Albuquerque, N.M. – San Jose State is headed back to Albuquerque this week for the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, February 27-29.
The meet represents the program's final chance at earning qualifying marks for next month's NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Spartans have made the ABQ their home this season, already traveling there for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegiate and Don Kirby Elite Invitationals. The young program saw success in each meet, giving the program a good amount of confidence heading into the conference-wide event.
"We had multiple personal bests and new school records," said head coach Kendra Reimer-Gonzalez when looking back at the program's regular season finale. "I thought it was important for us to compete against some of the conference's top teams and get a final tuneup at our conference championship facilities."
LAST YEAR
The San Jose State men's team placed seventh at last year's Mountain West Indoor Championships, an event that marked the program's first conference indoor championship competition in school history. A junior at the time, Aidan Jardon led the Spartans with his point-scoring eighth place finish in the 400 meters on the final day of the meet. Jardon was timed in 50.16. SJSU also scored points with its seventh place finish in the distance medley relay.
On the women's side, distance runner Savanna Perez placed ninth in the 800-meter final for her team's best performance on the final day of the competition. Perez was timed in 2:17.69 for the 800.
SJSU IN THE ABQ
SJSU's first two meets of the season were both held at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The year got underway with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegiate Invitational as both teams saw success across all four principles. Four indoor school records were set on the final day of the event, led by SJSU's best showing through sophomore Jasmine Pharms in the throws. Pharms placed second in the shot put, throwing against a stacked field that saw representatives from Texas, USC and LSU round out the top four. The sophomore hit a mark of 14.71m with her first throw that would ultimately be enough to finish in second.
San Jose State put a lid on the indoor regular season at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. It was sprinter Daryia Greene who turned in the program's best performance on the opening day of the meet, posting the second-best mark in school history for the women's indoor 400 at 56.31. Pharms rounded out the meet with a successful second day, re-setting her own school record in the shot put with a mark of 15.37m.
GOING THE DISTANCE
Coming off two of the best individual cross country campaigns in program history, seniors Jennifer Sandoval and Jose Pina have impressed early on in the indoor season.
Competing at the Husky Classic in Seattle earlier this month, the duo each set an indoor school record in the 5000 meters. Pina finished in 14:58.02 while Sandoval cruised to a mark of 16:24.85.
THROWS RESURGANCE
2020 has seen a banner start to the season for the San Jose State throwers. On the men's side, sophomore Bryan Quintero hit the third-best mark in indoor program history (record is 21.24m, set by Kjell Bystedt in 1985) at 14.67m back on Jan. 24. Freshman Jacob Lopez was right behind Quintero on the same day, hitting a mark of 13.39m.
The women's group has also shined early on in 2020. The program's top three marks in the shot put and top two showings in the weight throw have all been set this season with Pharms holding three of those.
The sophomore's aforementioned shot put marks of 15.37 and 14.71 lead the Spartans, with sophomore Grace Togiai following close behind at 13.54.
It was Pharms and sophomore Nysiah Legardye who set the indoor school record in the weight throw back on Jan. 24 as the pair each hit 15.47m at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegiate Invitational.
WATCH AND FOLLOW
Each day of the conference meet will be streamed live online by FloTrack. In addition, fans can follow the live results on themw.com.
MEET SCHEDULE (All times Pacific)
Thursday, Feb. 27
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 29
8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Top 3 finishers will be given medals on the awards podium immediately following each event.