AZTECS TRACK & FIELD SETS TWO SCHOOL RECORDS TO CLOSE DON KIRBY ELITE INVITATIONAL

The 4x400-meter relay team broke a 10-year-old record to close the regular indoor season

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

February 11, 2017 (Alberquerque) - San Diego State track and field had two school records broken in the final day of the Don Kirby Elite Invitational, as senior Micha Auzenne broke her own 60-meter dash record in the preliminaries and the Aztecs’ 4x400-meter relay team set the all-time mark on Saturday.

“Overall as a team, we did a good job,” Auzenne said. “There is always room for improvement, but we have good momentum within the team going into the conference meet in a few weeks.”

Auzenne ran the 60-meter prelims in 7.31, running the event .01 faster than her previous school record, which she set at the 2016 Mountain West Championships. She finished fourth in the race to qualify for the 60-meter dash finals, where she was seventh with a 7.49 time.

“It’s always good to run a personal best,” Auzenne said. “Seeing what I ran, I’m excited to take this level of intensity and see what I’m capable of doing at Conference in two weeks.”

Junior Ashley Henderson also qualified for the 60-meter dash finals with her 7.38 mark and seventh-place finish in the prelims. She crossed the finish line of the finals in 7.35, the third-best time in SDSU history. Senior Starlynn Singleton’s 7.51 time in the 60-meter preliminaries tied for eighth all-time. 

The Aztecs’ 4x400-meter relay team also set the San Diego State record in their third-place finish. Anchored by senior Tyra Lea, Simone Glenn, Monique McPherson and Andrenette Knight ran the event in 3:40.18 to finish third. They broke the school record by 1.37 seconds, previously set by Nicole Stone, Sherraine Pencil, Priscilla Chapu and Mandy Upuu in 2007.

In the 400, Knight crossed the finish line in 54.42 for the fourth-best time in school history for 10^th place. Lea trailed slightly at 54.98 for No. 6 all-time and 11^th place. Madison Gipson (31^st, 56.93) and Lakin Hatcher (37^th, 57.27) rounded out SDSU’s runners in the event.

The pole vaulters also had a great showing at the meet. Sophomore Marissa Berry recorded a 13-02.25 mark for seventh place and is now in a three-way tie for seventh-best mark in school history. Classmate Sara Curran’s 12-09.50 mark was good for 12^th, while freshman Rachel Craft recorded an 11-03.75 mark.

McPherson recorded a collegiate personal best in the 800 with her 2:16.67 time, which was good for 17^th place.

In the shot put, Rachel Alesi was 11^th with her 46-04.25 mark and Je’Neal Ainsworth jumped to a season-long 39-05.75 in the triple jump for 20^th.

San Diego State next competes at the Mountain West Indoor Championships, hosted by New Mexico Thurs., Feb. 23 through Sat., Feb. 25.

Don Kirby Elite Invitational

Albuquerque Convention Center – Albuquerque, N.M.

Day 2 of 2 – February 11, 2017

Team Results

No team scores

Individual Results (winner and SDSU only)

60 Meters Preliminaries (out of 21)

1. Hannah Cunliffe (ORE) – 7.20q

4. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) - 7.31q (School Record)

7. Ashley Henderson (SDSU) – 7.38q

10. Starlynn Singleton (SDSU) – 7.51 (T-No. 8 all-time)

60-Meter Dash Finals (out of 8)

1. Hannah Cunliffe (ORE) – 7.07

5. Ashley Henderson (SDSU) – 7.35 (T-No. 3 all-time)

7. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) – 7.49

60-Meter Hurdles Preliminaries (out of 22)

1. Tobi Amusan (UTEP) – 7.98q

3. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) – 8.26q

12. Andrenette Knight (SDSU) – 8.48 (No. 10 all-time)

60-Meter Hurdles Finals (out of 8)

1. Sasha Wallace (ORE) – 7.99

5. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) – 8.30

400 Meters (out of 117)

1. Sage Watson (ARIZ) – 52.00

10. Andrenette Knight (SDSU) – 54.42 (No. 4 all-time)

11. Tyra Lea (SDSU) – 54.98 (No. 6 all-time)

31. Madison Gipson (SDSU) – 56.93

37. Lakin Hatcher (SDSU) – 57.27

800 Meters (out of 32)

1. Ashley Taylor (NAU) – 2:12.16

17. Monique McPherson (SDSU) – 2:16.67

4x400-Meter Relay (out of 15)

1. Oregon (Makenzie Dunmore, Deajah Stevens, Elexis Guster, Raevyn Rogers) – 3:29.85

3. San Diego State ‘A’ (Tyra Lea, Simone Glenn, Monique McPherson, Andrenette Knight) – 3:40.18 (School Record)

Shot Put (out of 37)

1. Maggie Ewen (ASU) – 59-05.50

11. Rachel Alesi (SDSU) – 46-04.25

Triple Jump (out of 29)

1. Toni Smith (Club Northwest) – 42-02.25

20. Je’Neal Ainsworth (SDSU) – 39-05.75

Pole Vault (out of 35)

1. Kristen Brown (Nike) – 14-02.00

7. Marissa Berry (SDSU) – 13-02.25 (T-No. 7 all-time)

12. Sara Curran (SDSU) – 12-09.50

32. Rachel Craft (SDSU) – 11-03.75

Overall results