April 7, 2004
With one of the program's most successful seasons under its belt, the primary question facing this year's San Diego State track and field squad is where to go from here.
Under 13th-year head coach Rahn Sheffield, the Aztecs return 12 of 19 letterwinners from last year's outdoor team, which won the school's first-ever Mountain West Conference title. The win broke BYU's string of 20 consecutive outdoor titles, which was the longest active streak in the nation in the sport of track and field.
SDSU also had six student-athletes earn seven All-America honors, posting the squad's best team finish at nationals in Sheffield's tenure.
""How do you top last year - by doing it again," Sheffield said. "This time it will be even harder, because they know that we're coming. We're not going to throw anyone a curveball, we're just going to go straight down the line."
Four of the six All-Americans return for the team's key outdoor season, including five-time honoree senior Nicole Ireland and two-two All-American senior Tonette Dyer.
Gone, however, are team leaders, sprinter Melinda Smedley and heptathlete Leslie Miller, who will both complete their collegiate eligibility during the team's short indoor season.
With notable exceptions, Sheffield and the Aztec coaching staff still feels that this year's squad has the ability to defend its MWC title and once again improve its standing at the NCAAs.
"This team is more mature," Sheffield said. "Now that their dream of winning an MWC title became a reality last year, they know what it's going to take to maintain that level of success. A lot more people have been taking a leadership role and really trying to instill that desire and commitment in the new people."
Below is an event-by-event breakdown of this year's squad:
SPRINTS
The Aztecs' main strength will once again be its depth and versatility in the sprint events.
At the top of the list of returnees will be classmates Dyer and Ireland, who can compete in everything from the 100 to the 400 meters.
"The plan for Tonette and Nicole this year will be the same - they're going to continue to do what they do best," Sheffield said. "Tonette, especially, has seemed to have matured a lot and taken on a leadership role on the team. Both of them are talented enough to qualify in a number of different events and they'll be able to pick and chose what they want to run at nationals or where we feel that they are going to do the best. "
Dyer was the only Aztec to compete at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor meet as a junior in 2003. She set two SDSU indoor records and then ran the fastest 100 (11.67) and 400 (52.36) races of her career during the outdoor campaign. Dyer was the runner-up in the 200 and 400 at the NCAA regionals and once again was a key part of all of the team's fastest relays.
While the 400 hurdles may be her best event, Ireland's talent can equally be seen in the sprints. After just one season on The Mesa, she already ranks in the school's top four in the 100 (11.59), 200 (23.66) and 400 (52.91).
Supporting Dyer and Ireland will be another pair of All-Americans in sophomore Bianca McNair and senior Hollann Givens, who specialize in the 200 and 400-meter events.
McNair was fifth in the 400 and sixth in the 200 at the MWC meet and had a season best of 54.60 in the 400, which is 10th in SDSU history. McNair later ran the anchor leg during the prelims of the 4x400 relay at the NCAAs, before turning in a ninth place in the 400 at the U.S. junior nationals.
"Bianca is going to continue to improve and build off her 54.60 that she dropped last year in the 400," Sheffield said. "I think she's training really well and is learning that she is a sprinter and not just a 400 runner."
San Diego native Givens returns for her third season with the Aztecs. A consistent performer, she came in just behind McNair in both the 200 (7th) and 400 (6th) at the MWC outdoor championships in 2003. She also replaced McNair in the finals of the 4x400 at the NCAAs to also earn All-America honors.
"Hollann is the type of athlete who you know will give 110 percent effort every time she steps on the track," Sheffield said. "Not every team has an athlete like Hollann and we're lucky that we do."
Idaho State transfer sophomore Larnie Boyd could be another important component of the team's 4x400 relay in 2004, as a solid quarter-miler, who can also contribute in the 200, 800 and 400 hurdles.
Senior Jillita Griffin and freshman Vonnie Fulford will also be expected to add to the already talented sprinting group in 2004.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
The Aztecs' success in the middle distance events will rest largely on the shoulders of sophomore Jamillah Titus, at least during the outdoor portion of the schedule.
