March 1, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State senior Karoline Koehler earned the league's High Point Award on the third and final day of the Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Air Force Academy. Overall, the Aztecs finished in fourth place with 94 points behind champion TCU (129), Colorado State (121.50) and Brigham Young (112).
Koehler participated in four championship events on Saturday and competed in multiple events at the same time throughout the day. In the triple jump, she posted a runner-up finish by leaping a school- and personal-record and provisional qualifying mark of 43 feet, 5.00 inches. The senior also recorded two more top-5 efforts as she crossed the finish line in third in the 60-meter dash with a personal-record matching performance of 7.53 and came in fourth in the 200 with another personal-record mark of 24.56. In the high jump, Koehler found herself just outside the top five, but still set a personal best with a sixth-place clearance of 5-5.00.
Besides Koehler in the triple jump, SDSU was well represented as it claimed three of the top five spots. Junior Decontee Kaye finished in fourth with the second-best jump in school history, 42-5.25, and also established a new PR and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships. Classmate Shana Watson just missed an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, but did notch the third-best effort in SDSU history and set a personal record with a jump of 41-5.75. Sophomore Kai Wheeler, who finished in 10th, leaped 38-3.25 (6th all-time at SDSU) to set a new PR.
Similar to the triple jump, the 200 had an Aztec feel to it as well as freshmen Jessika Hornsby and Alicia King finished just behind Koehler. Hornsby finished in sixth with a personal-record time of 24.71, while King matched her PR after crossing the finish line eighth in 24.87. King also competed in the 60 and came in eighth with a time of 7.69.
Junior Kristin Olafsdottir competed in two events and finished eighth in the 60 hurdles (8.76) and ninth in the high jump (5-3.00), while classmates Tamara McMillan (12th; 40-11.00) and Andrea Martinez (16th; 37-7.25) took part in the shot put final. McMillan's toss was a personal record and the third-best mark in Aztec history.
Freshman Kyanna Thomas was the lone SDSU athlete in the 400 and she clocked in with a time of 57.36 (5th), just .01 second short of matching her PR in the event. Senior Mandy Upuu was the only Aztec in the 800 and she also finished in fifth place (2:12.59).
The Aztecs will open their outdoor season next Saturday, March 8, when they travel to UC San Diego for the San Diego City Championships. The meet is set to commence at noon.
MWC Indoor Track and Field Championships
Cadet Field House (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Final Team Standings
1. TCU - 129 points
2. Colorado State - 121.50
3. Brigham Young - 112
4. San Diego State - 94
5. Wyoming - 64
6. New Mexico - 51.50
7. Utah - 36
8. UNLV - 33
9. Air Force - 22