The San Diego State track and field team secured a third-place finish at the Mountain West Indoor Championships last weekend. The Aztecs traveled to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. in an attempt to defend their title from last year.
The University of New Mexico had a team total 148.50 points to win the three-day meet. The University of Wyoming came in second with 84 points while SDSU finished with 75 points.
Five Aztecs finished within the top three of their event, which placed them on the all- MW Indoor team.
[quote]“We knew it would be a hard meet to go in and win,” sophomore Nicole Oudenaarden said. “We knew we would have to scrap for each point possible. The conference was strong this year, and we had a small travel team, so each person had to be perfect, practically, for us to win.”[/quote]
A strong start from the pentathlon athletes put SDSU in front after day one. Senior Allison Reaser, who has won the event each of the six times she has competed at the indoor and outdoor championships, finished second. But her score of 4,145 shattered her previous school record of 3,971.
Reaser was joined on the podium by Oudenaarden, whose 3,918 points were enough for third place. Sophomore Karsen Sper was also competing in the pentathlon and finished sixth with 3,538 points.
On day two, senior Holly Waseloff gained all-conference honors for her third-place finish in the pole vault. Her vault of 4.02 meters, which was a collegiate best, tied with three other competitors. But Waseloff won the tiebreaker having had fewer missed jumps at previous heights.
Senior Shanieka Thomas and junior Kristen Brown were the final two Aztecs to make the all-conference team, both collecting gold medals on the final day.
Thomas, a triple jump specialist, claimed her third consecutive indoor title to add to her impressive resume. The defending NCAA outdoor champion and 2013 NCAA indoor runner-up posted a jump of 13.54 meters, nearly one meter ahead of second place.
In the 60-meter hurdles, Brown recorded the second fastest time in MW finals history. Her time of 8.31 was enough for her to claim her second consecutive title in the event.
Brown was joined in the final by Reaser and freshman Madison Gipson, who finished fourth and seventh respectively.
Reaser concluded a busy weekend with an eighth place finish in the 200-meter dash final. Also scoring points for the Aztecs in the event was redshirt junior Meritzer Williams, who came in seventh.
Although the Aztecs didn’t finish with the result they wanted, Oudenaarden said all of the girls who traveled stepped up. She said many turned in personal bests or were able to make the podium, which was a huge blessing.
Now, the Aztecs turn their focus to defending the outdoor championship.
[quote]“We will pick up our spikes and keep training,” Oudenaarden said. “Our first outdoor meet is just two weeks away. There is no rest when you want to be the best.”[/quote]
Photo Courtesy of SDSU Athletics
