Nov. 15, 2012
SAN DIEGO -
2013 SCHEDULE | AZTEC INVITATIONAL INFO | AZTEC INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
The San Diego State track and field team has released its 2013 schedule, head coach Shelia Burrell announced today.
Highlighting the long season, which begins with the Cherry and Silver Invite in Albuquerque, N.M. on Jan. 18-19 and could go all the way to late June with the USA Outdoor National Championships, is the three-day 35th Annual Aztec Invitational from March 14-16.
The Aztec Invitational will once again feature some of the top collegiate teams and athletes in the country. The meet will include open, invitational and high school sections, and a special masters men's 100-meter dash (heats and finals).
The meet will kick off Thursday, March 14 with the first day of the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon. On Friday, the hammer throw will be held on the UC San Diego campus in nearby La Jolla, while the open sections, masters 100-meter heats and final day of the multi-events will take place at SDSU. The invitational and high school sections and masters 100-meter finals wrap up the three-day meet on Saturday.
San Diego State's first three indoor meets will take place in Albuquerque with the aforementioned Cherry and Silver Invite (Jan. 18-19), New Mexico Classic (Feb. 1-2) and the Don Kirby Elite (Feb. 8-9).
Following a week off, the Aztecs will compete in the Mountain West Indoor Championships from Feb. 21-13 in Nampa, Idaho. Last year, SDSU finished third at the championship meet, matching its best finish since 2004.
On March 2, a few San Diego State athletes will head to a last chance meet at a place to be determined with an attempt to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which is scheduled for March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Aztecs' outdoor season begins with the San Diego Collegiate Challenge at UCSD on March 9.
Following the Aztec Invitational from March 14-16, SDSU will look to capture its third consecutive Cal/Nevada Championships title on March 29-30 at UCSD.
In April, SDSU will compete in two meets (Cal State San Marcos Mangrum Invitational on April 6 and the Beach Invitational on April 20) and two prestigious relays (Mt. SAC Relays from April 18-19 and the Penn Relays from April 25-27).
San Diego State then heads to Los Angeles for the competitive Occidental Invitational on May 5 as a final tune-up for the championship season.
The Mountain West Outdoor Championships will be held in Las Vegas from May 8-11. Last year, the Aztecs finished fourth at the championship meet, thanks in part to individual titles by Whitney Ashley (discus throw and shot put), Allison Reaser (heptathlon), Shanieka Thomas (triple jump) and Holly Waseloff (pole vault).
Those who qualify will then advance to the NCAA Prelims (West Regionals) in Austin, Texas, from May 23-25.
The NCAA season closes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., from June 6-9. SDSU will look to duplicate its outstanding effort at the 2012 meet, when it tied for ninth with Tennessee. The ninth-place finish tied the program's best team in finish in program history (also 1985). Ashley became the fourth individual champion in school history and first since 1985 when she won the discus throw. Thomas, meanwhile, finished second on the podium in the triple jump and Reaser was sixth in the heptathlon.
The long season will end for a few San Diego State athletes at the USA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 19-23. The entire schedule can be found here.
Before the official season begins, the Aztecs will host its annual Red-Black Intrasquad All-Comers meet on Saturday, Dec. 1 on the Aztrack Sports Deck. The meet will be the second in the USATF San Diego-Imperial Association Winter Track Series. For more information on the Red-Black Intrasquad All-Comers meet, click here