March 19, 2005
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State track and field team claimed three event titles in its only home meet of the year Saturday at the 26th annual Aztec Track & Field Classic at the SDSU Sports Deck. Seniors Shayla Balentine (Los Osos, Calif.) and Heather Heron (Yakima, Wash.) also posted NCAA regional qualifying marks in their respective events.
Balentine broke her own school record in the pole vault, clearing 13 feet, 4 1/4 inches, to win her second consecutive Aztec Classic pole vault title. The mark bettered last year's winning jump (12-4 1/2) by almost one foot.
Not to be outdone, Heron took first in a competitive 100-meter hurdle field, which included 2004 Olympic Trial semifinalist Tanisha Mills, with a time of 13.70 seconds. Heron also earned a second-place finish in the 400 hurdles (1:04.52).
Junior Nicole Carmier (Elk Grove, Calif.) tied for first in the high jump (5-7) and also placed in the top-three in the 800 (second place, 2:10.84) and 400 (third, 56.30) for the Aztecs.
The Aztecs also performed well in the mid-distance and distance events on Saturday, led by senior Marie Nilsson (Kil, Sweden) and sophomore Lisa Naucler (Ljusdal, Sweden). Nilsson finished second in the 3,000 (9:59.65) and was third in 1,500 (4:40.88), while Naucler took second in the 1,500 (4:39.44) and fourth in the 800 (2:14.39).
In other distance action, the trio of sophomore Lital Azulay (Holden, Israel), and juniors Christal Cuadra (Honolulu) and Christian Fairing (Irvine, Calif.) finished 3-4-5 in the 3,000 with times of 10:12.85, 10:29.30 and 10:41.51, respectively.
In the field events, sophomore Janine Polischuk (Regina, Saskatchewan) earned a second-place finish in the javelin with a toss of 127-6 and freshman Monica Pacas (Atascadero, Calif.) was second in the pole vault (12-0 1/2).
Other Aztec highlights included senior Jennifer Greene's (San Diego) third-place leap in the triple jump (26-7 3/4), junior Jamillah Titus (American Canyon, Calif.) in the high jump (second, 5-5) and the third-place finish by the 4x100 relay team (47.15).
SDSU will be back in action when it travels to the University of Florida for the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., March 25-26.