Feb. 7, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU Track and Field to Compete in TCR Race Productions Invitational
The San Diego State track and field team continues its indoor season this Friday-Saturday, Feb. 9-10, at the inaugural TCR Race Productions Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. The meet, which is being held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, is the Aztecs' final tuneup before returning to the venue for the Mountain West Conference championships, Feb. 22-24.
SDSU will be one of 10 teams competing at the meet, including conference foes Air Force, Brigham Young, New Mexico and UNLV. Other teams scheduled to compete in the Land of Enchantment are Arizona, Arizona State, New Mexico State, Rice and Wayland Baptist.
The TCR Race Productions Invitational will be contested on a 200-meter Mondo oval with 60-degree banked turns and six 36-inch lanes. The straight is a panel system Mondo surface with eight 42-inch lanes, which is also the surface for the high jump. The pole vault, long jump and triple jump are on raised runways with Mondo surfacing. The throwing ring is a wood surface.
Following the meet, the Aztecs will return home to prepare for the 2007 MWC indoor championships taking place Feb. 22-24.
Upuu Opens Campaign Strong
Mandy Upuu opened her season on a high note after finishing in the top two of both of the events in which she competed last weekend in Flagstaff, Ariz., at the Mountain T's Invitational. The junior from Canada took home the 800-meter run invitational title after completing the race in 2 minutes, 16.99 seconds, the eighth-best time in school history. The win was the third 800 crown of her career and first coming during an indoor season. In addition to her first-place effort, Upuu came in second in the 400-meter dash open with a clocking of 58.32.
Vaulting to the Top
Freshman Stephanie Bagan turned in an impressive performance in her first collegiate event as she finished with the fourth-best vault in the 20-person field at the Mountain T's. The Granite Bay, Calif., native cleared 12 feet, 5.50 inches, the fifth-best in school history, to move atop the SDSU season-best list surpassing Dana Van Wagner, who leaped 12-3.50 at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.
Making Their Mark
Besides Stephanie Bagan's strong showing, other first-year Aztecs made their mark at the Mountain T's. Freshman Makenzie Mabry posted a runner-up finish in the one mile run open with a clocking of 5:51.28, while cross country teammate and fellow classmate Lindsay Barajas completed the 800-meter run open in third place with a time of 2:28.79. Kai Wheeler, another first-year Aztec, competed in the triple jump and came in second with a leap of 34-4.00.
Don't Forget About Us
In addition to the strong effort by the freshmen, SDSU also had solid performances from its returners. Sophomore and 2006 MWC Freshman of the Year Kristin Olafsdottir came in fourth place in the high jump with a leap of 5-3.75, while junior Monica Pacas (pole vault - 11-11.75) and senior Lisa Naucler (800-meter - 2:19.99) both finished fifth in their respective events.
A Year Ago at the Albuquerque Invitational
A year ago, San Diego State traveled to New Mexico for the Albuquerque Invitational and saw history made as Erin Asay broke the school's pole vault record with a leap of 14-0.50. In the process, Asay established a new MWC indoor record and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships en route to earning All-America honors.
Overall, it was a great day for SDSU as mulitple Aztecs turned in outstanding performances. Decontee Kaye set an NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a triple jump distance of 42-1.50, while Kristin Olafsdottir logged a pair of top-10 finishes in the 60-meter hurdles (third, 8.66) and in the high jump (eighth, 5-4.25). Olafsdottir also was a part of the 4x400 relay quartet (Larnie Boyd, Nicole Stone, Mandy Upuu) that crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 3:47.39 and Lisa Naucler came in third place with an 800 clocking of 2:19.79.
A Look Back at Meet No. 2: Mountain T's Invitational
The San Diego State track and field team wrapped up its first full-squad meet of the season on Feb. 3 at the Mountain T's Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz. Junior Mandy Upuu was SDSU's lone winner, but as a team, the Aztecs recorded nine top-5 finishes on the day.
Upuu was victorious in the 800-meter run invitational after she crossed the finish line in 2:16.99. In addition, Upuu came in second in the 400-meter open with a time of 58.32.
Others who had top-5 finishes include, Makenzie Mabry (2nd, mile), Lindsay Barajas (3rd, 800), Kai Wheeler (2nd, triple jump), Stephanie Bagan (4th, pole vault), Kristin Olafsdottir (4th, high jump), Monica Pacas (5th, pole vault) and Lisa Naucler (5th, 800).