Feb. 15, 2014
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - San Diego State's Shanieka Thomas won the triple jump in her 2014 debut to lead the Aztec track and field team at the Don Kirby Collegiate Elite Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M.
Thomas, the defending NCAA outdoor triple jump champion and one of 10 on the preseason watch list for The Bowerman Trophy (top collegian), beat out 27 other entrants in the event with a leap of 45 feet, 3 inches (13.79m). That is the best mark in the nation this year, according to TFRRS.org. Thomas was runner-up in the triple jump at the NCAA indoor championships a year ago and has won the last four MW triple jump titles (2012-13 outdoor, 2012-13 indoor).
Three other SDSU athletes logged top-10 marks in school history, including Meritzer Williams. Williams finished fourth in the 60-meter final with a clocking of 7.59 seconds. The mark, which came after she ran 7.64 in the prelims, is tied for the seventh-best time in school history.
Jasmine Burrell took eighth out of 24 in the shot put at 49-09.75 (15.18m), while Brittany Gonter (44-08.75) (13.62m)), Nicole Oudenaarden (43-09.25 (13.34m)) and Ariel Oliver (42-08.75 (13.02m)) finished 14th, 15th and 17th, respectively. Gonter's mark was the sixth best in school history and Oliver's was No. 8 all-time at San Diego State.
Kristen Brown, meanwhile, came in sixth in the pole vault, clearing 13-05.75 (4.11m). She also ran the third-fastest 60 hurdles prelims time of 8.32 seconds.
Chelsea Kruthers was sixth in the mile in a very impressive time of 5:08.78 at altitude, while Allison Reaser clocked an 8.52 in the 60 hurdles prelims, which was the eighth-fastest time.
The Aztecs will defend their title at the Mountain West Championships from Feb. 27-March 1 in USAFA, Colo.
Don Kirby Collegiate Elite
Albuquerque, N.M. - Univ. of New Mexico
Saturday, Feb. 15 (Day Two of Two)
Team Results
No team scores
Individual Results (SDSU only)
60 Meters (section B prelims) (out of 14 entrants)
1. Kennadi Bouyer (Mississippi) - 7.52q
5. Meritzer Williams (SDSU) - 7.64q
60 Meters (section B finals) (out of 8 entrants)
1. Kennadi Bouyer (Mississippi) - 7.52
4. Meritzer Williams (SDSU) - 7.59 (T-7th all-time at SDSU)
Mile (out of 11 entrants)
1. Jordan Hasay (Nike Oregon Project) - 4:43.58
6. Chelsea Kruthers (SDSU) - 5:08.78
60-Meter Hurdles (section A prelims) (out of 11 entrants)
1. Sasha Wallace (Oregon) - 8.19q
3. Kristen Brown (SDSU) - 8.32q
8. Allison Reaser (SDSU) - 8.52q
60-Meter Hurdles (section A finals) (out of 7 entrants)
1. Sasha Wallace (Oregon) - 8.10
--. Kristen Brown (SDSU) - DNF
Pole Vault (out of 30 entrants)
1. Jenn Suhr (adidas) - 15-05.50 (4.71m)
6. Kristen Brown (SDSU) - 13-05.75 (4.11m)
Triple Jump (out of 28 entrants)
1. Shanieka Thomas (SDSU) - 45-03.00 (13.79m)
Shot Put (out of 24 entrants)
1. Kayla Kovar (Southern Utah) - 55-10.50 (17.03m)
8. Jasmine Burrell (SDSU) - 49-09.75 (15.18m)
14. Brittany Gonter (SDSU) - 44-08.25 (13.62m) (No. 6 all-time at SDSU)
15. Nicole Oudenaarden (SDSU) - 43-09.25 (13.34m)
17. Ariel Oliver (SDSU) - 42-08.75 (13.02m) (No. 8 all-time at SDSU)