May 30, 2006
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State track and field squad will send two individuals and one relay team to next month's NCAA Championships, scheduled for June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif. Senior Erin Asay (San Diego, Calif.), freshman Nicole Stone (Ontario, Calif.) and the Aztecs' 4x400 relay team received at-large bids on Tuesday.
Asay, the 2006 Mountain West Conference pole vault champion, will be appearing in her first outdoor championship after placing seventh among an elite field of 17 athletes at the NCAA indoor meet on March 11. The Sweetwater High alumna finished 12th at last Saturday's regional, but earned an at-large berth as a result of her 13-9.25 clearance at the UCSD Triton Invitational on April 22, which ranks seventh in the nation.
Stone received an at-large invitation in the 400 meters, sporting the 19th-best time in the nation of 53.05 (altitude adjusted from 52.94), which she logged at the MWC Championships on May 13 in Provo, Utah.
Stone will also join senior Larnie Boyd (Vallejo, Calif.) and sophomores Sherraine Pencil (Toronto, Canada) and Brittani Dudley (Oakland, Calif.) on the team's 4x400 relay, which recorded the 20th-fastest qualifying time of 3:39.70 (altitude adjusted from 3:39.26) at the West Regional in Provo. Boyd also ran the opening leg of SDSU's 4x400 relay which finished 12th at the 2004 NCAA meet.
For the second in year in a row, Sacramento State will play host to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at the A. G. Spanos Sports Complex. Arkansas (men) and Texas (women) are the defending national champions.
SDSU Participants--2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
June 7-10, 2006
Sacramento, Calif.--A.G. Spanos Sports Complex
(Athlete--Event--Ranking Among NCAA Qualifiers)
Erin Asay -- Pole Vault -- 7th
Nicole Stone -- 400 Meters -- 19th
Nicole Stone, Larnie Boyd, Sherraine Pencil, Brittani Dudley -- 4x400 Relay -- 20th