Three Aztecs set for United States Olympic Trials

The United States track and field Olympic Trials are set to begin this weekend at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. with two SDSU alumni and one current Aztec set to compete for a spot on the national team's roster for this summer's Paris Olympics. The Olympic Trials will begin Friday, June 28 and last until Sunday, June 30.

Xiamara Young is the current Aztec looking to secure her spot on the national team. Fresh off an appearance in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the junior from Las Vegas, Nev. will compete in triple jump at the trials. She jumped a personal best and Olympic Trial qualifying mark of 13.51m (44-4) 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 on The Mesa as a USTFCCCA Indoor Second-Team All-America and outdoor honorable mention. She ranks number four in triple jump on both San Diego State's indoor and outdoor all-time lists.

Danae Dyer will compete at the Olympic Trials in the 100m hurdles, recording a qualifying mark of 12.98 seconds. An Aztec from 2018-23, she was a two-time USTFCCCA All-American, three-time indoor MW champion, six-time all-Mountain West outdoor champion and owns seven different top ten marks in the SDSU indoor and outdoor record books. She also ranks third in the MW record book for the 100m hurdles and fifth for the 60m hurdles.

Kristen Brown is set for her second U.S. Olympic Trials with a qualifying mark of 4.51m (14-9.5) in pole vault. She also reached the finals at the 2020 trials where she finished ninth. Donning the Scarlet and Black from 2012-15, she was a 2015 USTFCCCA All-American, three-time indoor MW champion and four-time outdoor champion. In her three years, she totaled 11 all-conference honors between the indoor and outdoor seasons as well as the fifth best outdoor pole vault mark and seventh best indoor mark.

Along with the three Aztecs at the U.S. Olympic qualifiers, there will be two, one current and one alum, at the JAAA/Puma National Championships competing to qualify for the Jamaican National Team.

Shaquena Foote is the current SDSU athlete that will compete at the championship meet running in the 400m 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 (4x1, mixed relay and 4x4) at the NACAC U23 competing for her home country last year.

SDSU Hall of Famer Shanieka Thomas (Ricketts) will once again compete in triple jump at the trials for Jamaica. She will be looking to make her third Olympic games, finishing 14th in 2016 (Rio de Janeiro) and 4th in 2021 (Tokyo). An Aztec 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. A three-time USTFCCCA West Region Field Athlete of the Year, she won nine conference championships and holds the SDSU records for both indoor and outdoor seasons.

The JAAA/Puma National Championships will take place June 27-30 at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

SDSU Olympic Trial Participants

Xiamara Young: Triple Jump (U.S.)
- Friday, June 21 at 6:50 p.m. PT (qualifiers) | Saturday, June 22 at 6:20 p.m. PT (finals)
Danae Dyer: 100m Hurdles (U.S.)
- Friday, June 28 at 5:28 p.m. PT (round one) | Saturday, June 29 at 5:04 p.m. PT (semifinals) | Sunday, June 30 at 5 p.m. PT (finals)
Kristen Brown: Pole Vault (U.S.)
- Friday, June 28 at 5:55 p.m. PT (qualifiers) | Sunday, June 30 at 3:15 p.m. PT (finals)
Shanieka Thomas (Ricketts): Triple Jump (Jamaica)
Shaquena Foote: 400m (Jamaica)