May 2, 2004
IRVINE, Calif. - A week off from competition did not seem to faze San Diego State's Tonette Dyer (Shreveport, La.), as the senior recorded the world's fastest time by a woman in 2004 in the 200 meters of 22.34 Sunday at the Steve Scott Invitational in Irvine, Calif.
Dyer's effort of 22.34 beat the previous top time in the world and the collegiate rankings this year of 22.46 by University of Miami (Fla.) junior Lauryn Williams. Dyer's previous best in the event was 22.96, then a school and conference record, which she posted at the Sea Ray Relays in Tennessee on April 10.
Dyer's time easily gave her a third-straight 200-meter title in as many chances at the Steve Scott Invitational, as runner-up, Great Britain's Donna Fraser, who was fourth in the 400 meters at the 2000 Olympics, came in 0.71 seconds behind her in 23.05.
The highlights kept coming for Dyer on Sunday, as she also beat her own school and conference record in the 100 meters, finishing first in 11.29. The time was 0.13 seconds better than her performance of 11.42 at the Cal-Nevada championships on April 4, and moves her from 11th to 5th in the NCAA rankings this season.
Dyer's classmate Nicole Ireland (Las Vegas, Nev.) also had an outstanding meet, running a career best time of 23.30 in the 200 meters to tie for third place. Ireland's time moves her from fourth to second in the school record books and is No. 11 in the NCAA rankings in 2004.
Other top-three finishes on the day for the Aztecs went to the 4x100 relay (1st - 45.55), Megan Schauermann (Vancouver, Wash.) in the triple jump (2nd - 39-04.00) and Heather Heron in the 100 hurdles (3rd - 13.44).
The SDSU women's track and field squad heads to Los Angeles and Occidental College next Saturday (May 8) for the Oxy Invitational, its final tune-up prior to the conference championships in Las Vegas, May 12-15.