March 15, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State track and field student-athletes Lisa Aguilera (Sr., Peoria, Ariz.), Seth Amoo (So., Palmdale, Calif.), Lewis Banda (Fr., Bulawayo, Zimbabwe), Jason Barton (So., Phoenix, Ariz.) and Steve Fitch (Jr., San Ramon, Calif.) competed in the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark., and will return to Tempe as All-Americans.
Aguilera ran a 9:18.80 in the women's 3,000 meter run to finish seventh of the 17 entrants to earn the national honor. It marks the third time Aguilera has been named an All-American on the indoor track. She accomplished the feat in 2002 in the same event and adds the distinction in the mile in 2000.
The men formed the fifth-fasted 4x400m relay team in the nation this year, clocking in at 3:07.41 and winning their heat. In the meet, three heats were run with the times then compared to one another to determine where each relay placed. LSU's men won the event in 3:04.41. The All-American honor for the relay team is the first indoor honor since the 2000 distance medley team did so. The last time an ASU 4x400m team earned the distinction was in the 1999 indoor season as well as the 2002 outdoor season. Amoo and Fitch were members of the outdoor team last year.
On a team basis, Arkansas won the men's title with 52 points while LSU's women took top billing with 62 points. The Sun Devil men tied Houston, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Washington State and Wisconsin for 45th place after each team accumulated four points. All points were earned by the relay team for ASU.
The women tied for 43rd with two points earned by Aguilera. The Sun Devils tied with Ball State, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Wake Forest and Northwestern State (La.). Fifty-three women's teams scored at least one point in the competition with 63 turning the feat on the men's side.
With the indoor season concluded for the year, the outdoor runners return to action at home in next weekend with the Baldy Castillo Invitational, March 21-22, at Sun Angel Stadium.
Arizona State at NCAA Indoor Championships
Women
3,000m Run
Lisa Aguilera ... 7th place (of 17) ... 9:18.80
***All-American***
Men
4x400m Relay ... 5th place (of 12) ... 3:07.41
Jason Barton, Seth Amoo, Steve Fitch and Lewis Banda
***All-Americans***