May 13, 2006
PROVO, Utah - Freshman Kristin Olafsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland) culminated an impressive weekend on Saturday with a victory in 400-meter hurdles, leading the San Diego State track and field squad to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Clarence F. Robison Track on the campus of Brigham Young University. Senior Erin Asay (San Diego, Calif.) also captured the pole vault title as the Aztecs registered 121 team points, finishing behind champion BYU (183 pts.), Colorado State (150.50 pts.) and TCU (144 pts.).
"Overall, we had a very solid meet," said SDSU assistant coach Jennifer Nanista. "We had a lot of people step up and do well this weekend, particularly our freshmen. The way they went out and performed bodes well for us in the future. Our entire coaching staff is excited about this team's potential in the coming years."
Olafsdottir won the meet's high point award with 26 pts., which included a first-place finish in the 400-hurdles with a personal-best time of 59.33 seconds. She also placed second in the heptathlon (5,402 pts.), fourth in the 100 hurdles (14.08) and sixth in the long jump (18-2.25). For her efforts, Olafsdottir was named the MWC Freshman of the Year, becoming the first female athlete in league history to garner both high point and freshman accolades in the same season.
Asay recorded an NCAA regional qualifying height in the pole vault for the eighth time in nine meets this season with a first-place clearance of 13-5.25. With her performance, the Sweetwater High alumna becomes SDSU's fourth MWC pole vault champion, joining Shayla Balentine (2002, 2005) and Aimee Crabtree (2001).
In the triple jump, freshman Shana Watson (Oakland, Calif.) qualified for her second NCAA regional event of the season, placing second with a personal-best leap of 40-10.50, which now ranks fourth on the school's all-time list. The Aztecs received two additional regional qualifying performances on the afternoon from freshman Corri Campbell-Fell (Vancouver, Canada) in the 400 hurdles (third, 1:00.10) and junior Dana Van Wagner (Sparr, Fla.) in the pole vault (seventh, 12-5.50).
Meanwhile, freshman Nicole Stone (Ontario, Calif.) and sophomore Sherraine Pencil (Toronto, Canada) each recorded lifetime bests for the second day in row. Stone raced to a third-place finish in the 400 meters (52.94), while Pencil placed fourth and fifth in the 200 (23.97) and 100 (11.80), respectively.
In relay competition, SDSU's 4x400 team improved on its regional qualifying time as Stone and Pencil combined with senior Larnie Boyd (Vallejo, Calif.) and sophomore Brittani Dudley (Oakland, Calif.) for a runner-up finish with a season-best 3:40.65. Dudley, Stone and Pencil were also joined by freshman Shana Solomon (Long Beach, Calif.) on the Aztecs' second-place 4x100 relay team (45.85), which posted a season-best clocking as well.
SDSU will return to Provo in two weeks for the NCAA West Regional Championships, May 26-27, which will also be held on the BYU campus.
2006 Mountain West Conference Championships
BYU - Provo, Utah - Clarence F. Robison Track
Final Team Scores
1. Brigham Young, 183
2. Colorado State, 150.50
3. TCU, 144
4. SDSU, 121
5. New Mexico, 67.50
6. Utah, 65
7. Wyoming, 43
8. Air Force, 29
9. UNLV, 16
Saturday's Final Individual Results (SDSU only):
100 Meters
5. Sherraine Pencil, 11.80
7. Shana Solomon, 11.98
200 Meters
4. Sherraine Pencil, 23.97
8. Shana Solomon, 24.79
400 Meters
3. Nicole Stone, 52.94
7. Larnie Boyd, 54.97
8. Brittani Dudley, 56.11
800 Meters
4. Mandy Upuu, 2:11.93
9. Lisa Naucler, 2:33.14
1,500 Meters
5. Celeste Tyson, 4:37.30
11. Lisa Naucler, 4:57.88
5,000 Meters
8. Lisa Crampton, 18:02.65
-- Sarah Belger, DNS
100 Hurdles
4. Kristin Olafsdottir, 14.08
400 Hurdles
1. Kristin Olafsdottir, 59.33
3. Corri Campbell-Fell, 1:00.10
4x100 Relay
2. Dudley, Solomon, Stone, Pencil; 45.85
4x400 Relay
2. Stone, Boyd, Pencil, Dudley; 3:40.65
Pole Vault
1. Erin Asay, 13-5.25
7. Dana Van Wagner, 12-5.50
8. Monica Pacas, 12-5.50
Triple Jump
2. Shana Watson, 40-10.50
-- Decontee Kaye, Foul
Shot Put
8. Leanne Taylor, 43-3.75
9. Brittany Lowe, 42-2.00