Sept. 14, 2005
SAN DIEGO -
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Cross Country Plays Host To 61st Annual Aztec Invitational Saturday
In its only home meet of the season, the San Diego State women's cross country team plays host to the 61st annual Aztec Invitational Saturday at Balboa Park.
The day commences at 8:00 a.m. with the women's open division and is followed by the women's invitational at 8:40 a.m. The men's open and invitational races begin at 9:15 and 10 a.m., respectively.
The women will run a 5K and the men are set for an 8K. The race begins and ends to the north and south of Laurel Street.
A total of 11 teams are expected to compete in the women's invitational meet, including no. 17 Arkansas. In the men's invitational, seven teams are slated to compete, including Northern Arizona, which has won the last three Aztec Invitationals and finished 24th at last year's NCAA championships.
Aztec Invitational History
History Tidbits: The meet first began with a men's race on December 18, 1943. A women's division was introduced 34 years later in 1977. For the first time in its history, the Aztec Invitational was cancelled in 2001 due to the events of September 11, and was not rescheduled. Former San Diego prep and UCLA standout Mebrahtom Keflezighi owns the men's meet record with an 8K time of 24:37 (1995), while Arizona's Joan Hansen ran the fastest women's 5K race in 16:47 (1981).
A year ago, the SDSU finished in 13th place out of 15 teams with 283 points. Then junior Christal Cuadra led the squad with a time of 19:44, finishing 35th out of 117 runners. Following Cuadra was sophomore Ali Baker (20:21), who finished in 61st place.
Duke University, ranked 20th at the time, won the invitational division with a near perfect 18 points, followed by Arizona (97 pts.). Duke's Shannon Rowbury won the individual title with a time of 17:03.
2004 Aztec Invite Results (Invitational Division) Final Team Results (Top 5): 1. Duke, 18; 2. Arizona 97; 3. Northern Arizona, 109; 4. Southern Utah, 149; 5. USC, 176; 13. San Diego State, 283.
Aztec Individual Results (2005 Returnees only):35. Christal Cuadra (19.44); 61. Ali Baker (20:21); 70. Celeste Tyson (20:28); 77. Sara Cates (20:43); 82. Jackie Duncan (20:54); 100. Jamillah Titus (21:32).
Fullerton Wrap-Up
The San Diego State women's cross country team opened its season with an impressive second-place finish on Sept. 3 at the Fullerton Season Opener at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton, Calif. The Aztecs tallied 100 points at the 24-team meet, which was won by UCLA (90 points).
"I thought we ran very well together as a group," assistant coach Jennifer Nanista said. "I was very happy with everyone's effort today. Our top six runners were only 49 seconds apart which is very, very good."
SDSU was led individually by junior Lisa Crampton (Livermore, Calif.) with a 19:11 clocking in the 5K race. The transfer from Belmont University paced the scarlet and black with a ninth-place finish.
Four other Aztecs placed in the top 40 including sophomore Lisa Naucler (17th, 19:33), junior Celeste Tyson (18th, 19:34), senior Christal Cuadra (21st, 19:37) and junior Sarah Belger (35th, 19:55).
San Diego State's second-place finish tied their highest ever standing at the Fullerton meet. The Aztecs also finished runner-up in both 1999 and 2000.
2005 Fullerton Season Opener Results
Final Team Results (Top 5): 1. UCLA, 90; 2. San Diego State, 100; 3. Loyola Marymount 115; 4. Cal State Fullerton, 120; 5. Concordia, 152.
Aztec Individual Results: 9. Lisa Crampton (19:11); 17.Lisa Naucler (19:33); 18. Celeste Tyson (19:34); 21. Christal Cuadra (19:37); 35. Sarah Belger (19:55); 55. Sarah Cates (20:31); 96. Lisa Marchini (21:12); 111. Ali Baker (21.30); 119.Briana Powell (21:40); 141. Dora Sanders (22:06); 148. Anne Vieira (22:12).