Dec. 2, 2004
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State track and field coach Rahn Sheffield has announced the signing of five recruits on Thursday. Three athletes will join the squad in the upcoming spring season while two others signed National Letters of Intent for the 2005-06 season. The five notable recruits include three college transfers and two prep standouts.
Transfers Lital Azulay (Coastal Carolina), Lisa Naucler (Manhattan College) and Mandy Upuu (York University) should make an immediate impact for a team which won the 2003 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships.
Azulay, a native of Holon, Israel, brings an impressive resume to the Mesa after earning a bronze medal in the 3,000-meter run at the 2003 European Cup. Azulay also was the silver medalist at 2004 Israeli Nationals in the 10,000. Azulay's personal best times of 35:40 in the 10,000 and 17:05 in the 5,000 would put her fourth and ninth, respectively, on the all-time Aztec top-10 list.
Naucler (Ljusdal, Sweden) took silver medalist honors in the 1,500 at the 2002 Outdoor Youth Finnkampen after earning silver medals in the 800 and 1,500-meter events at the 2001 Swedish National Outdoor Championships. Naucler boasts personal best times of 2:10 (800) and 4:35 (1,500).
A native of Courtenay, British Columbia, Upuu comes to SDSU after winning the gold medal in the 400 at the 2004 British Columbia Championships. Upuu also took fifth at the 2004 NACAC Under-25 Championships and sixth at the 2004 Canadian Senior Nationals. Upuu's personal best time of 54.43 would put her 10th on the all-time Aztec top-10 list.
The two incoming prep athletes include Corri-Ann Campbell-Fell and Leanne Rae Taylor.
Campbell-Fell (Vancouver, British Columbia) is the Canadian Youth Record Holder in the 400 hurdles, having run a personal best time of 60.77. Campbell-Fell, who is currently attending Point Grey Secondary School, also won gold medalist honors at both the 2004 National Juvenile Championships and the 2004 British Columbia Junior Championships. She also placed second at the 2004 Canadian Junior Nationals. Campbell-Fell has competed in the 400 as well, running a personal best time of 56.02.
A native of Porterville, Calif., Taylor will compete in the throwing events for the Aztecs in the 2005-06 season. Taylor, who currently attends Porterville High School, was a 2004 State Qualifier and 2004 CIF Central Section Champion in the discus throw for the Panthers. Taylor has personal best throws of 142 feet, six inches in the discus and 40-6 for the shot put.