May 16, 2003
SAN DIEGO - With just one day of competition remaining, the San Diego State track and field team put itself in position for a run at its first-ever Mountain West Conference outdoor title Friday, sitting just seven points out of first at the meet in Albuquerque, N.M. Three-time conference champion BYU leads the championships with 58.5 points, followed by SDSU (51.5 pts.), Colorado State (39), Utah (33), New Mexico (20), Air Force (18) and Wyoming (14).
"We've put ourselves in a really good place to challenge for the title," SDSU assistant Jennifer Nanista said. "Other years, we were basically competing for second place (behind BYU), but this season we feel that we can at least be within a few points of winning it all. We just have to see how we come together tomorrow."
Aztec freshman Shanon Meyer (Hesperia, Calif.) continued to impress by winning the long jump competition with an NCAA regional qualifying leap of 19-4.25, which ranks her sixth in school history. Meyer, who took second in the heptathlon Thursday, was joined in the top seven by teammate Megan Schauermann (Vancouver, Wash.), who placed seventh with a mark of 17-10.75.
In the pole vault, SDSU sophomore Shayla Balentine (Los Osos, Calif.) was unable to defend her 2002 MWC title, finishing third by clearing 12-8. Balentine was followed by senior Jesika Englebretson (Salinas, Calif.) and Meyer, who placed fourth and fifth respectively, as the Aztecs earned 14.5 team points in the event.
The team's lone competitior in the discus and hammer, junior Candace Hill (San Diego, Calif.) finished fifth in the discus (152-6) and ninth in the hammer with a personal best effort by almost six feet of 164-6.
In the track events, the Aztecs qualified at least two competitiors for Saturday's finals in seven different events, recording the top preliminary time in four of them. SDSU had all of its entrants qualify in the 100 meters and both the 100 and 400-meter hurdles.
Senior Melinda Smedley (Stockton, Calif.) ran the fastest qualifying time in the 100 meters of 11.50, a championship meet and stadium record. The time tied the school record set in 1999 by two-time All-American Miesha McKelvy.
Smedley also recorded the best preliminary time in the 200 meters, while junior All-American Nicole Ireland (Las Vegas, Nev.) was the top qualifier in both the 100 and 400 hurdles.
The men's and women's 10,000 meters were delayed by almost and a half due to heat Friday evening and were slated to take place at 7 and 7:30 p.m. MDT respectively. The Mountain West Conference championships conclude Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m. MDT and ending with the men's 4x400-meter relay at 2:05 p.m.
2003 MWC Championships
Team Scores - Through 6 events
1. Brigham Young 58.5 pts. 2. San Diego State 51.5 pts. 3. Colorado State 39 pts. 4. Utah 33 pts. 5. New Mexico 20 pts. 6. Air Force 18 pts. 7. Wyoming 14 pts.
Long Jump - Final Results 1. Shanon Meyer, SDSU 19-4.25^ 7. Megan Schauermann, SDSU 17-10.75 9. Leslie Miller, SDSU 17-6 10. Nicole Ireland, SDSU 17-5.25 11. Hollann Givens, SDSU 17-4
Pole Vault - Final Results 1. Brooke LoBue, UTAH 12-11.75 3. Shayla Balentine, SDSU 12-8^ 4. Jeskie Englebretson, SDSU 12-0^ t5. Shanon Meyer, SDSU 11-8 9. Julie Hudlow, SDSU 11-4.25
Discus - Final Results 1. Dominique Boivin, Air Force 158-10 5. Candace Hill, SDSU 152-6^
Hammer - Final Results 1. Vanessa Mortensen, Utah 185-6 9. Candace Hill, SDSU 164-6
3,000 Steeplechase - Final Results 9. Alicia Stewart 12:46.35
Preliminary Results - 100 1. Melinda Smedley 11.50^ 2. Nicole Ireland 11.59^ 3. Tonette Dyer 11.93 7. Jillita Griffin 12.16
200 1. Melinda Smedley 23.40^ 3. Tonette Dyer 24.02 5. Hollann Givens 24.34 7. Jini Hogg 24.46 8. Bianca McNair 24.57 10. Jillita Griffin 25.17
400 3. Jini Hogg 54.16^ 5. Bianca McNair 55.22 7. Hollann Givens 56.52 10. Shanon Meyer 57.16 - Nicole Carmier DNF
800 5. Jamillah Titus 2:13.63 6. Jennifer Stakiw 2:13.65 10. Kylie Edwards 2:16.66 13. Alisha Lasswell 2:23.44
1500 5. Jennifer Stakiw 4:36.36^ 8. Kylie Edwards 4:45.22 12. Jamillah Titus 4:48.67
100 Hurdles 1. Nicole Ireland 13.71^ 2. Leslie Miller 13.92^ 7. Ryan Peters 14.31
400 Hurdles 1. Nicole Ireland 58.20^ 3. Leslie Miller 1:00.04^ 5. Shanon Meyer 1:00.82^ 6. Ryan Peters 1:00.96^
^ = NCAA regional qualifying time