Sept. 25, 2006
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Cross Country Weekly Release in PDF Format
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SDSU Cross Country to Run in Two Meets
The Aztecs will field two teams to participate in a pair of meets on Saturday, Sept. 30, as one group will travel to the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., while the other heads north on Interstate 15 for the UC Riverside Invitational.
The San Diego State `A' team will compete in Oregon beginning at 11:20 a.m. PT when it runs in the Women's Gold 5K. The race will be contested at McCulloch Stadium and Bush Park where runners will be faced with different surfaces, as grass, track, blacktop, cement and graveled paths dominate the course.
The Aztec `B' squad, meanwhile, will run at the UCR Agricultural Operations Course at 8:15 a.m. The course is 85 percent flat with a few rolling hills and also hard packed dirt with precompetition watering to reduce dust. Competitors will run through the shade of 100-year old orange groves and eucalyptus trees throughout the meet.
Mason Making Noise
After turning in the ninth-best SDSU time at the Fullerton Season Opener, with a clocking of 20:50 in the 5K, Jessica Mason has made tremendous strides in her last two races. At the Aztec Invitational, the Alameda, Calif., native was one of five point-earners as she finished with the fifth-best time on the team in leading SDSU to a fifth-place showing. Last week at the Griak Invite, San Diego State's first 6K race of 2006, Mason completed the race in 24:47, garnering the third-fastest time on the squad. So far this season, she is the only freshman to earn points and joins junior Meryl Follosco as the only newcomers to place among SDSU's top five.
Taking It Back to 2005: The Willamette Invitational
At the 2005 Willamette Invitational, Lital Azulay placed third out of 138 runners, finishing the 5K race in 17:10 to lead San Diego State to a fifth-place finish. Azulay's time was the ninth-fastest time in school history and currently is No. 10 on the all-time 5K list. In addition to Azulay, Lisa Crampton (12th; 17:32), Christal Cuadra (23rd; 17:54) and Lisa Naucler (30th; 18:09) all finished in the top 30.
Taking It Back One More Time: The UC Riverside Invitational
Last year, the Aztecs sent four runners to Riverside, Calif., to compete in the collegiate open division of the UCR Invitational. Dora Sanders placed 37th of 131 runners with a time of 19:57.10, while Amanda Maydeck (57th; 20:47) and Anne Vieira (68th; 20:59) also completed the race. Jackie Duncan made the trip as well and ran unattached, finishing 23rd with a time of 19:29.
A Look Back at Meet No. 3: Roy Griak Invitational
For a second straight week, Celeste Tyson led the way for the Aztecs as San Diego State turned in a 31st-place finish at the highly competitive 21st Annual Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota's Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn.
A week after being SDSU's top runner at the 5K Aztec Invitational, Tyson finished the 6K race, San Diego State's first of the season, in 23:49. Meryl Follosco continued her trend of finishing among the team's top-two runners, as she followed Tyson with a time of 24:11.
Jessica Mason, in her first 6K race as a collegian, posted SDSU's third-best time of 24:47. Rounding out SDSU's point earners were Lital Azulay (25:35) and Lisa Naucler (25:38).
Other Aztecs who finished the race were senior Jackie Duncan (25:48) and freshman Stephanie Armstrong (26:10).
Upperclassmen Leading By Example
Through three races, 13 of San Diego State's 15 runners who earned points have been upperclassmen. At the Fullerton Season Opener (Sept. 2), Meryl Follosco (Jr.), Celeste Tyson (Sr.), Lisa Naucler (Jr.), Jackie Duncan (Sr.) and Sara Cates (Sr.) were SDSU's top-five finishers helping the Aztecs to a fourth-place showing. Two weeks ago at the Aztec Invitational, SDSU was led by Tyson, Follosco, Cates, Naucler and freshman Jessica Mason. And last week at the Griak Invite, the Aztecs were led by a different combination as Tyson, Follosco, Mason, Azulay and Naucler led the way. A year ago, 10 of the Aztecs' 15 point-earners were upperclassmen.
Deadly Duo
Celeste Tyson and Meryl Follosco have been staples at the top of SDSU's results list so far this season as they have finished one-two in each of the Aztecs' first three races. Follosco, a junior college transfer, impressed in her first meet as she finished 16th at the Fullerton Season Opener to garner MWC athlete of the week honors, while Tyson finished with the second-fastest SDSU time. At the Aztec Invitational and in last week's Roy Griak Invite, Tyson, a senior, returned the favor as she was SDSU's top runner with Follosco crossing the finish line right behind her.