Titus was the team's fastest runner in both the 800 and 1,500 as a freshman. Her season best time of 2:08.90 in the 800 is fourth in Aztec history, while her 1,500-meter effort of 4:34.16 is ninth.
Titus made the finals of the two events at the MWC outdoor meet and was 10th in the 800 at the U.S. junior nationals in June.
Senior Kylie Edwards is one of three Aztecs' who will complete their collegiate eligibility during the indoor season. Edwards was seventh at both 2003 conference meets in the mile (indoor) and 1,500 (outdoor) and looked strong at the tail-end of the most recent cross country season, finishing as the team's No. 2 runner in the last two races.
Newcomer Celeste Tyson will be expected to step up, while Nicole Carmier and Boyd could be factors in the 800.
DISTANCE
After successful cross country campaigns, the SDSU distance group is highlighted by newcomer Marie Nilsson and sophomore Christal Cuadra.
A transfer from Oklahoma State, Nilsson, who enters her junior year on the track, will give the Aztecs an instant opportunity to score points at the MWC meet in the distance events.
Nilsson put together one of the best Aztec cross country season's in recent memory in 2003, logging three of the school's top-four 6K times, including a record of 21:04 at the NCAA regional meet. She tallied five, top-seven individual finishes overall and became the first SDSU runner to earn a spot on the seven-member Mountain West Conference first team.
Nilsson was third in the 5,000 at the Swedish national championships in 2003, and will concentrate on that event and possibly the steeplechase for the Aztecs.
Cuadra, meanwhile, will shift her focus to the longer distance events - the 5,000 and the 10,000. Cuadra is coming off an outstanding cross country season which saw her tally five, top-20 finishes overall and post the eighth and 10th fastest 6K times in school history.
HURDLES
While SDSU may lack the depth it had in the hurdles a year ago, the Aztecs return their leader in 2003 in both events and welcome a talented newcomer who already has NCAA experience.
Ireland is just one year removed from her fourth-place finish in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA championships. She set a conference record in the event of 56.10, which trails only Olympian LaTanya Sheffield in the SDSU rankings.
"When we talk about Nicole, we're talking beyond the NCAA level," Sheffield said. "She has the ability to go all the way and is a tough competitor, who doesn't like to lose."
Not to be forgotten, Ireland is also the reigning Mountain West champion in the 100 hurdles and was eighth at the NCAA regional.
Ireland's counterpart in the hurdle events will be newcomer Heather Heron, a junior transfer from Cal State Northridge. Heron redshirted a year ago after advancing to the NCAA semifinals in the 100 hurdles in 2002. Her best time in the 100-meter event is 13.39, which would already put her in the top seven in Aztec history. Heron also has the ability to qualify for the NCAA regionals in the 400 hurdles and can help the team in the sprints.
"Heather has a lot of potential and is a great student on the track," Sheffield said. "She's going to do some great things for us and should make it back to nationals again this season."
The duo will be helped in the 100-meter race by freshman Janine Polischuk, while walk-on Nicole Rothert and Boyd will contribute in the 400 hurdles.
POLE VAULT
In what continues to be one of the team's strongest events year in and year out, the Aztec pole vaulting group will once again have quality depth.
Shayla Balentine returns for her third season on The Mesa, having already tallied both of the school's indoor and outdoor records. Balentine just missed making her second consecutive trip to the NCAAs despite tying the school record of 13-02.25 at the regional meet.
The Aztec coaching staff expects more consistency in 2004 from Balentine, who won both conference titles as a freshman, but was unable to finish higher than third as a sophomore.
"Shayla did a better job last year in terms of settling down, knowing what it takes and trying to stop putting so much pressure on herself," Sheffield said. "She expected to go out there and jump 13-8 and didn't realize that she wouldn't do that every meet. She has bought into the program and started to listen to what coach (Rich) Fox has to say."
Balentine will be challenged for the top slot by a pair of newcomers in junior Erin Asay and freshman Cara Walker.
