April 1, 2005
SAN DIEGO - Complete Release in PDF Format
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Aztecs To Compete In CS Northridge Meet
• The San Diego State track and field squad will compete at Cal State Northridge at 10 a.m. Saturday.
• Besides SDSU and the host Matadors, Iowa, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, UC Riverside and USC will be participating in the meet. At the 2004 NCAA outdoor championships, USC took 12th, Northern Arizona finished 22nd and CS Northridge was 76th, while the Aztecs were 27th.
Rewind: Florida Relays
• The San Diego State track and field squad journeyed east hoping to run some fast times and put up some big marks at the Coca-Cola Florida Relays. However, Mother Nature had different ideas as the final day and most of Friday's events were cancelled at the Florida Relays because of rain, thunder and lightning. It was the first time a full day of events were cancelled since 1996, when much of Percy Beard Track was underwater.
Prior to the storm, senior Marie Nilsson and sophomore Lital Azulay finished eighth and 12th, respectively, in the 5,000-meter run on Thursday. In a field of 42 athletes, Nilsson finished the race in 17 minutes, 40.97 seconds in her first 5,000 of the season, with Azulay 17 seconds back in 17:57.60.
Joining Nilsson and Azulay in the 5,000 were juniors Christal Cuadra and Christian Fairing. Cuadra was 18th in 18:18.34 and Fairing finished 23rd in a career-best time of 18:38.41.
Earlier on Thursday evening, sophomore Lisa Naucler took 15th in the 1,500 (4:38.76) and sophomore Celeste Tyson placed 32nd with a season-best time of 4:52.97.
On Friday, senior Shayla Balentine set a new school and Mountain West Conference record in the pole vault for the second consecutive week Despite windy and rainy conditions, Balentine cleared 13 feet, 6 ¼ inches to finish first in a field of 33 competitors. Balentine won the competition after claiming a jump-off against Randalene Sergent, who was competing unattached.
Freshmen Monica Pacas and Christin Shibley joined Balentine in the pole vault and placed eighth and 12th, respectively, each clearing 11-5 3/4.
Freshman Brittani Dudley was the only other Aztec to compete before the weather delay and finished the 400-meter dash in 57.85.
In Shayla We Trust
• Senior Shayla Balentine is making the most of her final season on The Mesa. The Los Osos, Calif., native is tied for the top collegiate mark in the nation after clearing 13-6 1/4 at the Florida Relays. Despite windy and rainy conditions, Balentine bettered the SDSU and MWC record in the event for the second straight week. The mark is also the fourth-best jump in the world according to the IAAF website and second-best in the United States this year.
The IAAF also listed Balentine as having the fifth-best leap among U.S. competitors during the indoor season (14-0) and the 40th-best mark in the world.
Foreign Flavor
• If you look at the SDSU season-best lists for the distance running events, you might think you were looking at a performance list outside the United States rather than a SDSU performance list. The top-three marks in the 1,500, and the top-two in the 3,000 and 5,000 have been run by student-athletes born outside the United States.
A Ljusdal, Sweden native, Lisa Naucler has the top-time in the 1,500 (4:37.19) and the second-best mark on the team in the 800 (2:11.29).
Not to be outdone, fellow Swede Marie Nilsson (Kil, Sweden) has the team's best time in both the 3,000 (9:59.65) and the 5,000 (17:40.97), and the second-fastest clocking in the 1,500 (4:38.95).
Coastal Carolina transfer Lital Azulay (Holon, Israel) has the second-fastest times in both the 3,000 (10:12.85) and the 5,000 (17:57.60), and the third-best mark in the 1,500 (4:45.69).
Heron's Old Stomping Grounds
• Heather Heron will see some familiar faces this weekend when she visits her old school, CS Northridge. Heron spent three seasons, including one redshirt year, at CS Northidge and helped the Matadors to a Big West team title as a sophomore.
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