May 27, 2006
PROVO, Utah - The San Diego State track and field squad narrowly missed qualifying its 4x400 relay team for next month's national championship meet Saturday at the NCAA West Regional on the campus of Brigham Young University. Despite running a season-best time of 3:39.26, the Aztecs' quartet of freshman Nicole Stone, senior Larnie Boyd and sophomores Sherraine Pencil and Brittani Dudley took fourth, just two seconds in back of third-place Stanford (3:37.16) and a trip to the NCAA finals.
The top three relays and the top five finishers in each individual event from each of the four NCAA regions earn automatic berths in the national championship meet, slated for June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif. The rest of the field will be filled by the next highest ranking individuals not receiving automatic berths, based on their performances throughout the season. The at-large bids are expected to be announced early next week.
Senior pole vaulter Erin Asay is one of those athletes on the bubble for a selection, following her 12th-place performance on Saturday. Asay and teammate Monica Pacas were among a group of six vaulters who cleared 12-11.75 in the event. Pacas, however, was awarded seventh place based on fewer misses in earlier attempts. Asay is still in contention for an at-large bid to the national meet, having entered the weekend ranked seventh in the nation and third in the West Region.
Meanwhile, Pacas' effort was a season best, which now puts her in fourth place on SDSU's all-time performance list. Junior Dana Van Wagner, the Aztecs' third vaulter at the meet, also logged a season-best clearance (12-6) to finish in a tie for 18th place.
Other top finishers for SDSU on the chilly afternoon included Stone and Boyd, who placed seventh (55.20) and eighth (56.60), respectively, in the finals of the 400 meters. Stone, who entered the meet with a No. 6 regional ranking in the event, also has an outside shot of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAAs.
Rounding out the Aztecs' contingent were juniors Lisa Crampton (18th - 11:23.67) and Celeste Tyson (19th - 11:24.47) in the steeplechase, freshmen Decontee Kaye (11th - 40-10.25) and Shana Watson (17th - 38-7.75) in the triple jump and freshman Leanne Taylor in the discus (T13th - 150-7).
SDSU, which qualified a program-best 15 athletes for the meet, finished in a tie for 16th place in the team standings with 10 points. Stanford and Southern California shared the top spot with 94 points apiece.
2006 NCAA West Regional Championships
BYU - Provo, Utah - Clarence F. Robison Track
Saturday's Final Individual Results (SDSU only):
400 Meters
7. Nicole Stone, 55.20
8. Larnie Boyd, 56.60
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
18. Lisa Crampton, 11:23.67
19. Celeste Tyson, 11:24.47
4x400 Relay
4. Stone, Boyd, Pencil, Dudley; 3:39.26
Pole Vault
7. Monica Pacas, 12-11.75
12. Erin Asay, 12-11.75
T18. Dana Van Wagner, 12-6.00
Triple Jump
11. Decontee Kaye, 40-10.25
17. Shana Watson, 38-7.75
Discus
T13. Leanne Taylor, 150-7.00