June 14, 2003
SACRAMENTO - San Diego State track and field posted its best team finish in coach Rahn Sheffield's 12-year tenure as both heptathlete Leslie Miller (Humble, Texas) and the 4x400-meter relay came away with All-America honors in the final day of the 2003 NCAA Track and Field Championships. The Aztecs finished in a four-way tie for 29th place with nine team points, in a meet won by Louisiana State (64 points) at Cal State Sacramento's Hornet Stadium.
Miller catapulted from 15th after day one to sixth place overall (5395 pts.) in the heptathlon with the help of a first-place finish in the javelin (152-00). Miller's throw was a personal best, the 10th longest in school history and was almost 12 feet better than her nearest competitor, Texas A&M's Kendra Reimer (140-03).
Miller began the day by taking 19th in the long jump (17-04.75) and finished the competition with a time of 2:17.40 in the 800, the sixth-fastest in the 27-athlete field. The senior finished 13th at last season's NCAA's and is the second Aztec heptathlete in the last three years to finish in the top six at the national meet, joining Aja Frary (3rd - 2001).
"Leslie really put it together today," SDSU assistant Jennifer Nanista said. "Her finish in the long jump wasn't that good, but she stayed focused and made the last two events, the javelin and the 800, her best of the meet."
Aztec freshman Shanon Meyer (Hesperia, Calif.) also made a sizeable jump in the final standings of the heptathlon, rising from 21st after day one's four events to 15th overall with 5,126 points. Meyer placed 10th in the 800 (2:20.37), 19th in the javelin (109-01) and 10th in the long jump (18-06.50).
In Saturday's final event, the SDSU 4x400-meter relay team of Tonette Dyer (Shreveport, La.), Nicole Ireland (Las Vegas, Nev.), Jini Hogg (San Francisco, Calif.) and Hollann Givens (San Diego, Calif.) finished eighth with a time of 3:36.77. All four, along with freshman Bianca McNair (Portland, Ore.) who ran in the preliminary heat, earned All-America status with their finals appearance, becoming the first Aztec relay so honored in program history.
The All-America honor is the fifth for Ireland, the second for Dyer and the first for Hogg, Givens and McNair.
The SDSU track and field team concludes its season next weekend at both the USA Track and Field junior and senior nationals, June 19-21.
San Diego State's NCAA Track & Field Championships Schedule/Results
Wed., June 11 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 7:55 p.m. Nicole IrelandPrelims - 400 hurdles 57.37 (Qualified For Semis)
Thurs., June 12 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10:15 a.m. Tonette Dyer Prelims - 200 meters 24.45 (25th of 29) 12:55 p.m. Tonette Dyer Prelims - 400 meters 52.36 (Qualified For Semis) 6:00 p.m. Nicole Ireland Semis - 400 hurdles 56.89 (Qualified For Finals) 8:15 p.m. 4x400 Relay Prelims - 4x400 relay 3:35.19 (Qualified For Finals)
Fri., June 13 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Leslie Miller Heptathlon - Day One 15th (3104 pts.) 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Shanon Meyer Heptathlon - Day One 21st (3026 pts.) 7:25 p.m. Nicole Ireland Finals - 400 hurdles 4th - 56.10 (All-American) 8:25 p.m. Tonette Dyer Semis - 400 meters 54.60 (16th of 16)
Sat., June 14 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10 a.m.-2:40 p.m. Leslie Miller Heptathlon - Day Two 6th (5,395 pts.) (All-American) 10 a.m.-2:40 p.m. Shanon Meyer Heptathlon - Day Two 15th (5,126 pts.) 9:20 p.m. 4x400 Finals - 4x400 relay 8th (3:36.77) (All-Americans) (Dyer, Ireland, Hogg, Givens)