By Stephen ChupaskaStaff Writer
Any time a coach opens up the sports page and finds that his orher team has lost, it is a disappointment. However, when the coachdid not know that they lost it becomes an entirely different matter.
Such was the case for San Diego State track head coach RahnSheffield after the scoring dispute surroundingSaturday’s UNLV Desert Classic. The Aztecs attended the double dualmeet against the hosts and Southern Utah on the pretense that thecompetition would not be scored.
“We were told that it was not a scoring meet,” Sheffield said. “We received literature saying it was not scoring, and we were toldwhen we arrived at UNLV that it was not a scoring meet. So I did notput my athletes in their usual events; I put them in events wherethey could have a break.”
Yet, the next day Sheffield awoke to find that SDSU had lost 77-62to UNLV and 82-71 to Southern Utah.
He said he has already contacted Rebels head coach Karen Dennis.
Said Sheffield: “She admitted that it was a mistake, but it’s anerror that benefits her university, not ours.”
Dennis maintains there was the possibility that the Desert Classicmight be scored, “as a double-dual in the event that SDSU or SouthernUtah would like to count the meet for purposes of having a number ofcompetitions.”
She added that SDSU and UNLV have done that in the past.
“It wasn’t supposed to be publicized,” Dennis said. “It wassupposed to be an exercise on paper, so that in the event they couldhave two meets instead of one meet for their NCAA purposes. Butsomehow it got taken away by the sports information director and it(ended up) on the Web. So it was really not a scoring meet. It’s nota big deal to me: If they scored it, they scored it.”
UNLV has since announced that the meet will be officiallyconsidered non-scoring.
But, Sheffield’s main issue is with the way the incident portrayedboth SDSU and the city.
“We’re trying to get high schools to look at San Diego State andthe community of San Diego in a positive way, and it is unfortunatewhen these kinds of things occur,” he said.
Despite the controversy, the Aztecs fared impressively between thelines, with Tonette Dyer and Candace Hill leading the way. Dyer, whowas named Mountain West Conference Track Athlete of the Week for theweek of March 30, provisionally qualified for the NCAAs in the200-meters with a time of 23.41. It was her second qualifier in asmany weeks. She hit the mark in the 400-meters in Fresno two weeksago. Dyer is unfazed by her accomplishments.
“Just because I hit the provisional marks, I don’t want to rest onthem,” she said. “You never know what could happen.”
The native San Diegan, Hill, secured a pair of first placefinishes in the discus and the hammer throw, with distances of 45.14meters and 44.29 meters.
“She goes out there with the intent that she is going to win everythrow,” Sheffield said.
Although the Aztecs are hosting the All-Women Invitational at theSports Deck this Saturday, SDSU’s relay squad will not be inattendance. The quartet of Dyer, Jini Hogg, Hollann Givens and RyanPeters will compete in Arizona State’s Sun Angel Open.
“It’s an opportunity for them to try and lower time and not haveto worry about putting points on board,” assistant coach JenniferNanista said.
