Feb. 10, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State senior athlete Nicole Ireland has been named the Mountain West Conference women's indoor track and field athlete of the week. She becomes the first non-pole vault athlete from SDSU to earn MWC athlete of the week honors for the indoor season. Aztec pole vaulters Shayla Balentine in 2003 and Tricia Gutierrez in 2002 were honored.
A transfer from Alabama, Ireland broke two school records her first meet of the season, the Mountain T's Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz. She won the triple jump with a 40-4 distance, becoming the first Aztec to surpass 40 feet and recording the third longest triple jump in MWC history. The jump broke Lisa Domico's 1999 school record of 38-8.25.
Ireland followed that up by running the second leg in SDSU's victorious 4x400 relay, which finished in a time of 3:47.29, fourth fastest in MWC history and a school record. Ireland also finished second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.60) and third in the 200-meter dash (24.40).
Ireland and the Aztecs continue their indoor campaign this weekend as they travel to the Boise State Invitational, Feb. 14, in Boise, Idaho. The meet is SDSU's final tune-up before the MWC Indoor Championships, slated for Feb. 26-28 in Colorado Springs, Colo.