March 8, 2002
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This Week
The San Diego State track and field team continues its outdoor season on Saturday by traveling to Fullerton for the Ben Brown Invitational. The event is hosted by CSU Fullerton and is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. The Aztecs were originally schedule to host UC Irvine and UC San Diego on Saturday at the SDSU Sports Deck, but opted to compete in the Fullerton meet instead. SDSU comes off a strong showing at last week's USC Trojan Invitational in Los Angeles, where eight Aztec athletes set career-best marks.
Recapping The Trojan Invitational
Junior Melinda Smedley took first place in the 200-meter dash on Saturday with a personal-best time of 23.6. She was one of four Aztecs to place in the event's top five, with junior Jini Hogg and sophomore Hollann Givens tying for fourth-place with times of 24.9 and sophomore Jillita Griffin finishing fifth (25.9). Smedley also placed second (12.08) in the first heat of the 100-meter dash and Griffin took second in the second heat of the 100-meter dash (12.63). SDSU's other top finishes came in the 3,000-meters, where senior Amanda Vielbaum placed second with a personal-best 11:02.63 and Julie Amster took fifth with a personal-best 11:18.61. Competition in the 400-meter dash saw Hogg place third (55.43) and Givens fifth (57.18). Hoggs' time was a career best. Junior Ryan Peters recorded two third-place finishes on the day. The first came in the 100-meter hurdles (15.39) and the second in the 400-meter hurdles. Her time in the 100-meter hurdles was a personal best.
Vaulting To Success
Competition in the pole vault pit provided plenty of excitment during SDSU's indoor season. On Jan. 12, two Aztecs, senior Tricia Gutierrez and freshman Shayla Balentine, set school records and NCAA provisional marks at the National Pole Vault Summit, in Reno. Balentine and Gutierrez both vaulted 3.90 meters (12-09.50). At the Wolf Pack Invitational, on Feb. 2, Gutierrez set another NCAA provisional mark with a 3.82-meter (12-06.25) second-place vault. Balentine came in third in the competition (3.72m/12-02.25). Gutierrez's school-record mark bested the record of 12-07.50 she set last season. Balentine continued her success at the MWC indoor championships two weeks ago, winning the league title with a 12-07.25 (3.84m) MWC record mark.
Aztec Honors
Senior Tricia Gutierrez's school record and NCAA provisional vault at the National Pole Vault Summit earned her Mountain West Conference indoor track athlete of the week honors for the period ending Jan. 14. The occasion marked her first career athlete of the week award.
Coaching Staff
The Aztecs are led by head coach Rahn Sheffield, who is in his 11th season with the Aztec program. Sheffield is assisted by Jennifer Nanista, Richard Fox, Leslie Coons and Kristi McGihon. Nanista oversees the team's distance corps, Fox works with the pole vaulters, Coons with the throwers and McGihon handles the jumps.
League Leaders
Several Aztecs closed out the indoor season listed among the top-5 best times and marks this season in the Mountain West Conference. Senior Tricia Gutierrez and freshman Shayla Balentine are tied for second in the pole vault with a 12-09.50 mark. Junior Jesika Englebretson is fifth in the vault (12-01.25). Junior Melinda Smedley and sophomore Tonnette Dyer are third (24.34) and fourth (24.42), respectively, in the 200-meter dash. Junior Jini Hogg is fifth (55.91) in the 400-meter dash. Junior Leslie Miller has the league's fifth-best score in the pentathlon (3,486).
The Outdoor Season At A Glance
Following the Aztecs' competition at the Ben Brown Invitational, the team will return to Los Angeles to compete with USC and Tennessee in a 10 a.m. meet on March 16. On Mar. 23, the team will host the Aztec Invitational and on April 13 the All-Women Invitational.