Oct. 2, 2006
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Cross Country Weekly Release in PDF Format
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SDSU Cross Country to Compete at UCSD Triton Classic
The Aztecs will stay close to home this weekend as they travel to La Jolla, Calif., for the UCSD Triton Classic, Saturday, Oct. 7. The 6K meet is set for a 9:30 a.m. PT start and will be contested on the campus of UC San Diego.
SDSU, which ran in two meets, is coming off a weekend in which all of its competing runners set either Aztec career bests or season-low times with many entering the 2006 5K top-times list. Their efforts led them to a seventh of 19 finish at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., and a 12th of 20 performance at the UC Riverside Invite.
Tyson Setting the Tone
In her first race of the season, the Fullerton Season Opener, Celeste Tyson ran the Aztecs' second-fastest time at 19:18.40. Since then, the senior captain has improved on her 5K time each week and has crossed the finish line first for SDSU.
In the team's next race, the Aztec Invitational, Tyson shaved nearly 20 seconds off her previous time, finishing in 20th place at 18:58.00. Last week, she came in ninth, set a personal best, turned in the fastest time in 2006 and the second fastest inthe Mountain West Conference heading into the weekend, with her 17:54.95 clocking at the Willamette Invitational. Brigham Young's Kassie Anderson ran the BYU Autumn Classic in 17:54.30.
At the Roy Griak Invitational, the lone 6K meet of the season for San Diego State, Tyson was the Aztecs' top runner with a time of 23:49.00.
Aztecs Improving as Season Progresses
As the season moves forward, the Aztecs continue to improve. Of the top-10 5K times of 2006, six occurred over the past weekend, including the top three. What is more telling is the amount of runners who set SDSU career- or season-low times last weekend. Eight Aztecs (Tyson, Follosco, Mason, Armstrong, Mabry, Walker, Barajas, Buc) established SDSU career bests, while five others (Naucler, Azulay, Duncan, Maydeck, Vieira) set season-low times.
Mabry Going About Her Business
While the SDSU `A' team was running at the Willamette Invitational, freshman Makenzie Mabry quietly led the Aztec `B' squad at the UC Riverside Invitational. Even though the Aztecs finished 12th, Mabry found her way onto the 2006 5K top-10 list with her 19:11.00 performance. Her effort ranks as the seventh-fastest time of the season and was the fifth-fastest mark among all SDSU competitors over the weekend. It is the first time since after the Fullerton Season Opener that Mabry has found herself on this season's 5K top 10.
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 three races. At the Aztec Invitational, the Alameda, Calif., native finished with the fifth-best time on the team helping SDSU to a fifth-place showing. Two weeks ago 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. Last week, Mason continued to excel as she again owned SDSU's third-best time of the race and of the season posting a 5K effort of 18:57.55 at the Willamette Invitational.
Taking It Back to 2005: The UCSD Triton Classic
During the 2005 UCSD Triton Classic, the Aztecs sent select runners to compete, while giving its `A' team the week off. Dora Sanders was the first Aztec to cross the finish line, covering the 6,000-meter course in 25:15 to finish 76th out of 184 runners.
Also competing were Amanda Maydeck (88th - 25:33) and Anne Vieira (116th - 26:31). Jackie Duncan, who ran unattached for a second consecutive week, clocked in with a time of 23:52 to finish 28th in the race.
A Look Back at Week No. 4: Willamette Invitational and UCR Invite
Celeste Tyson, who established an Aztec career best and turned in the team's fastest 5K time of the season, led SDSU to a seventh-place finish at the Willamette Invitational at Bush Park in Salem, Ore. Tyson, who completed the race in 17:54.95, was one of four Aztecs to set an SDSU personal best, while three others put forth season-best efforts.
Tyson was the Aztecs top runner for a third straight week and in the process, posted her best finish of the season as she placed ninth of 180 runners.
Meanwhile, the SDSU `B' team ran at the UC Riverside Invitational. The six-member squad also had a successful day as they all turned in Aztec career bests or season-low performances en route to a 12th-place effort. Makenzie Mabry enjoyed her best day as an Aztec as she finished the race in 19:11.00 (41st), shaving 1:26 off her previous top time.