May 17, 2018
NCAA West Preliminary Round Declared Athletes
INDIANAPOLIS -- The San Diego State Track & Field team has 11 athletes that have qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, the NCAA announced Thursday morning. The top 48 student-athletes in each individual event and the top 24 relay teams are selected to compete in the preliminary rounds, held May 24-26 in Sacramento, Calif. (West region) and Tampa, Fla. (East region).
This is the fourth consecutive year, the Aztecs have had at least 10 athletes qualify for regionals. Six Aztecs will be competing in multiple events. Seniors Ashley Henderson and Simone Glenn qualified for the 100, 200 and 4x100 meter relay. Lisa-Anne Barrow, Jalyn Harris and Tyra Lea will each be competing in the 400 and 4x400 meter relay. Rochene Smith will run the 100 and 4x100 relay.
Other Aztecs that qualified include Kaitlin Heri and Marissa Berry for the pole vault, Lakin Hatcher for the 4x400 meter relay, Callista Fletcher for the 4x100 relay and Je'Neal Ainsworth in the triple jump.
Henderson recently took home gold in the 100, 200 and 4x100 meter relay at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships and was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet. She enters the prelims tied for second in the region in the 100 (10.98) and third in the 200 (22.59).
Glenn earned a silver in the 200 and a bronze in the 100 at the MW Championships last weekend. Her season best time of 11.30w in the 100 is tied for 22nd and her 23.23w mark in the 200 is tied for 24th.
Barrow's time of 52.11 in the 400 earned her a gold at the MW Championships and was the third best time in school history. Her mark is the 12th best in the region. She also had qualifying marks in the 200 and long jump, but won't be competing in those events, instead putting all her efforts towards the 400 and 4x400 relay.
Harris earned bronze at the MW Championships with a personal best time of 53.59, good for the tenth best time in school history and the 33rd in the region. Like Barrow, she also qualified for the prelims in the 200 (23.32w), but will forego that event to focus solely on the 400 and 4x400 relay.
Tyra Lea will join Barrow and Harris in the 400. Her time of 54.06 is tied for 43rd in the region. The Aztecs haven't had an athlete qualify for the 400 at prelims since 2010 and are sending three this year, along with having the 10th best time in the 4x400 relay.
For the fifth straight year, the Aztecs will send at least two pole vaulters to prelims. Kaitlin Heri PR'd at the MW Championships, clearing 13' 5.75" (T-28th) to earn a silver medal. Marissa Berry won a bronze medal with a mark of 13' 1.75", tied for 44th in the region.
Je'Neal Ainsworth's season best leap of 41' 2.5" (wind-aided) in the triple jump is tied for 45th in the region. This is Ainsworth's third straight season qualifying for the prelims in the triple jump. The Aztecs time of 43.46 in the 4x100 meter relay is the fifth best in the region and they rank 10th in the 4x400 meter relay with a mark of 3:34.11.
The Aztecs are coming off their fourth Mountain West Outdoor championship in the last six years and its fifth overall, earning 10 all-conference honors in the process.
NCAA track and field fans can watch a live stream of the NCAA West Preliminary Championships as FloTrack Pro subscribers. The subscription will include access to all FloTrack live broadcasts, video on-demand from all events, documentaries, technique videos and more. Coverage of the preliminary competitions will be available May 24 - 26 at www.FloTrack.com. The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. June 6-10.
2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
NCAA West Prelims - Sacramento, Calif.
May 24-26, 2018
(Top 12 advance to championship rounds in Eugene, Ore., from June 6-10)
Listed by Regional rank
100m Dash
T-2. Ashley Henderson -- 10.98
T-22. Simone Glenn -- 11.30w
24. Rochene Smith -- 11.34w
200m Dash
3. Ashley Henderson -- 22.59
24. Simone Glenn -- 23.23w
400m Dash
12. Lisa-Anne Barrow -- 52.11
33. Jalyn Harris - 53.59
T-43. Tyra Lea -- 54.06
4x100m Relay
5. Smith, Glenn, Fletcher, Henderson -- 43.46
4x400 Relay
10. Hatcher, Barrow, Harris, Lea -- 3:34.11
Triple Jump
T-45. Je'Neal Ainsworth -- 41' 2.5w (12.56m)
Pole Vault
T-28. Kaitlin Heri -- 13' 5.75" (4.11m)
T-44. Marissa Berry -- 13' 1.75" (4.01m)