Asay spent two years at nearby Cuyamaca Junior College, where she was the runner-up at the junior college state meet in 2003. Her career best of 11-10 would rank sixth in the Aztec record book.
Walker, meanwhile, was second at the 2003 state high school meet as a prep in Huntington Beach, Calif. Walker's career best vault of 12-8 was ninth nationally in the high school rankings a year ago.
JUMPS
One of the areas where the Aztecs was most improved a year ago was in the jumps, sweeping both the long and triple jump at the MWC outdoor meet.
Ireland leads the contingent in the triple jump after winning the event at the conference championships with a leap of 40-3.25, ranking fifth in school history.
While the triple jump is not Ireland's specialty, the same can be said for fellow senior Givens. Givens competed in the event for the first time in her career a year ago just two weeks before the MWC meet and ended up fifth with the school's 10th-best mark of 39-00.25.
Junior Megan Schauermann will be a double threat for the Aztecs in both the long jump and triple jump. For the first time, Schauermann will be able to devote her time exclusively to track and field after completing her SDSU volleyball career last fall with all-conference honors. Schauermann was third in the triple jump (39-10) and seventh in the long jump (17-10.75) at the 2003 MWC outdoor meet.
"If Megan Schauermann competes at the same intensity that she had this past volleyball season, she is going to win our conference," Sheffield said. " She's a great athlete, who has improved by leaps and bounds."
SDSU's top high jumper, Titus, returns after clearing an NCAA regional qualifying height of 5-7 as a freshman. Sophomore Carmier will add to the Aztecs' talent in the high jump, as will newcomer Polischuk, who will have an impact in all three jumping events.
THROWS
For the fourth straight year, senior Candace Hill will be the team's primary threat in the throwing events. Hill has continued to improve in all of her events, logging career highs in 2003 in the discus (162-9), the shot put (47-9) and the hammer (164-6). The San Diego native earned MWC athlete of the week honors a year ago after winning three events at the Aztec Classic, had a pair of top-five finishes at the MWC outdoor meet and participated at the NCAA regionals.
"Candace is the type of athlete who can rebound quickly," Sheffield said. "She may not score in her best event, but then has the ability to come right back and score in another event. She's on the right track this year and should be at her peak as her college career winds down."
Helping Hill in 2004 will be mid-year transfer Leslie St. Pierre. St. Pierre moves across town from Cuyamaca Junior College and should provide quality results in the discus and shot put.
MULTI-EVENTS
With MWC Freshman of the Year, Shanon Meyer returning, the team will get an added boost from Polischuk, who actually beat Meyer at this past summer's Pan Am junior championships, earning a bronze medal.
Polischuk is a two-time Canadian junior national champion and was 12th at the world youth championships in the heptathlon in 2001. Her strongest individual events will include the 100 hurdles and the long, triple and high jump.
Polischuk will receive help during the indoor season from two-time conference heptathlon champion Miller. Miller will be in search of her first MWC pentathlon title in an event which will make its debut at the NCAA indoor championships in mid-March.
THE SCHEDULE
After a limited indoor schedule, the real season begins for the Aztecs when they hit the outdoor track on March 13, for the San Diego City Championships. The squad will then play host to its only home meet of the year, the Aztec Classic on March 20, before it travels to the Florida Relays (March 25-27).
SDSU will look to defend its Cal-Nevada title when the meet kicks off April 3-4, in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Two cross country journeys to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. (April 9-10) and the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa. (April 22-24) sandwich the team's annual trip to the Mt. SAC Relays, April 15-18.
SDSU stays in California for the next three weekends, before the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships, which will be held for the first time in Las Vegas, Nev., May 12-15.
Following a week off, the Aztecs look to qualify for the national meet at the NCAA west regional, scheduled for May 28-29, in Northridge, Calif. The NCAAs round out the collegiate year, June 9-12, in Austin, Texas, which will serve as a precursor to the U.S. Olympic Trials, set for July 9-18, in Sacramento, Calif.