April 21, 2012
WALNUT, Calif. - The Arizona State University track and field team wrapped up the second day of competition at the 54th Annual Mt. SAC Relays on Friday at the Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calif.
It was a solid day for the ASU women, starting with junior Keia Pinnick in the 400-meter hurdles. Pinnick clocked a new career best of 57.34 to earn the overall victory in the women's open section of the event.
Pinnick opened it up down the stretch and cruised past teammate Kayla Sanchez in the race and in the record books, moving ahead of the senior for sixth on ASU's all-time list.
Sanchez took sixth overall in 58.40 in the competition. Both Pinnick and Sanchez both clocked their times in the first heat of six and their times held through the rest of the competition.
In the women's pole vault, sophomore Shaylah Simpson took second overall and first among collegians with a new career-best clearance of 4.30m (14-01.25). It was a third consecutive outdoor personal record this season and was just an inch shy of the ASU school record.
In the women's discus invite section, sophomore Anna Jelmini was fifth overall with a season's best throw of 59.17m (194-01) and was the top collegian in the field. The mark was also good for the top throw in the nation in the NCAA thus far.
Lindsay Prescott took third in the women's open 5,000-meter run `B' section in 16:30.91. The time was a huge outdoor personal record by 19 seconds and 16 seconds better than her previous indoor personal best.
On Thursday, a handful of distance runners opened the competition for the No. 8 Sun Devil men and No. 16 women. Senior Kauren Tarver opened the day with a strong run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a new career best of 10:23.38 to take second in the Open `A' section of the event.
For Tarver, the time was good enough to move up to sixth on ASU's all-time top 10 list in the event and gives her one of the top-five times in the Pac-12 Conference in the event this season.
In the men's steeplechase, freshman Domenic D'Acquisto set a new career best, going under nine minutes for the first time in 8:59.40 to take 12th overall in the men's Open `A' section.
The Sun Devils return to action tomorrow for the third and final day of the Mt. SAC Relays. A complete recap will be available at the conclusion of the day's action.