INDIANAPOLIS -- 11 members of the Aztec track and field team 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 23-25 in Sacramento, Calif. (West region) and Jacksonville, Fla. (East region). This is the fifth consecutive year the Aztecs have had at least 10 student-athletes qualify for regionals.
For the fourth time in program history the Aztecs will send four pole vaulters to the West Prelims (2008, '13, '15 and '19). Bonnie Draxler, the 2019 NCAA Indoor runner-up, leads the SDSU vaulters.
She is coming off her sixth overall Mountain West pole vault championship and currently has the second-best mark in the nation (14-09.50). She will be joined by Kaitlin Heri (13-11.00), Marissa Berry (13-06.25) and freshman Alysia Allen (13-02.25), who just earned a silver medal at the MW Outdoor Championships. Since 1999, SDSU has sent at least three vaulters to the west prelims 10 times.
Freshman Nyjari McNeil and sophomore Callista Fletcher will each compete in two events. McNeil will run the 800m, where she just posted the second-best time in school history (2:05.27), and the 4x400m relay. She ran the anchor-leg and helped SDSU win their third consecutive MW Outdoor title last weekend.
Fletcher will compete in the 100m (11.40w) and 200m (23.32). She finished second in the 200m and fourth in the 100m at last week's MW Championships.
Sophomore Maya Brosch will compete in the 400m hurdles. The sophomore ran a personal best 1:00.24 at the MW Championships to earn a silver medal.
Freshman Erica Grotegeer qualified in the discus throw. She had a throw of 175-00 to take fourth at the MW Championships.
Joining McNeil in the 4x400m relay will be sophomores Sakura Roberson and Jalyn Harris and senior Lisa-Anne Barrow. Last year, Harris and Barrow helped the Aztecs' 4x400 relay team finish ninth at the prelims to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Of the 11 Aztecs selected for the NCAA prelims, eight are freshmen or sophomores.
The top 12 in each event will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas
Fans can watch a live stream of the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Championships as FloTrack Pro subscribers.
San Diego State Regional Qualifiers
West Region Rank. Athlete (Event, season-best mark)
2. Bonnie Draxler (pole vault, 14-09.50)
12. 4x400m Relay (Roberson, Harris, Barrow, McNeil – 3:35.02)
15. Nyjari McNeil (800m, 2:05.27)
16. Callista Fletcher (100m, 11.40w)
19. Kaitlin Heri (pole vault, 13-11.00)
24. Callista Fletcher (200m, 23.32)
25. Erica Grotegeer (discus throw, 175-0)
30. Marissa Berry (pole vault, 13-06.25)
45. Alysia Allen (pole vault, 13-02.25)
45. Maya Brosch (400m hurdles, 1:00.24)
11 Aztecs Qualify for NCAA West Prelims
