SAN DIEGO – Coming off their runner-up finish at the Mountain West Indoor Championships, the San Diego State track and field team begins outdoor season on Friday in Fullerton, Calif.
The distance runners will be the first to see outdoor competition as they run in the AstroAI Distance Classic as part of the Ben Brown Invite hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The events start with the 3,000m steeplechase at 5 p.m. and run into the night with the 800m scheduled to start at 8:45 p.m.
Every distance runner on the roster is set to compete on Friday with five running in the 800m, five in the 1,500m, six in the 5,000m and one in the 3,000m steeplechase. The trio of Isabella Fauria, Jessica Kain, and Alex Lomeli will all run in both the 800m and 1,500m races.
Xiamara Young at the NCAA Championships
• While the distance runners kick off the Aztecs' outdoor season, sophomore Xiamara Young officially wraps up the indoor schedule at the NCAA Championships. She will compete in triple jump on Saturday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. PT (6:30 p.m. ET).
• The Las Vegas native was selected as a qualifier last week, ranking tenth in the country in triple jump. Her mark of 13.42m (44-00.50) won her the silver medal at the MW Indoor Championships and ranks fourth best in San Diego State indoor history.
• This will be the second consecutive year an Aztec will participate in triple jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 10th overall in program history. She is just the fifth different Aztec to qualify in the event, joining SDSU Hall of Famers Karoline Koehler (2008-10) and Shanieka Thomas (2011-14), as well as Decontee Kaye (2009) and Simone Johnson (2023).
Recap of the Indoor Season
• San Diego State finished their team indoor season with a second-place finish at the Mountain West Championships. They totaled 103 points, finishing 10 behind champion Colorado State. It is 12th finish in the top three in head coach Shelia Burrell's 14 indoor championships.
• Eight Aztecs earned All-Mountain West honors headlined by three each from Hannah Waller and Shaquena Foote. Waller was also named the Women's Track Performer of the Meet.
• In their five indoor meets, the Aztecs set three school records (400m, 3000m, distance medley relay) along with 18 other top ten marks in the record books. Twenty-two student-athletes that competed at any point during the season set a personal best.
Aztec Tidbits
• Head coach Shelia Burrell is in her 15th year leading the Aztec track and field program. This is her 14th outdoor season with 2020 being cancelled. In that time, she has led the team to six Mountain West Championships and won six MW Coach of the Year awards.
• The roster consists of 22 returning student-athletes and 17 newcomers. Of the newcomers, nine are freshmen. Combined, the returners have 23 marks in the program's all-time records.
• SDSU has won two of the last three Mountain West Outdoor Championships, four of the last six, and six total under head coach Shelia Burrell. They have finished first or second each of the last seven years and finished top three each of the last 10.
• San Diego State returns six Mountain West champions, led by three-time defending 100m and 4x100m winner Jada Moore. In total, she has seven outdoor event titles which ranksfourth most in program history.
• The Aztecs had 14 qualify for the NCAA West Preliminaries for 16 total entries. Two would go on to reach the NCAA Championships including returnee Jenna Fee Feyerabend in the heptathlon.
This Week's Entries
Vanessa Cabello 5,000m
Amber Elias 5,000m
Melanie Falkowski 5,000m
Isabella Fauria 800m, 1,500m
Lauren Harper 800m
Maddie Heller 5,000m
Jessica Kain 800m, 1,500m
Alex Lomeli 800m, 1,500m
Sophia Nevin 3,000m Steeple
Maddy Parrone 5,000m
Bella Peretti 5,000m
Eva Rethmeier 5,000m
Bailey Watts 1,500m
Samantha Wood 1,500m
Tatum Zinkin 800m
Distance Runners Set to Begin Outdoor Season
