June 25, 2003
The San Diego State University athletic program took several major stepsforward during the 2002-2003 academic year.
San Diego State posted its best-ever Mountain West finishes infootball and women's volleyball, claimed its first Division I postseasonwin in men's basketball, and brought home the outdoor track and field trackleague championship after posting a school-best second-place finish in theindoor season. The mens' golf team returned to the national-championshiptournament for the first time since 1999 and for just the second time since1984.
And in the spring, the Aztecs retained Mountain West championshipsin softball, men's tennis, women's tennis.
The following is a glance at SDSU's successes throughout the2002-2003 school year.
Women's Volleyball
Best league finish since joining the MWC and the best conference finish since 1997...Mark Warner was co-coach of the year and Aspen McPartland was co-player of the year...Four all-Mountain West selections.
Water Polo
Posted a 21-12 record and the fifth-place finish in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is the best in four years...Highest winning percentage in seven years...Two all-league players...Defeated three teams ranked in the top six nationally.
Women's Soccer
Arinda Alvarez and Kim Castellanos named all-conference...First winning season since 1999...Mountain West semifinalist...Five academic all-conference selections.
Men's Soccer
The San Diego State men's soccer team placed five players on the academic all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation team...Two all-conference selections and a District 8 all-academic selection (Brian Barnes).
Football
First ever upper-division finish in the Mountain West Conference...The nation's most improved passing offense and the fourth-most improved total offense...The post prolific single-season receiving tandem in NCAA history.
Swimming and Diving
Closed the season with four straight dual-meet victories and established one new school record and nine performances among the top five in school history...Lost just two seniors.
Cross Country
San Diego State, led by two freshmen runners, finished 18th in the NCAA West Regional meet...Eight runners on the 2002 squad were either freshmen or sophomores.
Men's Basketball
Consecutive postseason appearances for just the second time in the Division I era...Three straight .500 or better seasons for the first time since 1983-85.
Women's Basketball
Had an all-league selection and one of the MWC's top newcomers and the league's leading rebounder...Had a Mountain West Conference Player of the Week... Will have a new look in 2003-2004.
Softball
Two straight Mountain West Conference regular season titles (first two in SDSU history)...Coming off second NCAA regional appearance in three years (the first two in SDSU history)...Won a school-record 13 consecutive games during the 2003 season.
Baseball
Second place in the Mountain West entering conference tournament...Played 18 games against top 25 opponents...Has an academic All-America candidate in Rielly Embry.
Men's Tennis
Has now won the Mountain West regular-season and postseason tournament two years in a row and advanced to the second round of the NCAA for the second straight season...Has the nation's second-ranked men's doubles team in Oliver Maiberger and Ryan Redondo.
Women's Tennis
Made 17th NCAA team championship appearance this season, tied for the 10th most appearances nationally...Silvia Tornier named Mountain West player of the year for second straight season...Mountain West Tournament champion...The doubles team of Silvia Tornier and Indra Erichsen was invited to the NCAA tournament.
Indoor Track and Field
Posted its best conference finish ever at second...Established eight new school records...Freshman of the year in Shanon Meyer.
Outdoor Track and Field
Cal-Nevada Champion...Mountain West Outdoor Champion (SDSU's first ever)...Rahn Sheffield named coach of the year for the second time in three years)...Team garnered seven All-America awards, the most in one season in program history...The Aztecs, who sent five individuals and one relay to the national meet, finished in a four-way tie for 29th place
Men's Golf
Mountain West Conference runner-up...Has earned first appearance in NCAA national championship since 1999 and just the third since 1984.
Women's Golf
Finished fifth in the conference but was stronger than predicted...Like women's basketball, a strong recruiting class in on the way.
Crew
The San Diego State women's rowing team won five medals in eight of its events at the annual Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championship...For the first time in the history of the program, the Aztec lightweights captured the WIRA championship trophy in the lightweight eight race...At the Pac 10 Championship, finished first in the varsity four petite final.
