ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State track and field wrapped up their regular season with day two of the Don Kirby Invitational in New Mexico on Saturday. As a team, they boasted six record book altering marks headlined by Shaquena Foote breaking her own 400m record for the second consecutive weekend.
Foote broke the 20-year old San Diego State 400m record at the season opening meet three weeks ago and has broken said record in each race she has competed in this season. This week, it was a time of 52.60 to finish second overall in the invitational section of the event finishing just behind Oregon's Ella Clayton and one spot ahead of Team USA's Shae Anderson.
In addition to the school record, the redshirt sophomore now moves into fourth all-time in the Mountain West record book.
Aji Mbye continued the strong start to her rookie campaign, with a 7.42 in the 60m dash prelims. With that mark, she now owns the San Diego State freshman record surpassing Foote's time set last year. It is also the 10th fastest time of any student-athlete in program history. Winning her heat and qualifying for the event final, she nearly matched her newly recorded PR with a 7.44 to finish seventh overall.
The Aztecs ended the day with the 4x400m relay, their second relay race of the indoor season. The quartet of Rhea Hoyte, Shaquena Foote, Aji Mbye, and Lidia Major would post a time of 3:39.32 to finish fourth. It goes as the third fastest 4x4 relay time in SDSU history and ranks second in the conference this season.
In the distance events, the Aztecs saw Vanessa Cabello run a personal best in the 800m. With a time of 5:08.14, she narrowly topped her PR by three-hundredths of a second improving on her eighth-ranked time in SDSU history.
The field events saw a pair of record marks as well in triple jump and pole vault. The reigning Mountain West Field Athlete of the Week, Xiamara Young, might be looking at a repeat in the award improving on her personal best in triple jump set just a week ago. The junior transfer qualified for the finals with a jump of 12.87m before going 13.24m (43-5.25) in her sixth and final attempt of the day to finish fifth overall. The 43-5.25 jump ranks fifth best in SDSU history.
In pole vault, Jordan Leveque improved on her personal best. Finishing second overall, she became just the 21st different Aztec in program history to clear the bar at 3.83m (12-6.75). In the final standings, she was second in the field of 13 competitors.
Some other standout performances in the final regular season meet day of the indoor season included Charlize James qualifying for the invitational 60m hurdles with a time of 8.27 in the prelim. She finished fifth overall in the final at 8.35 seconds. Hannah Waller won the unseeded 60m dash with a time of 7.48 seconds. Olivia Hicks also ran in the event, matching her PR of 8.63 seconds for a fifth-place finish. In the distance events, Jessica Kain was just shy of her personal best in the mile with a time of 4:52.04 to finish third overall and first among collegiate runners.
San Diego State will have next weekend off from competition as they prepare for the Mountain West Championships from Feb. 22 through Feb. 24 in New Mexico.
Don Kirby Invitational Day Two (SDSU results and winner only)
60m unseeded
1. Hannah Waller – 7.48
5. Olivia Hicks – 7.63
60m invitational prelims
1. Jadyn Mays (Oregon) – 7.25
5. Aji Mbye – 7.42 (10th all-time, freshman record, won heat)
10. Jada Moore – 7.50 (season best)
60m invitational finals
1. Jadyn Mays (Oregon) – 7.13
7. Aji Mbye – 7.44
400m invitational
1. Ella Clayton (Oregon) – 52.41
2. Shaquena Foote – 52.60 (school record, 4th in MW history)
800m
1. MaLeigha Menegatti (unattached) – 2:06.77
12. Alex Lomeli – 2:13.96
28. Tatum Zinkin – 2:20.64
Mile
1. Allie Buchalsk (Brooks Beast TC) – 4:40.39
3. Jessica Kain – 4:52.04 (first among collegiate runners)
9. Vanessa Cabello – 5:08.14 (8th all-time)
17. Eva Rethmeier – 5:11.69
23. Isabella Fauria – 5:17.78
60m Hurdles invitational prelims
1. Aaliyah McCormick (Oregon) – 8.16
6. Charlize James – 8.27
15. Jada Pierre – 8.52 (PR)
60m Hurdles invitational finals
1. Aaliyah McCormick (Oregon) – 8.07
5. Charlize James – 8.35
4x400m Relay
1. Oregon – 3:31.34
4. Hoyte, Foote, Mbye, Major – 3:39.32 (3rd all-time)
Pole Vault 'C' section
1. Laura Brignoli (Western Colorado) – 12' 6.75
2. Jordan Leveque – 12' 6.75 (PR)
4. Kayla Tassara – 12' 0.75 (PR)
Triple Jump
1. Emilia Sjostrand (San Jose State) – 45' 9.75
5. Xiamara Young – 43' 5.25 (5th all-time)
28. Sameerah Evans – 38' 9