May 13, 2017
LOGAN, Utah -
San Diego State track and field won six titles on the final day of the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships to win the program's third Mountain West crown in five years and its fourth overall on Saturday at Utah State's Ralph Maughn Stadium.
The Aztecs, which trailed Colorado State yesterday, 56-40.5, after three days of action, finished the conference meet with 159.5 points, 25.5 points ahead of the Rams (134). UNLV (93), Nevada (92.5) and Fresno State (67) rounded out the top five.
Eighth-year head coach Shelia Burrell earned her third Mountain West Coach of the Year honor (outdoor, 2014; indoor and outdoor, 2013). After winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes while anchoring SDSU's conference-best 4x100-meter relay team, junior Ashley Henderson was named the Women's Outstanding Performer of the Meet. She is the first Mountain West student-athlete to win three consecutive Outstanding Performer of the Meet awards (outdoor, 2016; indoor, 2017; outdoor, 2017).
"I'm extremely proud of my staff, my athletes, and our support team," Burrell said. "We came in knowing what we had to do but we had to compete as a team. We have a motto called, `team before self' and I think that this weekend, we came and showed what `team before self' is."
Henderson had a hand in two school records, running to a program-best time in the 100 meters (11.05), and anchored the 4x100-meter relay team to gold and a school record (42.99). She also raced to a personal best and the second fastest mark in program history with her win in the 200 meters (22.54).
"For us to win the title this weekend took not only work and dedication, but heart," Henderson said. "We work so hard every day and this was a well-deserved title."
In the Scarlet and Black's first track event of the day, the 4x100-meter relay, senior Micha Auzenne, juniors Simone Glenn, Rochene Smith and Henderson sprinted to the best time in San Diego State history en route to the league's top spot.
Freshman Andrenette Knight played a part in a pair of Mountain West titles. She won the 400-meter hurdles, racing to the fifth-best time in the SDSU record book (58.25), and was on the team's gold medal-winning 4x400-meter relay team (3:36.42), which set the Ralph Maughn Stadium record and ranked No. 10 in SDSU history.
Auzenne snagged a trio of medals. In addition to her role in the 4x100-meter relay, she won her third-straight 100-meter hurdles conference crown with the program's third-fastest mark (12.97), and snatched bronze in the 100-meter dash (11.46) to sit fifth in the program's all-time ranks.
"I just knew that I had to get out, run my race and do what I know I can do," Auzenne said. "I didn't know that I had it. But I knew if I got out and I made the other runners come and get it, it'd be a lot harder for them to beat me."
Glenn won silver in the 400 meters, getting narrowly edged out for a Mountain West title. Her 53.56 time, the program's eighth-fastest mark, was just .01 second behind Colorado State's Emily Romo.
Sophomore Je'Neal Ainsworth also medaled, leaping to a season-best 40-08.75 in the triple jump to collect bronze. Also earning a bronze medal was junior Melody Harris in the javelin throw (135-11).
"My staff and I have been pushing our team," Burrell said, "and they withstood the pressure and withstood all of the work that we put in. We've been pushing them really hard for this, and I'm very glad it paid off."
San Diego State will next compete at the NCAA West Regional Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas, from May 25-27.
Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships
May 10-13, 2017
Logan, Utah
Team Results
1. San Diego State - 159.5
2. Colorado State - 134
3. UNLV - 93
4. Nevada - 92.5
5. Fresno State - 67
6. Boise State - 61
7. Air Force - 59
8. Utah State - 42.5
9. New Mexico - 41.5
10. Wyoming - 36
11. San José State - 33
Individual Results (SDSU and winner of each event only)
Women's 100 Meters Finals (out of 8 entrants)
1. Ashley Henderson (SDSU) - 11.05 (0.2) (School Record)
3. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) - 11.46 (0.2) (No. 5 all-time)
5. Rochene Smith (SDSU) - 11.66 (0.2)
8. Starlynn Singleton (SDSU) - 12.03 (0.2)
Women's 200 Meters Finals (out of 8 entrants)
1. Ashley Henderson (SDSU) - 22.54 (-1.0) (No. 2 all-time) (PR)
4. Simone Glenn (SDSU) - 23.55 (-1.0)
6. Lisa-Anne Barrow (SDSU) - 23.84 (-1.0) (PR)
Women's 400 Meters Finals (out of 8 entrants)
1. Emily Romo (CSU) - 53.55
2. Simone Glenn (SDSU) - 53.56 (No. 8 all-time)
4. Tyra Lea (SDSU) - 54.20 (PR)
Women's 800 Meters Finals (out of 8 entrants)
1. Sadi Henderson (BSU) - 2:04.18
7. Monique McPherson (SDSU) - 2:10.38
Women's 5,000 Meters Finals (out of 29 entrants)
1. Alice Wright (UNM) - 16:17.42
22. Lily Seynaeve (SDSU) - 18:08.24
23. Christine Kent (SDSU) - 18:13.35
Women's 100-Meter Hurdles Finals (out of 8 entrants)
1. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) - 12.97 (1.5) (No. 3 all-time) (PR)
4. Sierra Brabham-Lawrence (SDSU) - 13.29 (1.5)
6. Andrenette Knight (SDSU) - 13.46 (1.5)
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles Finals (out of 8 entrants)
1. Andrenette Knight (SDSU) - 58.25 (No. 5 all-time)
7. Jasmine Young (SDSU) - 1:02.95
Women's 4x100-Meter Relay (out of 9 entrants)
1. San Diego State (Auzenne, Glenn, Smith, Henderson) - 42.99 (School Record)
Women's 4x400-Meter Relay (out of 10 entrants)
1. San Diego State (Lea, Barrow, Knight, McPherson) - 3:36.42 (No. 10 all-time)
Women's High Jump (out of 16 entrants)
1. Kaysee Pilgrim (SDSU) - 6-02.75
12. Hannah Taylor (SDSU) - 5-05.00
Women's Triple Jump (out of 18 entrants)
1. Jannell Hadnot (UNM) - 42-02.25
3. Je'Neal Ainsworth (SDSU) - 40-08.75
Women's Javelin Throw (out of 12 entrants)
1. Vanja Spaic (FSU) - 163-01
3. Melody Harris (SDSU) - 135-11
Women's Shot Put (out of 18 entrants)
1. Aaliyah Pete (CSU) - 55-08.50
6. Rachel Alesi (SDSU) - 48-05.50