April 4, 2014
LA JOLLA, Calif. - Backed by three individual victories, the 11th-ranked San Diego State track and field team has a 55-point lead after the first day of the Cal/Nevada Championships at nearby UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif.
The Aztecs, who have won three straight Cal/Nevada titles, have amassed 83 points after six events, 55 points ahead of second-place UC Irvine (28). Long Beach State (26), UCSD (19) and UNLV (18) round out the top five of the 19 scoring teams.
SDSU received individual wins from Kristen Brown, Jasmine Burrell and Shanieka Thomas, while two others - Dynasty Gammage and Allison Reaser - won their respective preliminary rounds.
Brown beat out 26 other entrants in the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 9 ½ inches (3.90m). Teammate Kortney Ross had the same height, but Brown was awarded first with the fewest number of attempts at 12-09.50.
Burrell, who on Tuesday was named the MW Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week for her performances last weekend at the 36th annual Aztec Invitational, captured the discus throw with a heave of 174-09 (53.27m), defeating 25 other entrants.
Thomas, the defending NCAA champion in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump, made her outdoor debut a good one by taking down the long jump with a leap of 19-10.75 (6.06m). The mark was the sixth-best in school history.
Two others had runner-up finishes for San Diego State, including Brittany Bozeman in the long jump (wind-aided 19-08.25 (6.00m)) and Grace Hanshaw in the 10,000-meter run in 37 minutes, 20.17 seconds. Hanshaw just missed the school's all-time top-10 list (37:15.40 is the No. 10 spot).
Other top-10 showings in non-prelim events came from Alexa Evans (third, 154-06 (47.10m)), Rachel Alesi (sixth, 147-07 (44.98m)), Brittany Gonter (ninth, 139-06 (42.51m)) and Ariel Oliver (10th, 139-05 (42.49m)) in the discus throw, Marianne Hogan (fifth, 17:48.66) and Jessica McCall (eighth, 18:03.21) in the 5,000, Nicole Oudenaarden in the javelin throw (sixth, 144-00 (43.89m)), Reaser in the long jump (seventh, 18-10.00 (5.74m)) and Thresa Vinson (tied-seventh, 11-05.75 (3.50m)) and Karen Snapper (tied-ninth, 11-05.75 (3.50m)) in the pole vault.
The Aztecs also advanced eight into Saturday's championship heats, led by Gammage's prelims win in the 800 (2:12.38) and Reaser's victory in the 400 hurdles (59.44). Four more moved on in the 100 hurdles, led by Reaser (second, 13.78), Brown (third, 13.85), Madison Gipson (seventh, 14.30) and Karsen Sper (eighth, 14.43). Chelsea Kruthers (seventh, 2:13.42) and Renetia James (eighth, 57.06) also advanced in the 800 and 400, respectively.
On Saturday, the hammer throw starts at 11 a.m. PT with the 4x400-meter relay ending the meet at 4:25 p.m. PT.
2014 Cal/Nevada Championships
Day One of Two
April 4, 2014
Team Results (after 6 events) (out of 19 scoring teams)
1. No. 11 San Diego State - 83
2. UC Irvine - 28
3. Long Beach State - 26
4. UC San Diego - 19
5. UNLV - 18
Individual Results
200 Meters (prelims) (out of 30 entrants)
1. Ashley Sims (Cal State Fullerton) - 24.27q (wind-aided)
14. Janice George (SDSU) - 25.46
19. Madison Gipson (SDSU) - 25.65
400 Meters (prelims) (out of 27 entrants)
1. Katie Wilson (Cal State Fullerton) - 55.02q
8. Renetia James (SDSU) - 57.06q
16. Janice George (SDSU) - 57.79
23. Maderia Toatley (SDSU) - 1:01.36
800 Meters (prelims) (out of 34 entrants)
1. Dynasty Gammage (SDSU) - 2:12.38q
7. Chelsea Kruthers (SDSU) - 2:13.42q
5,000 Meters (out of 41 entrants)
1. Melissa Skiba (Cal Lutheran) - 16:48.24
5. Marianne Hogan (SDSU) - 17:48.66
8. Jessica McCall (SDSU) - 18:03.21
16. Rachel Roesgen (SDSU) - 18:24.08
24. Elaine Ribeiro (SDSU) - 18:40.12
28. Hannah Sawatzki (SDSU) - 18:58.83
10,000 Meters (out of 23 entrants)
1. Paige Hughes (UC San Diego) - 37:04.39
2. Grace Hanshaw (SDSU) - 37:20.17
100-Meter Hurdles (prelims) (out of 36 entrants)
1. Megan George (UC Irvine) - 13.77q
2. Allison Reaser (SDSU) - 13.78q
3. Kristen Brown (SDSU) - 13.85q
7. Madison Gipson (SDSU) - 14.30q
8. Karsen Sper (SDSU) - 14.43q
T21. Brittany Bozeman (SDSU) - 15.13
400-Meter Hurdles (prelims) (out of 33 entrants)
1. Allison Reaser (SDSU) - 59.44q
19. Lily Mayko (SDSU) - 1:06.32
Pole Vault (out of 27 entrants)
1. Kristen Brown (SDSU) - 12-09.50 (3.90m)
2. Kortney Ross (SDSU) - 12-09.50 (3.90m)
T7. Thresa Vinson (SDSU) - 11-05.75 (3.50m)
T9. Karen Snapper (SDSU) - 11-05.75 (3.50m)
Long Jump (out of 27 entrants)
1. Shanieka Thomas (SDSU) - 19-10.75 (6.06m) (No. 6 all-time at SDSU)
2. Brittany Bozeman (SDSU) - 19-08.25 (6.00m) (wind-aided)
7. Allison Reaser (SDSU) - 18-10.00 (5.74m)
24. Starlynn Singleton (SDSU) - 17-01.50 (5.22m)
Discus Throw (out of 26 entrants)
1. Jasmine Burrell (SDSU) - 174-09 (53.27m)
3. Alexa Evans (SDSU) - 154-06 (47.10m)
6. Rachel Alesi (SDSU) - 147-07 (44.98m)
9. Brittany Gonter (SDSU) - 139-06 (42.51m)
10. Ariel Oliver (SDSU) - 139-05 (42.49m)
Javelin Throw (out of 28 entrants)
1. Allison Updike (Azusa Pacific) - 163-07 (49.87m)
6. Nicole Oudenaarden (SDSU) - 144-00 (43.89m)
14. Brittany Bozeman (SDSU) - 117-03 (35.74m)
15. Rachel Alesi (SDSU) - 116-03 (35.42m)