June 27, 2013
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State's Shanieka Thomas has been named the 2012-13 Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year, the league announced today. Thomas is the first Aztec (male or female) to win the award.
Established by the Mountain West Joint Council in May 2010, the MW Athlete of the Year Awards are bestowed annually to one male and one female student-athlete who have achieved athletic excellence during the past academic year. In addition to superior athlete achievement, criterion for the MW Athlete of the Year requires that nominees be in good academic standing throughout their season of competition, and demonstrate good character and conduct on and off the playing field.
Earlier in the year, Thomas was named the MW Women's Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year and the MW Women's Indoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year.
Thomas claimed a national championship in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships earlier this month with a leap of 46 feet, 4 ¾ inches (14.14 meters). The St. Andrew, Jamaica, native became the fifth individual NCAA champion in program history. Thomas, who finished runner-up in the event at both the 2013 indoor meet and 2012 outdoor meet, beat 23 other entrants. The 46-04.75, which came on her fourth attempt, easily defeated runner-up Andrea Geubelle of Kansas (44-08.75 (13.63m)).
Thomas, who was seeded first heading into the event with her school record, Mountain West record and MW meet-record jump of 46-05.25 (14.15m) at the MW Championships on May 11, went 44-04.50 (13.52m), foul and 44-09.75 (13.66m) in the first flight. She then posted the winning leap of 46-04.75 (14.14m) on her fourth attempt and followed with 46-02.50 (14.08m) and 45-07.75 (13.91m) on her final two jumps. Four of her six attempts would have won the competition.
Thomas also won the long jump (wind-aided 20-07.50) at the MW Championships and was a member of the Aztecs' winning 4x400-meter relay squad (3:35.41). Her performances helped SDSU win the MW Championships for the second time and first since 2003.
At the indoor NCAA meet, Thomas was second with a mark of 45-04.25 (13.82 meters). Thomas, a junior, led the nation most of the season with her mark of 46-02.50 (14.08m) at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational on Feb. 8. That is the eighth-best indoor mark in NCAA history, third best in a non-NCAA Championship meet, a MW record, a school record and a Don Kirby Elite Invitational Record (collegiate or non-collegiate).
Thomas was named the most outstanding performer at the 2013 MW Indoor Championships after she won the triple jump, placed second in the 400 meters (55.67) and was a member of the winning 4x400-meter relay (3:42.11) team, as SDSU won its first-ever MW indoor title.
Thomas, who is gunning for the IAAF World Championships "A" standard of 47-03.00 (14.40m), will represent Jamaica at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, on July 9.