Several current and former San Diego State University athletes are set to compete in Eugene, Oregon Friday for the U.S. track and field Olympic Trials.
Xiamara Young is the current Aztec vying for a spot in the Olympics in Paris this summer. The junior from Las Vegas will compete in the triple jump at Hayward Field on Friday at 6:50 p.m. following a personal best and Olympic Trial qualifying mark of 13.51 meters on her third and final attempt at the west preliminary meet — which also secured her spot in the collegiate championship meet.
A transfer from Fresno Pacific, she finished her first year at SDSU as a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Indoor Second- Team All-American and outdoor honorable mention. She ranks fourth in triple jump on both San Diego State's indoor and outdoor all-time lists.
Two SDSU alumni will also seek a spot on the U.S. roster.
Danae Dyer, a 2023 graduate, will compete in the 100-meter hurdles on June 28, recording a qualifying mark of 12.98 seconds. According to the university, she was a two-time USTFCCCA All-American, three-time indoor Mountain West Conference champion, six-time all-Mountain West outdoor champion and owns seven different top 10 marks in the SDSU indoor and outdoor record books.
Additionally, Kristen Brown is set for her second Olympic Trials with a qualifying mark of 4.51 meters in pole vault, with the event also beginning on June 28. She also reached the finals at the 2020 trials where she finished ninth. At SDSU from 2012-15, she was a 2015 USTFCCCA All-American, three-time indoor MW champion and four-time outdoor champion.
Beyond the three American athletes, one current student and one alum will compete to get on the Jamaica Olympic Team.
Current Aztec Shaquena Foote will compete at the JAAA/Puma National Championships from June 27-30 in Kingston, Jamaica in the 400-meter dash. The back-to-back Mountain West Champion in the event earned a USTFCCCA honorable mention this year, finishing 17th at the NCAA Championships. Already with international experience, Foote collected three silver medals — in the 4x100, mixed relay and 4x400 — competing for her home country last year.
San Diego State Hall of Famer, Shanieka Thomas (Ricketts) will again compete in triple jump at the trials for Jamaica, a statement from SDSU reads. She will be looking to make her third Olympic games, finishing 14th in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games and 4th in 2021's Tokyo Olympiad.
On the Mesa from 2011-14, Thomas was a three-time triple jump national champion and two-time NCAA runner-up as part of her seven all-American awards.
