Five Aztecs Earn All-America Honors
U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announce Aztecs have earned All-America honors.
Senior pole vaulter Bonnie Draxler was named to the first team. The Aztec 4x400m relay team—Sakura Roberson, Lisa-Anne Barrow, Jalyn Harris and Nyjari McNeil—earned second-team honors.
Student-athletes earn First-Team All-America status by finishing among the top eight of their events – including as a member of a relay team – at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Austin, Texas. Second-Team All-America honors went to those student-athletes who finished between ninth and 16th place. Draxler finished second in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last Thursday after tying her personal record and school record of 14-09.50 (4.51m). This was the second time this year that Draxler earned the silver medal at the NCAA Championships. She cleared 14-11.50, an SDSU indoor record, and was runner-up at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
The SDSU 4x400m relay team finished in 3:33.64 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, good for the 11th best time out of 24. Their time was just 0.16 seconds off the mark they set two weeks ago at the NCAA West Prelims, which was also the second fastest time in school history.
It is the first All-America honor for freshman McNeil and sophomore Roberson. Harris was a USTFCCCA honorable mention in 2018 in the 4x400m relay and senior Barrow earned honorable mention in three events in 2018 (400m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay). Barrow leaves SDSU as a three-time Mountain West champ and a six-time All-MW honoree.
With only two seniors among them, the SDSU All-Americans are a young team, said Shelia Burrell, head coach for both cross country and track and field.
“It’s a noteworthy accomplishment for each of them to be counted among the top athletes in NCAA Track and Field,” said Burrell, who worked with all of the athletes. “It’s not an easy honor to achieve and I know that myself and my entire coaching staff are proud of each of these young women, and hope to continue pushing our athletes to represent the San Diego State community with pride.”
Draxler finishes her Aztec career as a four-time All-American. She was a two-time first-team All-American (2019 indoor and outdoor), a one-time second-team All-American (2018 indoor) and was an honorable mention selection in the 2017 outdoor season.
Draxler leaves SDSU with both the indoor and outdoor school and Mountain West records in the pole vault. Her career-best indoor vault beat the record set in 2010. Draxler also broke the outdoor record set in 2008.
