ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State track and field enjoyed a great day two of the Mountain West Indoor Championships led by Ashley Callahan's silver medal in pole vault. In total, the Aztecs had five different point scorers and nine qualifying marks for tomorrow's finals on Friday.
Callahan narrowly missed out on repeating as the pole vault champion, clipping the bar at 4.19m on her way down. Earning the silver medal, she has now medaled in all three of her collegiate seasons. Her 4.09m (13-5) final mark is a season best for the junior. She led a trio of pole vault scorers with Jordan Leveque finishing fourth and Kayla Tassara finishing seventh.
Both Leveque and Tassara cleared the bar at 3.83m (12-6.75) for their top eight finishes. For Leveque, it matches her career best while Tassara sets a career best and becomes the 22nd different Aztec to clear that height in program history.
Hannah Waller had an incredible day for the Scarlet and Black qualifying for both the 60m and 200m finals as well as placing fourth in long jump. Starting in long jump, she jumped 6.02m to qualify for the final and earn three more attempts. She ultimately ended with a mark of 6.26m (20-6.5) on her sixth and final attempt, which ranks second in San Diego State indoor history. In between her fourth and fifth attempts, she headed to the center of the arena for the 60m dash. She proceeded to run a career best 7.24, the fastest time in the field and the second-fastest time in program history. The senior's day ended with the 200m and a career best of 23.56, finishing with the fourth fastest time of the day and the sixth fastest mark in SDSU history.
Along with Waller, Xiamara Young had a career day in long jump finishing fifth overall. Improving her mark each of her first three attempts, she advanced to the final with a jump of 6.18m (20-3.25). That would wind up being her best jump of the day as she became just the sixth different Aztec to surpass 20 feet in the long jump. It ranks as the third best mark in program history just behind Waller's newly minted number two mark.
Competing in her first conference championship meet, Aji Mbye showcased the best performance of her young career. First, in the 60m dash, she sprinted to a 7.43 finishing sixth overall to qualify for Saturday's final. The time is just one one-hundredth of a second shy of her personal best and freshman record. Later in the 200m, the freshman had a historic effort crossing the line in 23.45 seconds. Not only did it qualify her for the final as the second-fastest sprinter, but it sets the SDSU freshman class record and ranks tied for second fastest of any Aztec in program history.
Shaquena Foote also qualified for two event finals tomorrow, finishing third in the 200m and seventh in the 400m. The school record holder had an obstacle to deal with in the 400m as an official was on the track as the sprinters came around the final turn. Despite that, the redshirt sophomore crossed the line in 54.91 to qualify for Saturday's final. She would later finish third overall in the 200m with a 23.50, just shy of her personal best.
The 60m hurdles saw both Aztecs competing qualify for Saturday's final. Competing in the same heat, Charlize James and Jada Pierre finished one-two to earn their spots in the top eight. James crossed the line in 8.23 seconds, matching her PR for the third time this season, for the second-fastest time of the day. Pierre finished in 8.42 seconds in her qualifying effort as the fourth-fastest time and new personal best for the junior.
The defending 60m champion, Jada Moore, will get the chance to defend her crown qualifying with the seventh fastest time in the field. Crossing the line in 7.47 seconds, it marks a new season-best for the senior.
MW Indoor Championship Results Day Two
60m Dash
1. Hannah Waller – 7.24 (2nd all-time, qualified for final)
6. Aji Mbye – 7.43 (qualified for final)
7. Jada Moore – 7.47 (season-best, qualified for final)
20. Olivia Hicks - 7.61 (PR)
200m Dash
1. Kennedi Porter (UNLV) – 23.33
2. Aji Mbye – 23.45 (tied 2nd all-time, freshman record, qualified for final)
3. Shaquena Foote – 23.50 (qualified for final)
4. Hannah Waller – 23.56 (qualified for final)
10. Jada Pierre – 24.04 (PR)
12. Jada Moore – 24.09
16. Olivia Hicks – 24.41 (PR)
400m Dash
1. Louanne Pouzancre (New Mexico) – 53.81
7. Shaquena Foote – 54.91
9. Rhea Hoyte – 55.27 (PR)
15. Lidia Major – 55.97 (PR)
800m Run
1. Halyn Sengal (Nevada) – 2:09.33
9. Alex Lomeli – 2:11.84
15. Isabella Fauria – 2:15.06 (PR)
22. Tatum Zinkin – 2:20.55
60m Hurdles
1. Sky Hagan (San Jose State) – 8.11
2. Charlize James – 8.23 (matched PR, won flight two, qualified for final)
4. Jada Pierre – 8.42 (PR, qualified for final)
Long Jump
1. Emilia Sjostrand (San Jose State) – 21' 3.25
4. Hannah Waller (5 points) – 20' 6.5 (2nd all-time)
5. Xiamara Young (4 points) – 20' 3.5 (3rd all-time)
20. Maya Gorman - 18' 4.25 (PR)
High Jump
1. Grace Cunningham (UNLV) – 5' 10.75
9. Thaila Wilson – 5'3
Pole Vault
1. Maria Kimpson (Colorado State) – 13' 5
2. Ashley Callahan (8 points) – 13'5 (season-best)
4. Jordan Leveque (5 points) – 12'6.75 (matched PR)
7. Kayla Tassara (2 points) – 12' 6.75 (PR, 22nd Aztec to clear 3.83m)
16. Lily Mulligan – 11' 7.75
Team Standings (through 7 events)
1. Colorado State – 77 points
2. Fresno State – 46 points
3. New Mexico – 33.5 points
4. San Jose State – 29 points
5. San Diego State – 28 points
Ashley Callahan Earns Silver at MW Championships
