 and 400 at the Cal-Nevada Championships, in the 100 and 200 at the Oregon Invitational and in the 400 at Mt. SAC... Placed third in the 200 meters at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships with a time of 23.36... Has the fastest time by an Aztec this season in the 100 meters (11.77) and 400 meters (52.48)... Her time in the 400 is the second-fastest all-time at SDSU... Member of SDSU's school-record setting and NCAA provisional qualifying 4x100 relay team which raced to a time of 44.52 at the MWC Outdoor Championships... Raced to a NCAA provisional time of 23.41 in the 200... That time ranks her second on the SDSU record chart... Also ran on the school's NCAA provisional qualifying 4x400 relay team (3:36.82)... Ran the team's second-fastest times in the 55 meters (7.25) and 200 meters (24.42) and the third-best in the 60 meters (7.71) during the indoor season.
College:
A 2001 all-Southland Conference selection... Second teamer in the 60-meter dash and the first team in the 200-meter dash.
High School:
Four-year varsity letterwinner at Woodlawn High School in Shreveport, La. ... Was a district, regional and state champion sprinter all four years... Also competed in basketball for the Knights.
Personal:
Tonette Latree Dyer was born March 28, 1982, in Shreveport... Daughter of Linda and Edward Dyer... Majoring in information and decision systems... Aspires to a career in the computer industry... Also has dreams of competing in the Olympics... Lists Marion Jones and Michael Johnson as her favorite athletes.
Dyer's 2002 Outdoor 400-Meter Dash Performance Chart
Time Meet Finish55.45 Ben Brown Invitational (Mar . 9) 1st, Section 154.42 SDSU Classic (Mar. 23) 2nd56.36 Cal-Nevada Championships (Mar. 29-30) Heat 253.37 Cal-Nevada Championships (Mar. 29-30) 1st52.48 Mt. SAC Relays and Heptathlon (Apr. 18-20) 1st56.60 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 17) 9th (Prelims)
Leslie Miller
Junior, 5-10
Heptathlon
Humble, Texas
Humble High School
Has had a number of strong performances during her junior campaign after battling back from an injury suffered as a sophomore.
2002:
Won the heptathlon at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships with a score of 5,292 points... Her 3,196 points in the first four events of the MWC hep is just six points short of her all-time best for a first-day performance... Placed fourth in the hep at Mt. SAC in April with a score of 5,472... That score is the highest point total among MWC athletes this season and the eighth-best mark in the nation this year... The 5,472 points rank her third all-time in the SDSU record book... Ran the team's best times in the 100 hurdles (14.00) and 400 hurdles (1:00.04).
2001:
Missed most of the early part of the season with a quad injury... Ran the second-fastest time by an Aztec in the 400-meter hurdles (1:00.61) and fifth best in the 100 hurdles (14.74)... Placed seventh in the heptathlon at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships after competing in the event only twice prior... Placed eighth in the 400 hurdles at the MWC indoor meet.
2000:
Posted SDSU's top time in the 400-meter hurdles (61.50)... Placed seventh at the MWC Outdoor Meet in the 400 hurdles... Also placed seventh in the heptathlon at the MWC outdoors in just her second attempt at the event... Won the 400 hurdles at UC Irvine.
High School:
Prepped at Humble High School, where she ran both cross country and track... Chosen as the Wildcats' team MVP in track and field all four years... Was named most outstanding runner by the Gulf Coast Track Coaches Association... Set school records in the long jump, 300-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles... Was also part of the school's record-setting 4x400 meter relay team... Qualified for the Texas high school state meet in the 100-meter hurdles in 1997 and the state cross country meet in 1996... Also was a three-year letterwinner in volleyball and basketball.
Personal:
Leslie Ann Miller was born Feb. 23, 1981, in Houston... Major is English... Would like to coach after college... Daughter of Edward and Deborah Miller.
Miller's 2002 Outdoor Heptathlon Performance Chart
Heptathlon
Points Meet Finish5,472 Mt. SAC Relays and Heptathlon (Apr. 18-20) Hep5,292 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 16) Hep
100-Meter Hurdles
Time Meet Finish14.12 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep14.29 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 15) Hep
High Jump
Mark Meet Finish5-03.25 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep5-02.25 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 15) Hep
Shot Put
Mark Meet Finish37-08.75 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep39-05.00 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 15) Hep
200-Meter Dash
Time Meet Finish25.23 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep25.03 MWC Outdoor Championships (Apr. 15) Hep
Long Jump
Mark Meet Finish18-06.0 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep18-10.75 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 16) Hep
Javelin Throw
Mark Meet Finish132-10.0 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep116-00.00 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 16) Hep
800-Meter Dash
Time Meet Finish2:17.93 Mt. SAC Heptathlon (Apr. 19) Hep2:26.29 MWC Outdoor Championships (May 16) Hep