Aztecs Split Squads at Three Meets this Weekend

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State track and field team is set to compete in three different meets this weekend. The Aztecs will send a contingent of athletes to the Bay Area to compete in the Mike Fanelli Classic in San Francisco and the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, while another group will stay in San Diego for UC San Diego’s Triton Invitational.

Presley Bennett and Maddie Heller kicks things off for SDSU with the 5,000-meter run at 9 a.m. PT Friday at the Mike Fanelli Classic. Sara Jones, Samantha Wood and Tatum Zinkin are also set to compete on Friday in the 1,500 at 2:49 p.m. PT. Saturday’s events at the MFC include Jones and Zinkin in the 800 at 10:30 a.m., while Zinkin will double with the 400 at 3:41 p.m. PT.

2025 marks the 16th edition of this meet (formerly the San Francisco State Distance Carnival), which was remained in 2019 for Mike Fanelli, a three-time USA national team coach, track & field historian and a member of the San Francisco State Hall of Fame. It has evolved into an ideal opportunity for distance runners to set fast times at a fantastic venue with ideal weather conditions and loaded fields. Athletes and teams from across the country have become part of this growing multi-day event since it began in 2008.

Wood is also entered in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday at the Stanford Invitational at 5:10 p.m. PT, while Lauren Harper and Sophia Wolf are entered in the 800 at 1:54 p.m. PT Saturday.

The Stanford Invitational began way back in 1975 and also features fast times at a historic venue. SDSU is one of 92 colleges competing in this year’s meet.

The Aztecs will also send 21 athletes across town to La Jolla for UC San Diego’s Triton Invitational. Kiera Bennett gets things going with the hammer throw at 9 a.m. PT Friday. Alyssa Alumbres starts her triple jump at 11 a.m. PT, while the pole vault quartet of Sydney Ash, Peyton Bedrosian, Jordan Leveque and Kayla Tassara begins competition at 1 p.m. PT. Laraigh Allen, Takiyah Blue, Emily Couch, Olivia Hicks and Aji Mbye will all run the 200 at 2:50 p.m. PT, and Maddy Parrone is set to run the 5K at 4:50 p.m. PT.

Hicks, Shaquena Foote, Mbye and Jada Pierre will run in the 4x100 at 11 a.m. PT to begin Saturday’s festivities with Parrone closing the day in the 1,500 at 3:50 p.m. PT. In between will be the 100 hurdles at 12:30 p.m. PT (Charlize James, Pavana Nagaraj, Pierre and Mia Reid), the 400 at 1:10 p.m. PT (Blue and Couch), the 100 at 2:10 p.m. PT (Hicks, Foote, Mbye and Pierre) and the 400 hurdles at 3:10 p.m. PT (Anna Mager). Alumbres also will compete in the long jump on Saturday, beginning at 3:30 p.m. PT.

The Aztecs are coming off back-to-back weekends of hosting, including the Aztec Invitational, March 21-22, and the Shelia Burrell Multi’s, March 27-28.

Two athletes - Mbye and Harper - have the top times in the Mountain West in their respective events early on in the outdoor season. Mbye’s 11.52 run in the 100 at the Aztec Invitational tops the league, while Harper’s 2:07.54 at the same meet also is the league’s fastest 800. SDSU also has the fastest 4x100-meter relay in 44.29, run by Hicks, Foote, Hannah Waller and Mbye.  

San Diego State returns to action at the Bryan Clay Invitational multi’s, April 10-11, in Azusa, California.