May 17, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - San Diego State won the pole vault and triple jump on the fourth and final day of the 2008 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at TCU's Lowdon Track and Field Complex on Saturday. The Aztecs finished in third place after accumulating 126 points during the four-day meet and ended competition behind first-time outdoor champion Colorado State (187) and Brigham Young (141).
Sophomore Stephanie Bagan emerged with the pole vault title after she cleared an MWC meet, Lowdon Track and Field Complex and personal-record 14 feet, 0.00 inches. Bagan's height was 9.75 inches better than BYU's Ashley McCallister who finished in second place with a vault of 13-2.25. With Bagan's effort, San Diego State became the first school in NCAA history to produce three different 14-foot pole vaulters, indoor or outdoor. Bagan joins Shayla Balentine, who cleared 14 feet in 2005 and Erin Asay, who did the same in 2006. The MWC outdoor win is the first of Bagan's career, but her third league title overall as she has won back-to-back indoor championships.
In addition to Bagan, SDSU had three other Aztecs score points in the event. Senior Christin Shibley came in third with a clearance of 12-7.50 and classmate Monica Pacas posted an identical vault while finishing in fourth. Freshman Katie Vo, competing in her first league meet, finished in seventh after logging a clearance of 12-0.50.
Prior to Bagan winning her event, junior Decontee Kaye successfully defended her triple jump title. The reigning champ won in a tiebreaker with TCU's Neidra Covington after both leaped an MWC Championship-record 43-1.75. Kaye was awarded her second straight triple jump crown as a result of her second-best jump of 42-9.75 being better than Covington's 42-7.50.
In addition to winning two events, San Diego State also logged three runner-up performances on the day. Both relay teams finished second to TCU with the 4x100 squad of senior Sherraine Pencil, junior Shana Solomon, senior Alicia Lowery and Kaye completing the race in 44.88 and the 4x400 relay (Pencil, freshman Kyanna Thomas, Kaye, senior Mandy Upuu) clocking in at 3:40.84. Both times were regional-qualifying efforts and the 4x100 mark was a 2008 SDSU best and ranks as the sixth-fastest in school history.
Pencil registered the other second-place finish for the Aztecs after she ran 53.11 in the 400-meter dash. For Pencil, she posted another regional-qualifying standard in the event, established a personal record and currently sits in seventh place on the school's all-time performance list. The Toronto, Canada, native also ran in the finals of the 200 and was SDSU's top athlete with a time of 23.53, which ranks fifth all-time at San Diego State, is a new PR and qualifies her for regionals.
Also running in the finals of the 200 was Solomon, freshman Jessika Hornsby and Kaye. Solomon recorded another regional time after coming in fifth (23.92), while Hornsby clocked in at 24.36 (eighth). Kaye crossed the finish line in 24.54 to place ninth.
In the finals of the 100, Solomon pocketed another regional-qualifying performance of 11.60 and finished in third place. Meanwhile, Lowery came in seventh after establishing a new personal-record of 11.75. It was Lowery's first regional-qualifying time that was not wind-aided and she enters the school's all-time top 10 in a tie for ninth place. Kaye crossed the finish line in eighth place with a lifetime-best 11.77.
Junior and multi-event athlete Kristin Olafsdottir wrapped up a busy week by coming in third place in the 400-meter hurdles. She ran 58.82 to record a regional-qualifying time, a new PR and the fifth-best performance in SDSU history.
Other Aztecs to score points on the day were Upuu in the 800 (5th, 2:09.93), Thomas in the 400 (5th, 55.12) and junior Andrea Martinez in the discus (7th, 144-7).
San Diego State will return to action May 30-31 when its regional-qualifying athletes travel to Northridge, Calif., for the NCAA West Regionals at Cal State Northridge.
Mountain West Conference Championships
Lowdon Track and Field Complex (Fort Worth, Texas)
Final Team Standings
1. Colorado State - 187
2. Brigham Young - 141
3. San Diego State - 126
4. TCU - 122
5. New Mexico - 78
6. Utah - 58
7. Wyoming - 46
8. UNLV - 35
9. Air Force 26