Feb. 23, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - San Diego State freshman Stephanie Bagan finished in first place in the pole vault to help the Aztecs solidify their hold on third place after second-day action of the 2007 Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center. SDSU heads into the final day of competition with 34 points trailing only Brigham Young (68.5 points) and Colorado State (59).
A native of Granite Bay, Calif., Bagan established a lifetime-best vault of 13 feet, 5.25 inches en route to being crowned MWC champion and earning all-conference accolades. Her performance was not only tops in the league, but she matched fellow freshman Kylie Hutson of Indiana State for the 11th-best vault nationally and improved her standing at San Diego State, moving up from fifth place to third in school history. Bagan also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships next month in Fayetteville, Ark.
Overall, it was a good day for Aztec pole vaulters as junior Monica Pacas finished in fourth place after she cleared 12-4.75, while senior Dana Van Wagner cleared the same height and ended the competition in a tie for sixth.
Besides the aforementioned athletes, San Diego State enjoyed other outstanding performances in a number of events with nine qualifying for tomorrow's finals.
In the 60-meter dash, sophomore Karoline Koehler turned in a second-place effort of 7.60 seconds to qualify for the eight-person final at 12:55 p.m. MST. Koehler also competed in the long jump where she leaped 19-9.50 to come in fifth place.
Teammates Sherraine Pencil and Shana Solomon also advanced to Saturday's 60-meter finals with season-best qualifying times of 7.62 and 7.65, respectively. Later in the day, Pencil was heard from again when she placed first in Heat 8 with a 200-meter dash time of 24.59 to become eligible for the finals.
The one-mile run also produced great results for SDSU as seniors Celeste Tyson and Lisa Naucler qualified for the finals. Tyson completed the race in 5:15.44, while Naucler crossed the finish line in 5:17.29.
Other Aztecs to advance to Saturday's finals include Nicole Stone in the 400 (55.41-season best), Mandy Upuu, who ran a season-best 800-meter time for a third straight meet, clocking in with a time of 2:14.21 and Kristin Olafsdottir in the 60-meter hurdles (8.70).
The San Diego State distance medley relay team of Tyson, Priscilla Chapu, Upuu and Naucler ended the day on a high note as they turned in the third-fastest performance of the day. The quartet finished with a time of 12:32.62 to earn medalist honors.
The MWC Championships will conclude tomorrow beginning at 10:30 a.m. MST.
2007 Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships
Albuquerque Convention Center (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Team Standings (after six events scored)
1. Brigham Young - 68.50 points
2. Colorado State - 59
3. San Diego State - 34
4. Utah - 25.50
5. Wyoming - 20
6. TCU - 12
7. New Mexico - 5
8. Air Force - 5
9. UNLV - 4