March 30, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - The San Diego State track and field team received solid performances across the board on day one of the Cal-Nevada Championships at Warmerdam Field on the campus of Fresno State. The Aztecs qualified 23 athletes for Saturday's finals in nine different events with Karoline Koehler advancing in the 100, 200, long jump and triple jump.
The number three was a popular number surrounding the SDSU program as it qualified three Aztecs to the finals in six events. In the 100, Koehler, Sherraine Pencil and Shana Solomon all advanced to the Saturday's championship. Later in the day, the trio made it 2-for-2 as they finished among the field's best in the 200. Koehler, the reigning Mountain West Conference athlete of the week, established a lifetime best by crossing the finish line in 24.58 seconds in the 200, as well.
In the middle-distance events, San Diego State sent three apiece in both the 800 and 1,500. Mandy Upuu, Jackie Duncan and Lisa Naucler all advanced to the 800 final, while Duncan (4:44.30), Naucler and Celeste Tyson will run in the 1,500 championship. Naucler and Tyson punched their ticket to final by finishing 1-2 in Heat 1 after completing the race in 4:39.4 and 4:39.50, respectively.
The Aztecs also placed three athletes in the finals of the pole vault and triple jump. Stephanie Bagan, Monica Pacas and Dana Van Wagner were among the athletes to move on in the pole vault, while Decontee Kaye, Koehler and Shana Watson will vie for the triple jump crown.
Other events in which SDSU will be represented include the long jump (Watson, Koehler), 400 hurdles (Kristin Olafsdottir, Corri Campbell-Fell) and 100 hurdles (Olafsdottir - 14.51). Campbell-Fell's 1:01.97 performance in the 400 hurdles marked a season best for the sophomore from Canada.
In the field events, Michele Dannhausen established a pair of lifetime bests after she tossed 137-5 in the discus and threw 128-5 in the javelin. In addition to Dannhausen, Alicia Lowery ran a personal-best 24.82 in the 200, but fell just short of qualifying for the finals.
San Diego State will return to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 31, in Fresno, Calif., with the pole vault kicking things off for the Aztecs at 12:30 p.m. PDT.