Feb. 6, 2010
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Redshirt junior Stephanie James and senior Karoline Koehler each qualified automatically for the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with their performances over the weekend at the New Mexico Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.
On Friday night, James, who redshirted both the indoor and outdoor season a year ago, won the pole vault with a leap of 14 feet, 0 inches. The mark was an indoor personal best, tied Shayla Balentine (2005) for the second-best vault in indoor school and MWC history, and tied for the fifth-best mark in the country (entering this weekend). James, a two-time All-American in the pole vault (2008 indoor, 2008 outdoor), bettered her previous indoor best by three and ½ inches.
Koehler, meanwhile, was the top collegian and took second overall in the triple jump with a leap of 44-06.75. Entering the weekend, the best triple jump in the nation was 44-03.00 by Middle Tennessee State's Sarah Nambawa. Koehler, who last week provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet in both the 60-meter dash and the long jump, was just 1 ½ inches shy of her school-record leap of 44-08.25, set during the 2008 campaign. Koehler also won the 60 meters (7.43 seconds) and took third in the 200 (24.63).
"Stephanie really came out and set the tone for our other big time performers on the team," first-year head coach Shelia Burrell said. "She auto-qualified (for the NCAA indoor championships) in her first meet of the year. Karoline is still working on some elements in both her sprints and jumps. For her to jump less than two inches below her (personal record) in her first triple jump competition of the season is encouraging. I think she has a faster 60 in her still."
Senior Nicole Stone continued her strong start to her final indoor season as she finished second in the 400-meter dash in an indoor personal-best time of 53.80. The time improved her NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 54.29, set last week at the Mountain T's Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz., and moved her into second-place on the school's all-time indoor list (Tonette Dyer - 53.51). Only 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist (4x400-meter relay) Natasha Hastings ran faster at 52.98.
"I was impressed with Nicole Stone's 53.80," Burrell said. "She ran very well against an Olympic athlete and kept her composure throughout the race."
SDSU also produced nine other top-10 indoor marks in school history, beginning with the 5,000 meters, which was held Friday night. Senior Rachel Williams set a school record in 18:28.29. That mark is even more impressive considering it was run at 4,958 feet. With the altitude conversion, that time drops to roughly 18:02.01. Other top-10 marks in the 5K came from Jordan Davis (19:23.87, No. 5 indoor all-time), Michelle Martinez (19:43.36, No. 6) and Sara Beyers (19:46.07, No. 7).
In the 800 meters, Josefine Koskinen took third in 2:12.80, which ranks as the third-fastest time in school history, while Annimari Korte's 8.59 clocking in the 60-meter hurdles bettered her last season's best by 0.02 seconds and ranks as the seventh-fastest time in program history.
Kai Wheeler and Alex Evans completed San Diego State's dominance in the triple jump as they joined Koehler to finish second, third and fourth in the triple jump as the top collegiate finishers. Wheeler's leap of 39-08.50 is the fifth-best mark in school history, while Evans' 39.04.50 ranks as the seventh-best mark. In the pole vault, Katie Vo cracked the top-10 indoor list when she cleared 12-01.50.
The Aztecs will be back in action on Saturday when they head to the Azusa Pacific Indoor All-Comers and the UCSD Vault-a-Thon Meet (pole vaulters).
New Mexico Classic
The Albuquerque Convention Center - Albuquerque, N.M.
60 Meters: 1. Karoline Koehler - 7.43 (prelim - 7.48); 7. Kai Wheeler - 7.77 (prelim - 7.82); 9. Alicia King - DNQ (prelim - 7.85); 12. Jessika Hornsby - DNQ (prelim - 7.85); 16. Annimari Korte - DNQ (prelim - 7.93); 21. Briana Johnson - DNQ (prelim - 8.13)
60 Meter Hurdles: 2. Annimari Korte - 8.59 (No. 7 SDSU indoor all-time) (prelim - 8.61); 4. Briana Johnson - 8.79 (prelim - 8.97); 10. Kierstan Kirkland - DNQ (prelim - 8.99); 14. Alex Evans - DNQ (prelim - 9.24)
200 Meters: 3. Karoline Koehler - 24.63; 8. Jessika Hornsby - 25.38
400 Meters: 2. Nicole Stone - 53.80 (NCAA provisional qualifier; No, 2 SDSU indoor all-time)
800 Meters: 3. Josefine Koskinen - 2:12.80 (No. 3 SDSU indoor all-time); 9. Amy Brown - 2:17.84; 22. AnSherae Devine - 2:23.98; 27. Leigh Rutherford - 2:25.78
3,000 Meters: 15. Michelle Martinez - 11:01.71; 16. Rachel Williams - 11:08.88; 18. Sara Beyers - 11:23.06
5,000 Meters: 7. Rachel Williams - 18:28.29 (No. 1 SDSU indoor all-time); 11. Jordan Davis - 19:23.87 (No. 5 SDSU indoor all-time); 12. Michelle Martinez - 19:43.36 (No. 6 SDSU indoor all-time); 13. Sara Beyers - 19:46.07 (No. 7 SDSU indoor all-time)
4x400 Meter Relay: 2. SDSU `A' - 3:54.19; 6. SDSU `B' - 3:59.92
High Jump: 9. Sarah Kaster - 5-02.25; 10. Natalie Peterson - 5-02.25
Long Jump: 5. Kai Wheeler - 19-01.50; 10. Alex Evans - 17-09.50; 12. Julianne Alarcio - 17-07.00
Triple Jump: 2. Karoline Koehler - 44-06.75 (NCAA automatic qualifier); 3. Kai Wheeler - 39-08.50 (No. 5 SDSU indoor all-time); 4. Alex Evans - 39-04.50 (No. 7 SDSU indoor all-time); 13. Thoraya Morensey - 37-03.75
Pole Vault: 1. Stephanie James - 14-00.00 (NCAA automatic qualifier; T-No. 2 SDSU indoor all-time); 11. Katie Vo - 12-01.50 (No. 10 SDSU indoor all-time); 15. Kelsy Hintz - 11-07.75